Guide to Tantra and Sex

Tantra philosophy with it´s spiritual tradition that originated in India is as old as the Hindu Vedic scriptures which are some 4000 years old. The Devi Sukta in the Rig-Veda is the main source of the Tantric teachings. The popular understanding of Tantra in the West represents only a part of the vast system. "Tantra" means a loom or weaving. In Tantric teachings, the universe is perceived as a fabric where everything is woven together, connected and related seamlessly. Tantra is also translated as "web".  We are all connected to each other in this infinite web.

Many cultures have a variation of this challenging and delightful practice, for example, the Taoists in China and the Cheyenne in North America. There are differences in these practices, but all forms of sacred sexuality have in common the intentional cultivation and use of sexual energy for spiritual growth, healing, creativity and enhanced pleasure.

The Goddess in Tantra is known as Devi. Devi is the source of all knowledge and power. Her power is called Shakti. The main initiators of Tantra into the esoteric world were originally female adepts. These women were seen as manifestations of the divine Shakti, the female aspect of the ultimate reality.

Devi created the universe and the whole universe is her body. The sun and moon are her eyes. The wind is her breath. The mountains are her bones. The rivers and oceans are her veins. Devi is omnipresent and all-knowing. Electricity, magnetism, power, heat, light, and the five elements are her eternal manifestations. She is the primal force of life which underlies all existence and the Tantric seeks union with her. The ultimate purpose of Tantra is thus a union of lovers, and union with the divine, with God. In the Tantric tradition, sexuality and spirituality are joined.