Neotantra, navatantra (, 'new'), or tantric sexuality is a Western new religious movement influenced by the Eastern esoteric spiritual traditions of Tantra.
History
Rooted in elements of Hindu and Buddhist tantras, neotantra blends
New Age interpretations with modern Western perspectives, often emphasizing the sexual aspects of these ancient traditions. While some proponents reference traditional texts and principles, many utilize tantra as a broader term encompassing
sacred sexuality, occasionally incorporating unconventional practices. However, neotantra does not always adhere to the complete range of
Tantra, particularly the reliance on a
guru.
The perception of Tantra in the West has evolved, deviating from its original traditions. Initially seen as a "cult of ecstasy", it has come to be associated with "spiritual sex" or "sacred sexuality", wherein sexual experiences are considered sacred acts capable of elevating participants spiritually. This shift in understanding has grown alongside the increased interest in Tantra in Western culture, often emphasizing its sexual components. Key figures such as Sir John George Woodroffe, Pierre Bernard, and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh have played pivotal roles in popularizing these ideas. Criticisms and debates exist, with some scholars highlighting the potential for misinterpretation and the blending of Tantric principles with Western attitudes towards pleasure and spirituality. Despite these debates, neotantra continues to evolve, creatively integrating aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Western culture.
Practitioners
Sir
John Woodroffe, also known by his pseudonym Arthur Avalon, was a British
oriental studies whose work helped to unleash in the West a deep and wide interest in
Hindu philosophy and
yoga. Alongside his judicial duties he studied
Sanskrit and
Hindu philosophy and was especially interested in Hindu
Tantra. He translated some twenty original Sanskrit texts and published and lectured prolifically on Indian philosophy and a wide range of
Yoga and
Solo Tantra topics. Woodroffe's
The Serpent Power – The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga, is a source for many modern Western adaptations of
Kundalini yoga practice. It is a philosophically sophisticated commentary on, and translation of, the
Satcakra-nirupana ("Description of and Investigation into the Six Bodily Centres") of Purnananda (dated around AD 1550) and the
Paduka-Pancaka ("Five-fold Footstool of the Guru"). The term "Serpent Power" refers to the
Kundalini energy, an energy said to be released within an individual by meditation techniques.
Pierre Bernard was a pioneering American yogi, scholar, occultist, philosopher, mystic, and businessman. He claimed to have traveled to Kashmir and Bengal before founding the Tantrik Order of America in 1905. He eventually expanded to a chain of tantric clinics in places such as Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York City. Bernard is widely credited with being the first American to introduce the philosophy and practices of yoga and tantra to the American people. Many teachers of this version of tantra believe that sex and sexual experiences are sacred acts, which are capable of elevating their participants to a higher spiritual plane. They often talk about raising Kundalini energy energy, worshiping the divine feminine and the divine masculine, activating the chakras.
Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho, used his version of tantra in combination with breathing techniques, bio-energy, yoga, and Tantric massage in some of the groups at his ashram. He is the author of many books on meditation, taoism, buddhism, and mysticism, and at least six on tantra. One of them is Tantra, The Supreme Understanding, in which he unpacks the verses of the "Song of Mahamudra", by Tilopa. In addition out of his discourses on the Vigyan Bhiarav (or Vijnaya-bhairava), the 112 practices for enlightenment resulted in the much longer The Book of Secrets.
Criticisms
Georg Feuerstein, a German Indologist who also trained in tantra, writes in the epilogue of his book
Tantra: Path of Ecstasy:
Responding to criticism of modern Western Tantra, Geoffrey Samuel, a historian of Indian and Tibetan Tantra writes:
According to author and critic of religion and politics Hugh Urban:
Urban says he does not consider this wrong or false, but "simply a different interpretation for a specific historical situation."
See also
Citations
Works cited
Further reading
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Margot Anand (1996) The Art of Sexual Magic.
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Douglas, Nik (1997) Spiritual Sex: Secrets of Tantra from the Ice Age to the New Millennium. New York: Simon & Schuster.
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Douglas, Nik; Penny Slinger (1979). Sexual Secrets: The Alchemy of Ecstasy. New York: Destiny Books,
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Eden, Donna, Feinstein, D., & Caroline Myss (1999) Energy Medicine. New York: Tarcher/G. P. Putnam's Sons.
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Gerber, R. (2001) Vibrational Medicine. Rochester, Vermont: Bear & Company.
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Goodchild, V. (2001) Eros and Chaos: The Sacred Mysteries and the Dark Shadows of Love. York Beach, Maine: Nicolas Hays.
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Lacroix, Nitya (2003) Kama Sutra: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Art of Sex.
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Muir, Charles; Muir, Caroline (1990) Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving, Mercury House Publishers.
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Odier, D. (2001). Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2001.
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Osho Rajneesh, B. S. (1975) Tantra, The Supreme Understanding.
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Osho Rajneesh, B. S. (1976) Meditation: The Art of Ecstasy. New York: Harper and Row, 1976.
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Osho Rajneesh, B. S. (1976) The Tantra Experience: Discourses on the Royal Song of Saraha (2 volumes). Cologne, Germany: Rebel Publishing Company.
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Ramsdale, David; Gentry, Cynthia W. (2004) Red Hot Tantra: Erotic Secrets of Red Tantra for Intimate, Soul-to-Soul Sex and Ecstatic, Enlightened Orgasms, Quiver Publishing.
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Saraswati, Satyananda (2003) Kundalini Tantra. Munger, India: Yoga Publications Trust.
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Sarita, M. A.; Geho, S. A. (2001) Tantric Love. New York: Simon & Schuster.
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Stubbs, K. R. (1999) The Essential Tantra: A Modern Guide to Sacred Sexuality. New York: Tarcher/Putnam.
