From jayabarathi Sun Feb 14 14:42:20 1999
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Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 06:22:22 +0800
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From: jayabarathi
Cc: "Anbumani. S"
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Subject: [agathiyar] Re: FYI - Buddhist Tantras
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At 11:29 PM 2/10/99 -0500, you wrote:
>For your information.
>
>-Anbu.
>
> TANTRA (From 'Eastern Wisdom' by Michael Jordan)

Dear Netters,

Thanks to Anbumani for forwarding the article.
The article has too much generalisation and factual errors.
>From what Michael Gordon has written here, the Tantras will
certainly be misinterpreted.

>
>The 'mantra' is a simple mystical sound device by which an ordinary
>person
>following either the Buddhist or the Hindu faith may achieve salvation.
>This
>is not to be confused with a 'tantra' although the two are closely
>related
>and 'tantrism' was originally known as the 'mantrayana', the 'way of the
>mantras'.

The useage for the word "Tantra" differs with the way the
Hindus use from the Buddhists.
In Hinduism, Tantra was a set of works dealing with many
aspects of mysticism, rituals, spirualism, cults, culture, yoga,
philosophy, methods and meanings of mantras etc. The word
Tantra was all embracing in meaning.
The origins of Tantra are shrouded in mystery. Some aspects
of Tantra could be Pre-Aryan and is certainly of Non-Aryanic nature.
Aspects of Tantra are seen to have been all over the world at one
time of other. In all those places it was not known by that name.
But later on, when Tantra was compiled, specificity was
given. Since the Vedic ceremonies and rites were taken over by the
Brahmins, the Non-Aryan/Pre-Aryan Tantras attained importance
in their own merit.
As times went by, distinct sub-religions came into existance.
At that time, the Tantras that dealt with Saivism came to be called
by a distinct name. They were henceforth known as "Agama"s.
The Saiva Agamas were twenty-eight in number. Among them
the KaaraNa Agama and Kaamiga Aagama are the most important
now. The rest are smaller. Most of them have disappeared.
ThiruMuular in ThiruMandhiram has mentioned nine important
Aagamas. Originally, a major Aagama was divided into four sections,
i.e., cariya, kiriya, yoga and jnana. But at present, we find only
the kiriya sections of the major agamas. It deals with rituals, ceremonies,
temples, pujas, etc.
Perhaps, at a later time, we may come to see the Aagamas
and what they actually are. Because it is a much-quoted but
much-misunderstood word.
The Vaishnavite Aagamas are the Vaikaanasa and the
PaanchaRaatra. The PaanchaRaatra are one hundred and eight in
number.
The worship of Shakthi has sixty-four Tantras. In Shaaktham
the name "Tantra" has been retained.
ThiruMuular has divided his ThiruMandhiram into nine
chapters. Each of the chapters are called as "Thandhiram" .
Dakshan was a Prajaapathi, whose daughter Dhaakshaayani was
an incarnation of Uma. Dhaakshaayani was married to Siva.
Dakshan performed a grand yaaga where all the gods were
honoured except Siva. He did not recognise Siva as the Supreme
and hence did not do the yagjna according to the Aagamas. As a
consequece, Siva sent ViiraBadra and Kaali to destoy the yagjna.
The Saint Appar mentions, "Thandhiram aRiyaa Thakkan"-
"Thakkan or Dhakshan who did not know the Tantra".
Agamas are specific group of Tantras.
Please scroll down........

The 'tantra' is also a mystical & magical device or formula
>found particularly in Buddhism where it evolved into two main starnds
>referred
>as Left-hand and Right-hand Tantrism. 'Tantra' literally means stream or
>strand
>and refers to the ultimate wisdom said to embrace all human experience
>through
>the practice of perfection. Its objective is to reach into the
>subconscious
>mind and activate the spiritual and mystical powers which are latent in
>its
>depths. According to Buddhist tradition, 'tantra' refers in the
>tangible
>sense, to a series of ritual and magical texts which were orignally
>devised
>by the buddha for the evocation of deities and, when used in association
>with mantras, to assist the disciple in acquiring occult powers.
>
>At first these Tantric texts were conveyed with considerable secrecy but
>after
>4th century BC, they became more widely available in India and were
>promoted
>by the so-called '84 Perfect Ones', a celebrated group of Tantric
>scholars who
>were versed in mysticism and who later became canonized as saints.
>
>Right-hand Tantrism involves the male dieties of Hinduism and Buddhism,
>but
>more widely followed in Vajrayana Buddhism and Lamaism is the Left-hand
>form.

------cut

>Left-hand Tantrism is also known as 'vamacara' or 'left-hand practise'
>and focuses on the worship of the goddess who, by convention, stands
>to the left of the male deity.

It may apply to Buddhism. But in Hinduism, the Right-handed
differed from the left-handed in methodology, nature, and applications.
The right-handed is known as Dakshinaachaara and the left-handed
is known as the Vaamaachaara. Vaamaachaara Tantras are very few
in number. Left-sided variety also has male as well as female deities.
In Saivism, some of the sub-sects were Bairavam, Mahaviratham and,
Kaapaalikam. Among these there were left-handed Bairavism and Kaapalikam.
They were known respectively as the Vaamaachaara Bairavam and
Avidya Taantrika Kaapaalikam. In both the cults, Siva is the Supreme Lord.
The Kaapaalika Tantras or Aagamas are known by a distinct name -
"YaamaLa"s.
In Periya PuraaNam, we see two instances where Siva
appears as a Vaamaachaara Bairava.
Out of the sixty-three Tantras of Shaaktham, there are only
three which deal with the left-sided variety or Vaamaachaaram.
Male deities have places in all the Tantras - whether left-handed or
right-handed. All Tantras start with worship of MahaGanapathi
or Vallabha Ganapathi or one of the other forms of Ganapathi.

Regards

Jayabarathi

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