And introductory but excellent article explaining the Rajanaka Tantric lineage:
'Tantra is a word commonly thrown around in the yoga world, and let's face the facts. What do you think about when someone says, "Tantra?" Sex.' "There is nothing wrong with this association, as the Tantric worldview encompasses physical intimacy and connection, but it is also very limiting as the tradition contains much greater texture and dimension.
"The Tantra is a vast tradition that represents many diverse schools and thoughts. This philosophical system began to take root in India around the seventh century, and ranges from more orthodox schools, which have structured rituals, meditations, and teacher-based initiations, to more liberal schools which have a reputation for defying social norms and using sexual practices as ritual, which is where the Tantra as sex association began.
The points to follow are from the point-of-view of the Rajanaka Tantra lineage -- a more centric school -- which embraces many Tantric teachings and makes them applicable to daily life. ..." https://www.doyou.com/5-reasons-to-practice-tantra-outside-the-bedroom-73143/
Another excellent introductory article: "Tantra Rising More and more Westerners are embracing Tantra as a means for transforming day-to-day experiences into a cause for blissful celebration. Can it change your life?" NORA ISAACSUPDATED:MAY 23, 2017ORIGINAL:AUG 28, 2007 https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/tantra-rising
A site with with substantial info, both introductory and in more depth about the subject, and which also has several internal links:
A deeper look into the subject approached in some of the topics within the much larger concept of Śāktism’ (in Hinduism):
An introductory page from the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies https://ochs.org.uk/research/sakta-traditions
Their Project homepage: http://saktatraditions.org/
The introductory page of the site explaining it in an accessible way: http://saktatraditions.org/home/
In the shamanic, ancestral Tibetan Bön tradition (just keep in mind that the transliteration of Tibetan words do not express the real pronunciation, which is a real problem but unfortunately it´s the way they spell it):
I think it´s also important to quote this excerpt from the same site before the list of the four Bön tantra so as to make clear the difference between the Bön variaties from the Hindu and Buddhist ones:
I think it´s also important to quote this excerpt from the same site before the list of the four Bön tantra so as to make clear the difference between the Bön variaties from the Hindu and Buddhist ones:
" ... However, the lineages for the Father and Mother Tantras of Bön drive from Tazig and Zhang-zhung rather than India. Originally these Bönpo Tantras were taught to certain great adepts or Mahasiddhas by Tönpa Shenrab in his manifestation as Chimed Tsugphud ('Chi-med gtsug-phud) in his previous life. At that time Sakyamuni was his disciple under the name of Sangwa Dupa (gSang-ba 'dus-pa, Skt. Guhyasamaja)." by Mutsug Marro https://dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=20806
"In terms of the Tantric teachings, within the Bönpo system there are found 4 types of Tantra, namely:
- "Bya-ba'i rgyud",
- "sPyod-pa'i rgyud",
- "Ye gshen gyi rgyud", and
- "Ye gshen chen-po'i rgyud" Then Mutsug Marro gives the explanation of each type in that excellent link: https://dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=20806
The Bön Mother-Tantra, a connection of the Dzogchen practice with Tantra: "This part of Lama Sangye Mönlam's comprehensive course of Ma Gyüd teachings covers Drol-Lam, the "way of liberation". The "Drol" of "Drol-Lam" is a more forceful liberation than the "Thar" of "Tharlam", the subject of last year's teachings. One might say, if samsara is a jail, then "Thar" corresponds to a successful jail-break, while "Drol" corresponds to destroying the jail completely.'
'The chapter contains detailed instructions for visualization practices that resemble bizarre thought experiments. Their unsettling quality jolts the mind out of its usual rut, and, with luck, we land in a state quite unlike any other, of pure consciousness without any object, clear and empty, and, above all, perfect. This so called natural state is the base that Tantra and Dzogchen have in common, and the important purpose of the Drol-lam chapter is to give an introduction to this state. ..." MA GYÜD - Bön mother Tantra http://yungdrung-bon.com/MaGyud/
A scientific study investigation possible correlation between neurosciences with Tantric knowledge:
"Tantra and Modern Neurosciences: Is there any Correlation"
"Background and Aims: Many studies have conclusively proven that meditative techniques derived from the Indian systems of philosophy, meditation and ritual classified as “Tantra” can bring about sustained changes in the structure and function of the nervous system of practitioners. The aim of this study is to provide neuroscientists a framework through which to interpret Tantra, and thereby provide a foundation upon which future interdisciplinary study can be built."
Anand Venkatraman1, Rajarshi Nandy2, Shyam Sudarshan Rao3, Darshan Hemendra Mehta4, Anand Viswanathan5, Rama Jayasundar6 1 Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 2 Founder, Adhyatmikta, New Delhi, India 3 Department of Neurology, Brown University Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA 4 Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 5 Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 6 Department of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
