tantra
This term refers to a complex spiritual framework rather than a single practice. In a scholarly or religious context, it denotes a comprehensive system of ritual and philosophy. It is often mistakenly reduced in popular Western discourse to purely sexual practices, but in its original and academic sense, it encompasses a vast array of meditative, energetic, and ritualistic disciplines.
As a noun referring to a body of teachings or a specific system of practice, it is typically treated as an uncountable noun. It describes a conceptual field or a tradition rather than a discrete, countable object.
Meanings
A body of esoteric teachings, rituals, and practices originating in India, aimed at achieving spiritual liberation or supernatural powers through the manipulation of energy and consciousness.
The practitioner studied the ancient texts of tantra to understand the flow of prana.
Examples
He spent years studying the intersection of tantra and early Buddhist philosophy.
The scholar argued that tantra represents a shift toward a more experiential form of spirituality.