Tantra, as a spiritual path, is often misconstrued as simply a sexual practice in the West. It is, however, a far more complex, ancient Eastern tradition that incorporates yoga, meditation, ritual, and cosmology. This path is not for most, and can be extremely dangerous, even if undertaken with proper guidance. The dangers and challenges of engaging in Tantra are palpably clear in the fears of the local Indian people towards yoginis and their temples, as noted by Vidya Dehejia, an American academic and the Barbara Stoler Miller Professor Emerita of Indian and South Asian Art at Columbia University. In a lecture she gave two years ago for the British Museum, she said, “some of the ancient texts speak of people becoming food for the yoginis if they divulge the secrets of their cult.” The warnings given by Tibetan Buddhist master Chogyam Trungpa in some his early books are harrowing in a different way and should also be taken into account.
Dehejia revealed a fascinating aspect of Tantric mysticism in her lectures about yoginis, the female practitioners of Tantra, and their temples. Her studies unveiled a cultural fear of these powerful women that has persisted for centuries. She found that the locals harbor a sense of dread, an awe rooted in fear. The fear is primarily driven by the idea of the “curse of the yoginis.” The public perceives a multitude of ways one could trigger this curse. For example, mere proximity to the yogini temples, or revealing the secrets of their cults, were believed to be enough to summon the curse. This fear is deeply entrenched and is supported by the ancient tantric texts.
This pervasive fear, Dehejia found, made her research quite challenging. A tangible example of this fear can be seen in the history of the Hirapor temple, near the capital of Odisha, Bhubaneshwar. Despite its proximity to a major city, the temple remained hidden until 1953. The locals undoubtedly knew about it but chose to keep their knowledge secret to avoid invoking the yoginis’ curse. This fear inhibited Dehejia’s research as no one was willing to guide her to any of the temples.
But the dangers of Tantra are not merely mythological or culturally driven. Chogyam Trungpa, a well-respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher, issued several warnings about the potential hazards of Tantra. He spent years preparing his students before he ever taught them Tantra. He cautioned that Tantra should not be approached lightly or without proper guidance and emphasized that it was extremely dangerous and that without a mature understanding and respect for its philosophy and practices, Tantra could lead to severe psychological and spiritual difficulties.
For a comprehensive understanding of Chögyam Trungpa’s views on tantra, see his books, particularly Journey Without Goal: The Tantric Wisdom of the Buddha and The Lion’s Roar: An Introduction to Tantra. While these works offer valuable insights, I advise extreme caution with tantric practice and, ultimately, recommend avoiding it altogether.
Both Dehejia’s account of the locals’ fear of yoginīs and their temples, and Trungpa’s own teachings, underscore the profound seriousness of tantra. Together, they serve as a sober warning to anyone considering crossing the threshold into tantric practices.
Tantric Deception 