The History of Indian Philosophy Täntra

K EY T ERMS

taÙ
web, woof, that which expands;
täntra A type of Sanskrit work containing Tantric teachings.
Tantra

saxk
a master of the spiritual discpline (sädhana) of Tantra
sädhaka one who has achieved perfection or accomplishment (siddhi)
Sadhaka

k…{ filnI coiled, serpent

kuëòaliné the serpent power or spiritual energy residing at the root cakra
Kundalini (mülädhära-cakra), which must be awakened in Tantric practice
and guided to the crown cakra (sähasrära-cakra)

c³ wheel;
cakra the energetic centers or ‘wheels’ of the subtle body
Chakra

m{fl circle;
maëòala a circular design symbolizing the cosmos and used in Tantric
Mandala practice

yÙ
a geometric design used in Tantric practice
yantra
Yantra

muÔ a seal;
mudrä a hand gesture or whole-body gesture
Mudra
The History of Indian Philosophy Täntra

Q UESTIONS
1. What are some different views about the origins of the Tantric tradition? What are
some of the main themes of the Tantric tradition and how does this tradition
contrast, in general, with the teachings of orthodox Indian philosophy?

2. Why is Tantra understood as a teaching for the age of the kali-yuga?

3. How is it that in Tantra the four ends of man (Catur Puruñärtha) become one?

4. What is Kundalini Yoga and how does this yoga practice compare and contrast with
that of the orthodox Vedantic tradition?

5. What is the common theme which suggests how the Tantric tradition may have
developed out of Mahayana Buddhism?

The Four World Ages

1. The Satya-yuga, in which truth (satya) reigns supreme, and which is also known as Kåta-
yuga because everything in it is well made (kåta). Kåta signifies the lucky or “well-made”
throw of the dice.

2. The Tretä-yuga, in which truth and virtue are somewhat diminished. Tretä is a dice throw
of three points.

3. The Dväpara-yuga, in which truth and virtue are further diminished. Dväpara is a dice
throw of two points.

4. The Kali-yuga, which is marked by ignorance, delusion, and greed. Kali is a dice throw
of one point, a total loss. The word kali (from the verbal root kal, “to impel”) is not, as if
often thought, the same as the name of the goddess Kälé. However, since Kälé symbolizes
both time and destruction, it does not seem far-fetched to connect her specifically with the
kali-yuga, though she is deemed to govern all spans and modes of time.

Adapted from Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy, by Georg Feuerstein, Shambhala, 1998, pgs. 4-5.
The History of Indian Philosophy Täntra

The Seven Chakras

Sähasrära-cakra
(“the thousand-spoked wheel”)
Crown Chakra: a varicolored lotus of
a thousand petals at the crown of the
head

Äjïä-cakra
(“the command wheel”)
Third Eye Chakra: a white lotus of
two petals in the middle of the
forehead

Viçuddha-cakra
(“the wheel of purity”)
Throat Chakra: a smoky purple lotus
of sixteen petals

Anähata-cakra
(“the wheel of unstruck sound”)
Heart Chakra: a ruddy lotus of
twelve petals

Maëipüra-cakra
(the wheel of the jewel city)
Navel Chakra: a blue-black lotus of
ten petals

Svädhiñöhäna-cakra
(“wheel of the self-base”)
Genital Chakra: a vermillion lotus of
six petals

Mülädhära-cakra
(“base-root wheel”)
Base of the Spine Chakra: a crimson
lotus of four petals
Illustration show ing the nadis and the m ajor and m inor chakras
F ro m D avid V . Tansley, Subtle Body - E ssence and Shadow , (1977, A rt and Im agination Series, Tham es
and Hu d so n, L ondon ) In th at book th is illustration is labelled "T he nad is, d iagram , T ib et", b u t the
w riting is sanskrit not Tibetan, and both th e artistic sty le and also th e arrangem ent of the chakras is
Ind ian.