Yogini Tantra
Encyclopedia
Yogini Tantra is a voluminous Tantra
that is especially important in the vamachara
form of tantric worship. It is dedicated to the worship of Kali
and Kamakhya
. The work was composed in Assam
, and generally contains some historical information.
Yogini Tantra India, ca. 1350
A text of twenty-eight chapters, the authorship of which is unknown. To a great extent the text deals with the worship of the goddesses Kali and Kamakhya. It describes the Yonimandala in the Yoni Pitha and other sacred sites and temples known as pithas where the goddess is worshipped, and especially those where worship is supposed to have especially excellent results.
The text has a number of recommendations concerning the five makara and about who may perform sexual rituals with whom, forbids incest between mother and son; and also gives examples of Tantric visualization.
Like many other Kula-inspired texts, the Yogini Tantra advocates the moral codes of mainstream Hinduism to be broken and suspends many of the usual prohibitions concerning inter-marriage between members of different castes. It allows women to speak up to everyone and to have intimate relationships with whom they please.
The Yogini Tantra includes, in chapter VI, a good example of a Tantric Visualization. In this case a male devotee is asked to imagine a sixteen year old woman with a luster like that of a great many suns which is to be fancied from her head to breasts. Thus reflecting, one should concentrate on her figure from her yoni to the lowest portion of her feet. That figure is to be contemplated as adorned with ornaments.
Chapter VIII describes the origin of the yoginis which are stated to have come into being out of the wavicles (particle/wave paradox as in light) of Kali's energy.
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
that is especially important in the vamachara
Vamachara
Vāmācāra is a Sanskrit term meaning "left-handed attainment" and is synonymous with "Left-Hand Path". It is used to describe a particular mode of worship or sadhana that is not only "heterodox" to standard Vedic injunction, but extreme in comparison to the status quo.These practices are often...
form of tantric worship. It is dedicated to the worship of Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
and Kamakhya
Kamakhya
Kamakhya is an important Tantric mother goddess closely identified with Kali and Maha Tripura Sundari, according to the Tantric texts that are the basis for her worship at the Kamakhya temple, a 16th century temple in the Kamrup district of Assam...
. The work was composed in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, and generally contains some historical information.
Yogini Tantra India, ca. 1350
A text of twenty-eight chapters, the authorship of which is unknown. To a great extent the text deals with the worship of the goddesses Kali and Kamakhya. It describes the Yonimandala in the Yoni Pitha and other sacred sites and temples known as pithas where the goddess is worshipped, and especially those where worship is supposed to have especially excellent results.
The text has a number of recommendations concerning the five makara and about who may perform sexual rituals with whom, forbids incest between mother and son; and also gives examples of Tantric visualization.
Like many other Kula-inspired texts, the Yogini Tantra advocates the moral codes of mainstream Hinduism to be broken and suspends many of the usual prohibitions concerning inter-marriage between members of different castes. It allows women to speak up to everyone and to have intimate relationships with whom they please.
The Yogini Tantra includes, in chapter VI, a good example of a Tantric Visualization. In this case a male devotee is asked to imagine a sixteen year old woman with a luster like that of a great many suns which is to be fancied from her head to breasts. Thus reflecting, one should concentrate on her figure from her yoni to the lowest portion of her feet. That figure is to be contemplated as adorned with ornaments.
Chapter VIII describes the origin of the yoginis which are stated to have come into being out of the wavicles (particle/wave paradox as in light) of Kali's energy.