Tantra, Vedas and Yoga

The first Veda, theRgveda, is dated 15,000 years ago.

The Aryans came to India roughly during the period of the Artharvaveda.

They learned Tantra sa’dhana’ to some extent after coming in contact with the Indian Tantrics. This resulted in the Artharvaveda being pervasively influenced by Tantra.

Even if the orthodox Vedics try to reject the many Tantra-influenced portions of the Vedas as later interpolations, they will not be too convincing, for Tantra has now infiltrated into the marrow of the so-called Aryans.

During the post-Vedic Buddhist era and post-Buddhist Brahmanical era, changes in the people’s religious outlook were apparent. But the process of sa’dhana’ remained Tantric as it does even today.

This is because without Tantra, spiritual sa’dhana’ is impossible.

Yoga is the paramount factor in spiritual practices. It is itself based on Tantra.

The great Tantric Vashis’t’ha returned from China after learning the Chinese techniques of sa’dhana’. He then greatly improved Tantra sa’dhana’. He was widely acclaimed as a great yogi.

His book Yogava’shis’t’ha is a philosophical exposition of the subtle spirituality of Tantra sa’dhana'.

Baba Versus Patanjali

Yoga is a part of Tantra, the subtlest aspect of the Tantric practice.

Shiva Himself elucidated yoga and many Tantric scriptures.

Three of the other foremost authorities on yoga were also Tantrics: Krishna, Vashistha, and Patanjali.

Patanjali was the last of the line, having lived only about 2000 years ago.

Baba generally agrees with Patanjali. But he differs on a few points.

Most fundamental of these concern the very definition of yoga.

Patanjali wrote: ‘Yogash citta vrtii nirodha.’ (To suspend the function of thinking is Yoga.)

Baba explained that it is the nature of mind to think. So it is unnatural to try to stop that thinking process.

Such an effort amounts to suppression, and therefore may be harmful.

On the other hand, Baba quotes and supports a definition directly from the Tantras: “Sam’yogo yogo ityukto jiiva’tma’ Parama’tmanah.” (The union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul is yoga).

This process is founded on a natural attraction toward infinite bliss or infinite love. As one develops love for God, simultaneously love for all of the creation is generated. The result is creative and expansive.

Upon the ultimate merging of the individual mind with the Cosmic Mind, the individual thought process automatically ceases, as there is no longer any separate individual. Such a person is aware only of God, and no ego remains.

One of the major etymological interpretations of Tantra also parallels this definition of yoga.

Tan means to expand, and tra means to liberate.

Thus, Tantra means to become liberated from all sorts of bondage through the expansion of one’s self. Yoga is a process of expansion, not contraction or suppression.

Turning back to Baba’s article:

There are many who try to make a distinction between Hindu Tantra and Buddhist Tantra. This is absolutely wrong, for as I have said earlier, Tantra is one and only one. It is based on one sentiment, on one idea.

The Buddhist and Hindu Tantras express the same thing in different words.

After the Aryan settled in India, Shiva was born into a Mongolo-Aryan family in the non-Aryan society.

• He had a high nose and fair complexion.
• He was a great Tantric—a great yogi.

He was called Gun’a’tiita or Nirgun’a Purus’a [the Transcendental] because he had so many qualities beyond the comprehension of the people.

Differences Between the Tantras

All spiritual and religious systems are adaptable to Tantra, though some systems are better than others. This is explained in the Kuia’rn’ava Tantra:

Uttamo Brahmasadbha'vo 
Madhyama' dhya'na dha'ran'a
J apastu'ti sya'dhadhama' 
Mu'rtipu'ja' dhama'dhama' 

(Ideation on Brahma or God is the best, meditation and concentration are second best, repetitious incantation and eulogistic prayer are the worst, and idol worship is the worst of the worst.)

As the result of His Tantra sa’dhana’ He attained extraordinary powers, which He employed for the good of humanity. It was He who systematized the science of Tantra and thus He was the guru or the father of Tantrics and yogis.

