(excerpt from)Kashmir Shaivite Tantra

by Dharma Bodhi Sarasvati, Acharya

Kashmir was a region that for thousands of years benefited from being placed squarely in the "Silk Road" of spirituality. With Mongolia to the north, Tibet to the north and east, Nepal to the south-east, India to the South, Afghanistan to the west and Tajikastan to the north-west, Kashmir was sandwiched by the powerhouses of the Himalayan Tantrik tradition.

Although Kashmir Shaivite (Shiva) Tantra is placed squarely among the ranks of Hindu philosophical systems, it is important to understand that the philosophy and practice of Tantra is vast and not the sole property of any one religious flavour.

Tantra itself defies labeling. In its essence, Tantra is a very practical system of self- liberation wherein enjoyment of the world and spiritual liberation (moksha) are not mutually exclusive. A Tantrik practitioner may consider herself a full renunciate while still living in the world holding a job and raising a family.

In today's vernacular, the word Tantra will, in the most orthodox sense, refer to Hindu Tantra or Buddhist Tantra. The "neo-Tantrik" movement espoused today can be identified by its disproportionate interest in sex.

Though touted as sexual sadhana (spiritual practice) it falls way short of the mark. This New-Age movement that uses the word Tantra to describe its weekend workshops promising longer and better orgasms, increased stamina and ecstasy is a shallow and paltry imitation of the real Tantrik Tradition.

Kashmir Shaivite Tantra is the central philosophy of Tantra. It evolved to its present lofty form by receiving a steady flow of ideas and practices from its mountain neighbour's Tantrik traditions.

Hindu Tantra had the most obvious effect on Kashmiri Tantra. Kashmiri Shaivite Tantra uses Sanskrit as its language and standard ritual formats and deities associated with Hinduism. Physical yoga also forms the foundation of a beginners practice.

What may not be known to the orthodox Hindu, or what may not be comfortable to admit, is that the Kashmiri type of Tantra probably took whatever was useful from the surrounding traditions and created a synthesis over the last 2,000 years, giving birth to a very powerful, progressive, and all-encompassing system of spiritual philosophy and practice.

An examination of the Bon philosophy and practice of Tibet (pre-dating Buddhism in Tibet) shows it to be very similar in concepts and yogas. One need merely change the names of the concepts, practices, and deities and it would become difficult to distinguish it from Kashmiri Tantra.

Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, though originally being brought to Tibet from India, exerted an influence on Kashmir Tantra some time later. The traditions north-west of Kashmir (Tajik, Afghan, Mongolian) have yet to be fully explored by western yogins. These paths are very powerful and emphasize the higher yogas in which the practitioner becomes a master of progressive sets of kriyas or energy practices. It is also easy to see their influence on the yogins and sages of the Kashmiri region.

This cross-pollination resulting in the world's ultimate Tantrik philosophy and practice is considered an auspicious boon to the true spiritual seeker. She or he is really not concerned with external religious overtones, only with results that can be gained by effort applied to the practices. The advanced practitioner is a free-chameleon, able to easily take on the outer garb of whatever religious tradition the Tantra has made a home in.

All Tantrik traditions share some common features. Some of these are as follows:

1. Tantra is concerned with demonstrable spiritual liberation. Tantriks do not give any credence to "salvation" in the life after death. Tantriks believe that God's (Absolute Consciousness) Grace is essential to liberation, but the yogin must prepare herself through self-effort in sadhana.

The goal of Tantra is to be a Jivan-Mukta or living liberated Being. In this way, Tantriks take full responsibility for their illusion of suffering and their liberation - however when liberation comes, the credit always goes to Grace of God.

2. Tantriks may use any and/or all means to liberation. To some Tantrik sects there is nothing profane or too impure to be God, or to be used as a vehicle to self-liberation.

This is why many Tantrik practitioners may go unnoticed in society. They may hold a steady job, raise a family, be involved in the community, or even sports. To a Tantrik, any and all arenas of life are fair game as tools to liberation.

3. Tantra eschews any social hierarchies or caste structures. This is one of the reasons Tantra is looked down upon by the high caste people of India - it threatens their control of the people and society.

Orthodox Brahmins may point the finger at Tantra, saying it is responsible for the degradation of Hindu society. But it is far more accurate to say that the modern emphasis on renouncing the world as an illusion espoused by yoga - vedantins did more to undermine the Hindu society and the 4 classical stages of Vedic life.

Tantra which comes from Veda, and is totally in alignment with Veda, is 100% compatible with life in society. Tantrikas view and experience the world itself as divine, as Shakti. To a Tantrik, Shakti is the dynamic aspect of God - not an illusion which is to be rejected.

There are more common features of the Tantrik tradition but the 3 listed above will give the reader a good sense of the mind-stream of Tantra.

Kashmir Shaivite Tantra is a philosophy and practice of Absolutism. It takes the philosophical position that all is God, or Pure Consciousness - with no exceptions.

It says that everything emanates from God's spontaneous and free activity. That even though this world, this body, and even this mind are temporary, they are nonetheless real, and are expressions of God's creative action.

The monistic Tantriks like the Kashmiri's would assert that creation emanates from the Absolute consciousness and Bliss (God), and when the play is over God dissolves it. The philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism is the most comprehensive of all the systems of Indian Tantra. There is not one aspect of spiritual and secular life that has not been fully dealt with by the great teachers of the Kashmiri lineage.

The underlying principle of this system is called Advaita Bhavana and can be translated as 'Universal Love for All'.

In the alchemical process of transformation from lead (our individual self) to gold (the Universal Self) which is the whole purpose of Tantra, the laboratory for this process can be perfectly equipped. Our body and its prana are the Crucible, the fuel for the fire is the energy of the negative, selfish habits and thoughts, and the reagents placed in the crucible are our daily life experiences. The fire of transformation is Love.

Without unqualified Universal Love for All there can be no transformation. Universal Love without distinction or difference is the very catalyst of our transformation from limited self to God-Self. And for our life to be an expression of God's beauty, wisdom, and compassion, we must cultivate this most precious quality.

Dharma Bodhi is the founder & spiritual director of Trika Method.