The Tantras: Esoteric Texts of Hindu and Buddhist Traditions
Sacred Texts

The Tantras: Esoteric Texts of Hindu and Buddhist Traditions

Status · Anusandhāna
Source · Uncited
Period · Eternal

The Tantras (from Sanskrit: तन्त्र, "loom," "warp," "framework") constitute a diverse corpus of religious texts across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. Unlike Vedic texts that emphasize ritual and Upanishadic texts that emphasize philosophical knowledge, the Tantras emphasize direct experience, ritual practice, and the transformation of ordinary existence into sacred reality. The term "Tantra" encompasses thousands of texts spanning multiple traditions: - Hindu Tantras: Spanning Shaiva