To this Self-realized Maha’purus’a, there was no distinction of high and low. People of all classes, from the highest to the lowest, were dear to Him. Irrespective of class—Aryan, non-Aryan, Dravidian, Austric or Mongolian—all flocked to Him.

He showered His grace on them all equally. As the battles raged between the “gods” on the one hand and the “demons” and “monsters” on the other (needless to say, “gods” meant the handsome Aryan leaders, and “demons” and “monsters” meant the non-Aryans in general), the non-Aryan “demons” and “monsters” became more and more powerful through the blessings of this Shiva. All the ra’ks’asas and asuras [demons and monsters] were Shiva’s obedient devotees and followers.

With the help and blessings of Shiva they destroyed the might and power of the “gods.” According to Sanskrit stories, when the gods would seek the help of Brahma’ and Vis’riu, even those two would not dare to oppose Shiva; rather they would save the gods through a compromise with Him.

Shiva had such a forgiving nature, born out of His spirit of benevolence, that even the most wicked could easily draw on His kindness. That is why to everybody He became A ‘shutos’a (Easy to Please).

Due to Shiva’s pervasive influence over their society, the non-Aryans, that is, the Tantrics, used to worship Him as God, and according to their respective intellectual strata they regarded and accepted Him in His different bearings. Just as the Aryans began to identify Shiva with their own gods and goddesses, the kaola maha’ta’ntrikas [great Tantrics in the tradition of kulakun’d’alinii yoga] began to regard Shiva as identical with Nirgun’a Brahma [unqualified Supreme Consciousness].

The foremost cause behind this conception of theirs was the absolute detachment and self-forgetful bearing of Shiva, the lord of supernatural and miraculous power. Shiva’s self-sacrificing nature earned Him the name Bhola’na’tha [one absolutely indifferent to his own status] among the non-Aryans. All were attracted to Shiva’s supernatural power, His imposing personality, His limitless qualities and the calm, tranquil radiance of His features..

Shiva’s influence over the Aryans increased more and more. The Aryans began to feel that, being so indebted to Shiva, they could no longer afford to disregard Him. It was Shiva who had taught them spiritual sa’dhana, asanas and pra’n’a’ya’ma [meditation, yoga postures and breath control]; the secret of good health; the science of medicine; and the developed art of dance and music. For His excellence in dancing, both the Aryans and non-Aryans used to call Him Nat’ara’ja, and for His proficiency in vocal music, Na’datanu.

No one has counted the number of medicines He invented for every kind of disease. He was the first preceptor of the a’yurveda’ca’ryas [teachers of a’yurveda, the science of medicine to increase longevity].

The asuras [Mongolians] were cured of many serious diseases due to His grace. Both the Aryans and the non-Aryans thought that since Shiva knew so many remedies,

He was perhaps immortal, and so they named Him Mrtyuinjaya [conqueror of death]…

The present social system of India (which is fundamentally Tantric) was developed by Shiva. 113 After accepting Shiva as God without any reservation, the Aryans appropriated everything good of the Dravidians and the other non-Aryans. Of course this did not diminish the Aryans’ prestige—rather it enhanced it….

Not only in India, but in quite a large part of the world, in every sphere of life, the laws and injunctions of Shiva alone prevailed for a long time. Even today the civilization of modern India is intrinsically Tantric. On the outside only is there a Vedic stamp. Or if we take the Indian civilization as an enameled ornament, then its gold is Tantric, and the enamel Vedic….

When the Indians were about to forget the teachings of Shiva due to their fascination with the mundane objectivities of the world, there came another sublime entity like Shiva, who reminded them of those teachings. That great personality was Shri Krs’n’a [Krishna]. The ques¬ tion as to which of the two was greater, Krs’n’a or Shiva, does not arise, because all knowers of Brahma are one: all are Brahma.

Shiva was the first guru to loudly proclaim that men and women are spiritually equal. He initiated Hisdaughter and Histhree wives, who all became famous yoginis.

He also was the first to introduce the system of marriage in order to bind together father, mother and children.