Sex, Drugs, and Mantras: Tantra and Subversive Religious Practices

Undergraduate / Graduate

When someone chants mantras in cremation grounds to gain supernatural powers; or practices erotic yoga to achieve mystical union; or ingests illicit substances to channel cosmic deities; are these merely the irrational behaviors of a superstitious mind? Or, rather, are they expressions of profound systems of embodied spirituality with sensible motivations? To make sense of practices such as these, this course places Hindu and Buddhist Tantra in the social and historical context of medieval South Asia. Moving beyond simplistic stereotypes and fetishizations of tantra as esoteric ritualism and/or spiritual hedonism, we'll explore how tantric practices enact sophisticated worldviews centered on the creative power of the divine feminine. As we come to appreciate the peculiar tantric fusion of cosmology and ritual, the tantra becomes a case study for subversive approaches to religious experience more generally. Key questions include: What specific rituals and doctrines constitute 'tantra'? What social and political shifts influenced the development of tantra? What philosophical frameworks justify tantric practice? And how does the concept of feminine creative power (śakti) function? Through close readings of primary texts, secondary scholarship, and artistic media, we will touch upon not only its ancient roots, but also the relevance of tantric principles in contemporary social and religious movements. No prior familiarity with religious studies or South Asian history is required.