Goddess Worship in Tantra

“Woman is the Creator of the Universe, the Universe is her form.

Woman is the foundation of the world....

There is no prayer equal to a woman,

There is not, nor has been, nor will be any yoga to compare with a woman,no mystical formula nor asceticism to match a woman”

(Shakti-Sangama Tantra II.52)

‘‘Women are heaven, women are dharma (truth); women are the supreme fire of transformation.Women are Buddha; women are the sangha (community); women are the Perfection of Wisdom...”

(Candamaharosana-tantra, circa 8th century CE)

In summary, a fundamental tenet of Tantric philosophy is the belief that all is sacred.

Tantra is distinct. Tantra posits that the entirety of the Universe and Creation is sacred, asserting that all actions are holy, including those we have been conditioned to perceive as 'impure' or 'sinful,' particularly in relation to sexuality and sexual activities.

However, this is contingent upon one crucial stipulation: that we engage in these practices with a certain attitude or purpose aimed at expanding our awareness, which fundamentally involves experiencing unity with the Divine awareness. Consequently, even during the sexual act, the emphasis is on the inward experience of the manifestation of Shakti as the kundalini energy traverses the subtle centers of our bodies.

Tantric sexuality appeals to contemporary men and women since it establishes a holy environment for lovemaking that promotes well-being for both partners. It venerates our physiques, our sensuous dispositions, and our might. It provides men and women an opportunity to connect without the usual impediments, such as embarrassment or the apprehension of being understood by another. Men have the opportunity to genuinely appreciate their woman, as Tantra is a spiritual discipline that venerates the female, treating her as a Goddess, with her pleasure as the foremost focus.

This form of connection and commitment to sexual love requires experience and patience. It necessitates a partner who aspires to love you with utmost intensity and depth. It provides a means to cultivate profound closeness and exchange among partners.

The Kula Ritual is, on the surface, an extravagant concept. It is an assembly of the most esteemed pupils of a guru to engage with yoginis (women) and conduct a sexual act aimed at attaining an elevated level of awareness. To the uninformed, this may appear akin to a 'sacred orgy'; nonetheless, this paradox is precisely what renders Tantra so intriguing, as appearances may be deceiving.

The sexual act may occur solely after certain rituals and mantras have been performed to assist participants in recalling the ritual's purpose, which is to achieve unity with the divine through sexual practices.

The partners should preferably be unfamiliar with one another or possess the ability for emotional detachment, as the outcome is the experience of heightened consciousness or union with the Universe/Creation or the Feminine Principle of Creation, the Shakti—whichever terminology you choose. The focus is on a relationship with the Divine, rather than with a spouse.

The ceremonies involve venerating women (yoginis) as Goddesses to awaken their Inner Goddess, referred to as Shakti. Shakti is the force that propels the Universe. Her male counterpart, Shiva, represents Divine Consciousness, whereas she embodies the active force in the Universe.

The distinction between an orgasm and the Tantric sexual act lies in the fact that the latter encompasses experiences beyond mere sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure serves just as a catalyst for a profound inner experience, with the woman's body acting as a conduit for the energy of Shakti to permeate the participants, elevating their awareness and briefly granting them access to the experience of Divine awareness or the Goddess.

In Tantra, the Goddess is perceived both as an inherent aspect of our identity and as an exterior transcendent being, embodying universal powers. By venerating the Goddess, followers get her guidance on their spiritual journey. She monitors their welfare and developmental progression.

In Tantra, one method of engaging with the Goddess is through the pantheon of the Mahavidyas: The Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses of Tantra. They are intended to embrace all facets of the great mother, with each seen as a pathway to enlightenment.

The Goddesses include Kali, Tara, Tripura-Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamalatmika. Their behaviors and appearances vary from youthful beauty queens to fearsome, fanged goddesses residing in graveyards, as well as kind moms who cherish luxury and comfort. Each embodies a fragment of the universe's immense power, with unique abilities and knowledge to impart to the devotee. Tantra acknowledges that the universe's force, or Shakti, is multifarious, and that each aspect of it can be venerated.

