Neotantra
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Neotantra is an adaptation of both Buddhist and Hindu Tantra- adopting components of dharma that feature recognition of the visible world as a manifestation of Lila of the Divine Mother with oneness between self and the visible world experienced in the sexual act symbolizing Shiva-Shakti union of the godhead. Neotantra's metaphysical core is derived from a fundamental dictum in traditional yoga practice that all desire must be extinguished through meditation to experience liberation. Historic Hindu Tantras of the left-hand path- Vamachara, Kaula, Lakshmi, Shakta, as well as Buddhist and Taoist sexual yoga- -all proscribe a way of meditation through the ecstasy of sexual union to attain absolute desirelessness and awakening.
Neotantriks embrace this core concept and modify the religious constructs and rigors of traditional Tantras, discarding transgressive elements of some left-hand practice and exploring the extent to which integral spirituality can facilitate access to the ultimate experience of ecstatic transcendence.[citations needed]
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[edit] Practice
The teaching and practice of neotantra includes a wide range of modern or otherwise New Age interpretations of tantra that usually disregard requirements involving the guidance of a guru guruparampara and ritual conduct, though they otherwise adopt many of the terms and concepts of the various tantras. They often talk about raising Kundalini energy, activating the chakras, and experiencing full-bodied orgasms. In these circles, neotantra is often a synonym for sacred sexuality, i.e. a belief that sex ought to be recognized as a sacred act which is capable of elevating its participants to a higher spiritual plane. Where any form of worship or ritual is involved it most often revolves around the sacred feminine or Divine Mother as featured in Shakta or Kaula Tantra. At other times neotantra comes to mean a set of techniques for cultivating a more fulfilling sexual or love relationship, like the otherwise unrelated Kama Sutra, regardless of its mystical import.[citations needed]
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho, used tantra in combination with breathing techniques, bioenergy, yoga and massage in some of his groups. One of many of his students who continued developing his concepts is Margot Anand, author of "The Art of Sexual Magic" (1996).
Many other teachers have pioneered their modern understanding of tantra as it relates to its ancient roots. Some[attribution needed] believe that tantric knowledge or teachings can be directly transmitted from teacher to student through the modalities of eye contact, playful conversation, touch and sexual contact. Others[attribution needed] consider tantra as a way to use one's body to connect with the Divine without the need for a spiritual leader.
[edit] Criticism
Georg Feuerstein, a Buddhist who also trained in Hindu Tantra, writes in the epilogue of his book Tantra: Path of Ecstasy:
"Many are attracted to Neo-Tantrism because it promises sexual excitement or fulfillment while clothing purely genital impulses or neurotic emotional needs in an aura of spirituality. If we knew more about the history of Tantra in India, we would no doubt find a comparable situation for every generation." He goes on to say, "Today translations of several major Tantras are readily available in book form, and many formerly secret practices are now, in the language of the texts, 'like common harlots'. This gives would-be Tantrics the opportunity to concoct their own idiosyncratic ceremonies and philosophies, which they can then promote as Tantra." He also states that he himself does not consider neo-Tantra "wrong" or "false" but rather "simply a different interpretation for a specific historical situation."
[edit] Related concepts
Meanwhile, both Tantric and Neotantric concepts aside, there is a growing body of accounts that suggest sexual ecstasy experienced by individuals with no spiritual agenda may trigger a range of transcendent episodes as psychologist Dr. Jenny Wade describes in her book, Transcendent Sex. Although rare, there are contemporary accounts where ecstatic orgasm is one of a variety of peak experiences that have spontaneously intiated an unintentional supreme transcendence that compares to that described by Advaita mystics as Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Samadhi-like experience have also arisen spontaneously in individuals under the most ordinary circumstances including sleeping. Such extraordinary episodes manifesting so unconditionally and inexplicably relate to religious concepts of Christian Grace, the anugraha of Vedanta and anupaya of Hindu Saivism.[citations needed]
[edit] References
- Tantra, The Supreme Understanding, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (1975)
- The Art of Sexual Magic, Margot Anand (1996)
- Tantric Yoga: The Royal Path of Raising Kundalini Power, Gavin Frost & Yvonne Frost (1989)
- Sacred Orgasms, Kenneth Ray Stubbs (1992)
