Tantras

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Tantras ("Looms" or "Weavings") refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. The Hindu Tantras total ninety-two scriptures, where sixty four are purely Ābheda (literally "without differentiation", or monistic), known as the Bhairava Tantras or Kashmir Śaivite Tantras, eighteen are Bhedabheda (literally "with differentiation and without differentiation" or monistic cum dualistic), known as the Rudra Tantras), and ten are completely Bheda (literally "differentiated" or dualistic), known as the Ṣiva Tantras. The latter two (Rudra Tantras and Ṣiva Tantras) are used by the Śaiva Siddhantins, and thus are sometimes referred to as Śaiva Siddhanta Tantras, or Śaiva Siddhanta Āgamas.^{[citation needed]}

Hindus consider the Tantras as Śruti revealed by Lord Ṣiva in the form of Svacchandanath, Who created each tantra as a combination of His five universal energies: cit shakti (energy of all-consciousness), ānanda śakti (energy of all-bliss), īccha śakti (energy of all-will), jñāna śakti (energy of all-knowledge), kriya śakti (energy of all-action). The Tantrika Parampara may be considered parallel or intertwined with the Vaidika Parampara. It is said that Svacchandanath illuminated the universe, beginning the Sat Yuga by revealing these Tantras. Through the ages, as the great masters of the Tantras hid themselves to escape the touch of the increasingly worldly people, these teachings were lost during the Kali Yuga. As a part of Ṣiva's grace, Ṣiva took the form Śrikanthanatha at Mount Kailaṣ, and revealed these Tantras, to Durvasa Riṣi, and then disappeared into the ether.^{[citation needed]}

In the Nath Tradition, legend ascribes the origin of Tantra to Dattatreya, a semi-mythological yogi and the assumed author of the Jivanmukta Gita ("Song of the liberated soul"). Matsyendranath is credited with authorship of the Kaulajnana-nirnaya, a voluminous ninth-century tantra dealing with a host of mystical and magical subjects, and occupies an important position in the Hindu tantric lineage, as well as in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.

Buddhist and Hindu Tantra, though having many similarities from the outside, do have some clear distinctions.

In contradistinction to the Vaidik ritual, which is traditionally performed out-of-doors without any idols nor emblems, the Taantrik ritual is largely a matter of temples and idols. The Tantra-s are largely descriptions and specifications for the construction and maintenance of temple-structures together with their enclosed idols and linga-s -- an example of type of text is the Ajita Mahaatantra. [1] [2] [3] [4] Another function was the conservation as state-secrets of texts for use by royalty to maintain their authority through rituals directed to deities controlling the political affairs-of-state -- an example of this is the S`aarada-tilaka Tantra. [5] [6] [7]

[edit] References

Lakshmanjoo, Swami. Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme. ISBN 1-58721-505-5
Dhallapiccola, Anna. Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend. ISBN 0-500-51088-1
Walker, Benjamin (1983). Tantrism: Its Secret Principles and Practices. Borgo Press. ISBN 0-85030-272-2