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Tantra Yoga

By Karmayogi

Among the many yogas, hatha yoga and tantra are popular. Hathayoga is
popular for the asanas. Tantra is popular for its power. It is more popular
in North India. Tibet is said to be its home. Sri Aurobindo says Tantra in
its nature is a synthesis of all Indian yogas. The occult part of this yoga
attracts people. It uses mantras, yantra, asana, pranayama. All yogas
concentrate on Brahman. The world has two parts, Brahman and Shakti, or
Soul and Nature. Tantra recognises the value of Brahman and Shakti.
Therefore, it acquired the hue of a synthesis. Sri Aurobindos yoga is a
complete synthesis of all yogas. He actually uses the idea of Tantra in a
different form.

Tantra recognises that Nature is a power of the Spirit. Nature is
Spirit in the form of power. Tantra aims at raising the nature in man into
manifest power of Spirit. This is the method it employs. For this purpose,
it gathers up the whole of mans Nature. Its processes subject that Nature
to spiritual conversion. The process of opening the subtle centres as in
the Hathayogic practice and the Rajayogic processes of purification and
concentration are employed here. Further, it attempts at a synthesis of
these disciplines. It is done in two directions. Desire and action are the
mainsprings of human existence. They are subjected to an intensive
discipline with a view to achieving the souls mastery. So disciplined,
these motives of desire and action are ripe to be elevated to the diviner
spiritual level. The entire aim of all Indian yogas is liberation, mukti.
Tantra adds a wider cosmic purpose – enjoyment, bhukti. In truth, it aims
at cosmic enjoyment. In this aspect, Tantra, says Sri Aurobindo, is a
larger system. It is bolder than other yogas, as it attempts to bring the
entire universe into its ambit.

Sri Aurobindo takes these approaches of Tantra to yoga and adds another
aim – the aspiration of the Earth, evolution of the next species beyond man
– the Supramental Being. Also, he does not consider Man as a Soul in the
body as Tantra does. He takes Man as a Soul in the Mind. His view was to
begin at the maximum point of mans evolution of today. It helps the yogi
to dispense with the laborious methods of asana, pranayama, etc. What is
done in these yogas physically, Sri Aurobindo wishes to do by a mental
will. The universal energy enters into the system in pranayama. In Sri
Aurobindos system, a thought can let the same universal energy into the
human body. It is a thought of consecration. By consecration Man eliminates
his ego, sacrifices his works to the Lord. The thought of working for the
Lord and only the Lord makes the thought universal and powerful. Therefore,
the universal energies are at his command.