Tantrism is a collection of esoteric rituals and traditions found in various Eastern religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Bonpo. It involves consistent rituals, energy work, and using the mundane to access the greater realm of reality. Tantric practices share three fundamental components: the use of a mantra, identifying with deities, and secret, sacred rituals using ordinary elements to represent universal energy. The term “Tantrism” is a Western construct to help understand the essential elements of the practices.
Tantrism, also commonly known as Tantra or Tantricism, is a collective term for various esoteric rituals and traditions found in a number of Eastern religions. Literally translated from Sanskrit as “weaving,” Tantra is meant to address the reality of continuity in the universe. Such faiths as Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Bonpo all have some strains of Tantrism present among their followers. This means that Tantrism should not be considered a separate faith, but rather a combination of beliefs and practices capable of coexisting with the tenets of several major Eastern religions.
Strictly speaking, the use of the word “Tantrism” to identify the collective components of these esoteric traditions is an invention of the West. Part of the need for this kind of linguistic construct is the difference between how Western and Eastern thinking tend to identify and relate to various issues and practices of faith and belief. By attempting to place tantric practices into an independent category, it is somewhat easier for Western-minded people to grasp the essential elements of the various practices and rituals that form part of the overall tantric tradition.
In essence, Tantrism can involve virtually any ritual, rite, or practice that is said to include four basic characteristics. First, the ritual will be more or less consistent in use and function. Secondly, it is understood that the energy work is taking place. Third, the use of the everyday or mundane is used to gain access to the greater realm of reality. Ultimately, any practice included in Tantrism will be used to identify the microcosm that lies within the macrocosm, as it relates to Ultimate Reality.
While the rituals and practices that can aptly be identified as tantric in nature vary greatly, they all appear to share three fundamental components. The use of a mantra is very common in many Eastern religions and can be used to invoke specific deities or to connect with the inner self. Besides invoking deities, Tantrism will also focus on identifying with deities. Within this application, it is understood that the practitioner seeks to become one with the deity, in effect being one with the essence of the invoked deity. Finally, Tantrism will often involve some sort of secret, sacred ritual that will use ordinary elements to represent a greater form of universal energy, such as food being used as a symbol of renewal.
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