Questons about Tantra

[Dawn]

I have read a lot of different things about tantra. Can it be explained in a simplified form?

[Akasha]

What is Tantra? Ask a thousand people and you’ll get a thousand different answers. Tantra is a Sanskrit word which means to weave. It is also used to express a mystical set of principals for sharing prana or energy. In a sexual relationship energy is weaved or combined together so that two become as one and attain full union.

Osho Rajneesh – was one of the most influential tantra guru’s of the 20th century. Also known as “The Sex Guru” he was considered quite a rebel by his Hindu colleagues. Osho opened the door of secrecy, simplified the techniques and taught thousands of people the path of Tantra.
Regarding his teachings on sex, Osho says in book From Sex to Superconsciousness: "Sex is man's most vibrant energy, but it should not be an end unto itself. Sex should lead man to his soul. The goal is from lust to light."

“I want to say to you that sex is godly. The energy of sex is divine energy, godly energy. That is why this energy creates new life. It is the greatest, most mysterious force of all.” (Transforming Sex into Love, Discourse by Osho).

Many critics in the East claim that the focus of tantra in western culture has been the physical sexual practices rather than using sex as a means to attain spiritual enlightenment. Learning and experiencing the difference between ego-based sex and soul-based sexual bliss is the key difference in tantric teachings. Ego-based sex is about the “I” in pleasure. What you can get out of sex. Thoughts such as “I want to feel this” “I only like to do that”. In soul-based sexual encounters the focus is on giving pleasure rather than receiving. It takes great restraint and discipline as well as an openness of mind to enjoy such giving but the rewards are beyond anything you can experience from simple physical satisfaction.

Tantra teaches a number of practices which help couples become more intimate and open to sharing their deepest feelings, sharing their deepest desires and share their most private sexual expressions of love.

Namaste,

Akasha
www.worldtantra.org