Tantra Basics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the Sanskrit word 'tantra' most literally translate to?
- Loom or weave (Correct answer)
- Sacred fire
- Silent breath
- Inner light
Correct answer: Loom or weave
'Tantra' derives from roots meaning to weave or loom, implying the interweaving of energies and ideas into a system.
Question 2: In Tantra, the divine feminine creative energy is most commonly called what?
- Shakti (Correct answer)
- Atman
- Karma
- Dharma
Correct answer: Shakti
Shakti is the dynamic feminine power that activates and animates creation in Tantric thought.
Question 3: Which deity is traditionally regarded as the masculine principle of pure consciousness in Tantra?
- Shiva (Correct answer)
- Ganesha
- Hanuman
- Indra
Correct answer: Shiva
Shiva represents still, pure consciousness, complemented by the active energy of Shakti.
Question 4: What is a 'mantra' in Tantric practice?
- A sacred sound or phrase repeated for focus and transformation (Correct answer)
- A diagram of the cosmos
- A ritual hand gesture
- A breathing valve in the spine
Correct answer: A sacred sound or phrase repeated for focus and transformation
A mantra is a sacred sound, word, or phrase used to focus the mind and channel energy.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes Tantra's general view of the body?
- A sacred vehicle and temple for spiritual realization (Correct answer)
- An obstacle to be denied
- An illusion with no value
- A purely mechanical object
Correct answer: A sacred vehicle and temple for spiritual realization
Tantra honors the body as a sacred instrument through which the divine can be experienced and realized.
Question 6: A 'yantra' in Tantric tradition is primarily what?
- A geometric diagram used for meditation and worship (Correct answer)
- A spoken chant
- A type of incense
- A seated posture
Correct answer: A geometric diagram used for meditation and worship
A yantra is a geometric design that serves as a visual focus for meditation and ritual.
Question 7: Tantra is often described as a path that seeks to do what with worldly desire and energy?
- Transform and harness it rather than suppress it (Correct answer)
- Eliminate it entirely
- Ignore it as irrelevant
- Punish it through asceticism
Correct answer: Transform and harness it rather than suppress it
Tantra works to channel and transmute desire and energy toward awakening instead of repressing them.
Tantra Basics 2
What does the Sanskrit word 'tantra' most literally translate to?