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„In the East, we have developed a science: if you cannot find a soul mate, you can create one. And that science is Tantra.
To find a soul mate means to find the person with whom all your seven centers meet naturally. That is possible. It has happened only once in a while, with Krishna and Radha, with Shiva and Shakti. When it happens, it is tremendously beautiful. But it is like lightning – you cannot depend on it. If you want to read your Bible, you can't depend on it that when the lightning is there you will read. The lightning is a natural phenomenon, but not dependable. […]
If you wait for your natural soul mate to meet with you, it will be just like waiting for lightning with which to read your Bible. And you will not be able to read much either. For a moment it is there, and by the time you have opened the Bible it is gone. […]
Hence, Tantra was created. Tantra is a scientific approach. Tantra is alchemy; it can transform your centers, it can transform the other's centers, it can create a rhythm and harmony between you and your beloved.
That is the beauty of Tantra.
It is like bringing electricity into your house. Then you can turn it on and off whenever you want. And you can have a thousand and one uses of it; it can cool your room, it can heat your room. Then it is a miracle. These seven centers in you are nothing but centers of body electricity. So, when I am talking about lightning, don't think of it only as a symbol – I mean it literally. […]
In your body, there exists a subtle current of electricity, very subtle. But the subtler it is, the deeper it goes. It is not very visible. Scientists say that all the electricity that is in your body, if put together, can be used to light a five-candle bulb. It is not much. Quantitatively it is not much, quantitatively the atom is not much, but qualitatively… If it explodes, it has tremendous energy in it. […]“ These seven centers, these seven chakras Yoga and Tantra have talked about down the ages, are nothing but five knots in your body electric current. They can be changed; they can be rearranged. They can be given a new shape, form. Two lovers can be transformed so deeply that all their seven centers can start meeting. […]
Tantra is the science of transforming ordinary lovers into soulmates. And that is the grandeur of Tantra. It can transform the whole earth; it can transform each couple into soul mates."
Osho, Philosophie Perennis, Vol. 1, Talk #8
Tantra – Origins, Development and Practice
Origins and Historical Roots
Tantra is a spiritual tradition with roots reaching deep into the early cultural layers of the Indian subcontinent. Elements of tantric thought appear in pre-Vedic ritual culture, indigenous nature practices, early Śaiva and Śākta worship, and the evolving yogic traditions. Fully developed tantric systems began to crystallise between the 1st and 6th centuries CE, while many symbolic and ritual foundations are far older.
Between the 6th and 12th centuries, a vast body of tantric scriptures emerged - Tantras, Āgamas and Saṃhitās - describing meditation systems, subtle-body practices, ritual, cosmology and embodied philosophy. Tantra grew organically by integrating existing ritual knowledge, yogic methods and lived spiritual experience. At its heart, it aims at Self-Realisation: the experiential recognition of one’s essential nature as consciousness.
Development and Schools
As Tantra expanded, it developed into diverse lineages. Hindu tantric traditions include Śaiva and Śākta systems such as Kaula, Trika and Kashmir Shaivism, known for its refined non-dual philosophy. Within Buddhism, Tantra unfolded as Vajrayana, characterised by mantras, mandalas, deity yoga and subtle-body meditation. These traditions remain alive in regions such as Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. Despite their variety, tantric paths share an experiential orientation: awakening arises through direct, embodied understanding, not abstract theory.
Core Principles
A foundational principle of Tantra is the inherent sacredness of all experience. The body, senses, emotions and energy are considered expressions of consciousness and therefore essential to the spiritual path.
Central to this worldview is the dynamic interplay of Shiva and Shakti, two complementary aspects of reality.
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Shiva represents pure awareness, the still, witnessing essence.
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Shakti represents dynamic energy, creativity, embodiment and the unfolding of form.
In Tantra, awakening occurs when the practitioner recognises that these two forces are inseparable. Reality itself is seen as the ceaseless oneness of Shiva (consciousness) and Shakti (energy), and spiritual practice becomes a process of realising this unity within one’s own experience.
Another key concept is Leela, often translated as “divine play.” It describes the world not as something to be transcended or renounced but as a creative, living expression of consciousness exploring itself. Leela encourages an attitude of openness, curiosity and fluidity toward life.
Within this framework, sensuality can serve as one of many Tools of Expansion - not in a hedonistic sense, but as a conscious way to expand perception, dissolve boundaries and cultivate presence. Sacred sexuality is only one potential doorway among many.
Practices and Methods
Tantra offers a wide range of practices designed to broaden awareness and refine perception. These include Tandava, a slow, meditative form of movement; breathwork, which harmonises subtle energy; visualisations and mantras, which shape inner states; and ritual practices, which infuse ordinary activities with divinity and symbolic meaning.
Rather than withdrawing from life, Tantra invites practitioners to engage with the world from a place of deeper awareness.
Relevance for Modern Life
In contemporary contexts, tantric principles support grounding, emotional clarity and a more conscious, connected relationship with oneself and others. Many practitioners experience increased embodiment, intuition and relational depth. Ultimately, Tantra serves as a practical path toward Self-Realisation, integrating spiritual insight into everyday life.
Tantra Massage as a Modern Interpretation
Tantra massage is a contemporary bodywork modality inspired by aspects of tantric philosophy. While not part of the historical tradition, it incorporates mindful touch, presence and embodied awareness, echoing the tantric understanding that the body is a gateway to deeper perception.
Conclusion
Tantra is an ancient and richly layered tradition that embraces the fullness of human experience. Through the interplay of Shiva and Shakti, the principle of Leela, and a wide range of embodied practices, Tantra guides practitioners toward expanded awareness and the direct recognition of their true nature.
„Tantra says, first purify the body – purify it of all its repressions. Allow the energy body to flow, remove the blocks. It is very difficult to come across a person who has no blocks, it is very difficult to come across a person whose body is not tight. Loosen this tightness; this tension is blocking your energy, the flow cannot be possible with this tension. Why is everybody so uptight? Why can't you relax? Have you seen a cat sleeping, dozing in the afternoon? How simply and how beautifully the cat relaxes. Can't you relax the same way? You toss and turn in your bed; you can't relax. And the beauty of the cat's relaxation is that it relaxes utterly and yet is perfectly alert. A slight movement in the room and it will open its eyes, it will jump and be ready. It is not that it is just asleep. The cat's sleep is something to be learned; man has forgotten. […]Tantra says: Learn from the cats – how they sleep, how they relax, how they live in a non-tense way. And the whole animal world lives in that non-tense way. Man has to learn this, because man has been conditioned wrongly, man has been programmed wrongly."
Osho, Tantric Transformation, Talk #7
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