New Consciousness Review Fall 2015 | Page 33

HEALTH
The Brilliant Concept of
Tantra
The concept of and the vast body
of teachings encompassed by the
word tantra are far more ancient
than any scholar or historian
could ever trace. The word comes
from the ancient Sanskrit root
word meaning “to weave.” Tantra
is the stuff of life, the unique fabric of our lives that we have woven over the years.
Tantra has come to us through
two vast, multifaceted traditions: Hinduism and Buddhism.
Both originated in India, in all
likelihood, although Buddhist tantra comes to us
through the Tibetan culture. (If you’re interested,
see the addendum, “Tantra in the East,” for more
historical details.)
Although every form of tantra is unique, some important points can be made about all tantra:
Tantra is a way of life that involves acceptance of
all life. It does not reject anyone or any spiritual
path or psychological area of study. It embraces
the whole of life. Everything has its own perfect
reason for being.
Tantra shows that within every moment of our
lives — within every feeling and thought and activity — there are deep and powerful truths that, when
examined in a clear light, can lead to making great
leaps along our paths in a very short time.
Tantra teaches respect for the individual, recognizing that everyone must evolve in her or his
own way. There is no one answer. There is no pat
system that will work for everyone. There is only

We can create our lives
exactly as we want them to
be. It is up to us.
33 | NEW CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEW

endless evolution, and we’re part
of the process, whether or not
we’re aware of it. Simply becoming aware is the most important
thing we can do to speed up the
process and move into a state of
being in which we are peaceful
and free.
The Western world is ripe for the
ideas and practices of tantra.
Westerners are usually too individualistic and too worldly-wise
(and a lot of us are way too lazy)
to accept most forms of Eastern
thought and practice, mainly because they contain a great many
of the cultural trappings from the
countries of origin. Many Eastern traditions encourage Westerners to go without sex, alcohol, coffee,
meat and “impure” foods; to live a life of rigorous
discipline; and to reject a great deal of the culture,
heritage, and lifestyles of the West.
A study of the history of tantra reveals that its power, its ability to adapt so successfully to other cultures, rests on the fact that it does not reject modern culture. We don’t have to give up sex and meat
and TV in order to achieve freedom and happiness.
This is the effectiveness and power of tantra. We
can create our lives exactly as we want them to be.
It is up to us.
Marc Allen is the author of several books including Tantra for the West, The Magical Path, The
Greatest Secret of All, Visionary Business, and
others. He is an internationally renowned seminar leader, entrepreneur, author, and composer.
He co-founded New World Library (with Shakti
Gawain) and has guided the company, as president and publisher, from a small start-up to its
current position as a major player in the independent publishing world. He leads seminars in
northern California and gives teleseminars that
reach people all over the world. For more information visit www.MarcAllen.com or www.NewWorldLibrary.com.
Excerpted from the book Tantra for the West, © 2015 by
Marc Allen. Printed with permission of New World Library.
www.newworldlibrary.com