The Taoist Goddesses we spoke with included Guan Yin (also known as Kwan Yin and Quan Yin), the Buddhist Bodhisattva linked to compassion. Tara is present in both Taoist and Tantric traditions; in the Taoist tradition, she is regarded as a Bodhisattva and referred to as the "Mother of Liberation."

The principal methods of venerating the goddesses encompass the recitation of mantras or hymns dedicated to the goddess, ritualistic worship (such as pujas, which involve the offering of the five elements to the goddess), meditative practices focused on the goddess, with or without specific mantras, the utilization of Yantras (geometric representations of the goddesses), and spiritual disciplines including Qigong and Yoga that foster an awareness of the goddesses and facilitate transfiguration, among other practices.

Sound is essential to several Tantric activities and the cleansing of both the body and soul. Purification is seen vital on the spiritual journey, as several spiritual activities stimulate dormant energy reserves inside the body. In an impure system, this resembles introducing water into a contaminated river, resulting in an increased volume of polluted water. In a pristine system, introducing water to a new stream yields crystal clear water as an energy resource. Sound may be utilized as Mantras to harmonize with the frequency of heavenly forces, including the great goddesses. It can also serve as a cleansing agent.

A robust practice for women is to articulate their sensations originating from the ovaries, womb, vagina, and related areas.This is most effective when employing auditory freedom: eschewing conventional or socially sanctioned noises, and instead attuning to the inherent sounds inside the body and permitting their release.

Deity Tara

The mantras for the goddesses are now accessible in the book “Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses” authored by David Frawley. Ancient writings propose reciting a mantra at least 100,000 times to get ultimate power. Receiving initiation from a guru is a potent method for obtaining mantra transmission. Goddess worship constitutes a dynamic experience; thus, seek the methods that profoundly resonate with the feminine nature inside you.

One need to revere the quintessence of Devi, the Sakti manifested as Sakti. By doing so, an individual achieves the four objectives of human existence: dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.

The Goddess exists inside all of her creations.  She exists within each of us and is omnipresent at all times. Nonetheless, why do none of us perceive Her presence? Her Divine Essence is the epitome of purity and subtlety. To see and comprehend that nuanced principle, we must prepare the medium, body, mind, and intellect to be receptive to the light. As long as the body is dirty, the mind is unstable and polluted, and the intellect is coarse and ambiguous, it is impossible to attain the genuine vision of the Goddesses. Her voice may purify the cellular memories that regulate the mind and body through massage, yoga, and food, necessitating the reprogramming of the intellect.

Purification and regulation of the mind through the sounds of the Goddess, while contemplating the Divine Virtues of the Goddess. Reorient the brain to focus singularly on the Divine Principle of the Goddesses, embodying a luminous flow of love, compassion, creative potency, happiness, and nurturing essence. 

Human life is a precious asset; each minute should be dedicated to the recollection of the divine inside, and therefore, it must not be squandered.   Devote every moment to her service, and perform all actions in her name. Your vocation is part of Her design; regardless of your actions, perform them in Her name for the benefit of Humanity.

The Living Goddess Tradition remains vibrant in India, and it is imperative to introduce this way of life to the West, where over the past 2,000 years, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and more recently, Communism, have conspired to erase the memory of millennia of Goddess spirituality, resulting in the loss of sacredness for females. Women must regain their sanctity, while men should revere all women as the Living Goddess once more. Mother Earth must be governed by the Mother Goddess; only then can peace and harmonious existence be restored as it was before to the advent of monotheistic faiths.

Since we ceased venerating our Living Goddess, we have forfeited the harmony we formerly experienced. In summary, we expelled ourselves from heaven. To restore our equilibrium, we must first learn to revere women as deities.

All women must make genuine choices that will restore peace and harmony to our planet, reminiscent of the era preceding monotheistic faiths, which assert the existence of a single deity, as seen in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

To restore peace in our world, both men and women must recognize that all women are inherently goddesses. Every woman must embark on a personal journey to rediscover her own identity and embody her inner Goddess. Self-identifying as a Goddess does not inherently provide the status of a Goddess. To attain the status of a Goddess, one must deliberately shed the layers of shame, guilt, wrath, and desire to uncover the innate, effulgent stream of love, compassion, creative potency, happiness, and nurturing inside. This may appear to be a formidable endeavor, however it is achievable.