Definition: "Weaving together of different philosophies for a Way of Life."
Another Definition: "Of Body"
Every definition – regardless of how succinct or elaborate it is – requires a description. "Of Body" comes from the fact that we owe our bodily existence to our biological parents, and for this reason parents are placed higher than gods in some cultures. But when realization dawns upon our growing minds that we are separate and independent of our parents, the existential question of our identity comes into being. We may realize this acutely or superficially, but we start forming our own notion of Self.
'God as Creator' was a rather insignificant consideration for these early thinkers. In this context, Tantra states that our being – our existence – is not owed to any God!
Linking our existence to something supernatural and seeking some kind of meaningfulness is the primary purpose of religion. Tantra abstains from this by stating, rather plainly: "I exist." By the sole act of reflecting on my existence, I exist. Without providing any justification, I am.
And the only proof of my existence is my body! So…'of body.'
This page describes Shaivism Tattvas that integrate "the body" with its environment giving us a complete description of reality. Thus, Non-Dual Shaiva Tantra (NST) philosophy offers the most comprehensive system of reality perception.
NST's 36 Tattvas: What Reality Really Is!
What is a Tattva? There is no literal or accurate translation of the word "tattva." In a very superficial way, one can say that a tattva is a thing or an attribute or a form of intelligence. In that context, it is indeed a thing and an attribute and a form of intelligence, all combined into one. You will understand as you read further, but for now simply accept that a tattva is a form of consciousness: when we explore each one of them you will see how even a thing can acquire "intelligence."
Traditional Yoga propounded the tattvas, but Shaivism Tantra Yoga introduced several additional tattvas taking the number to 36. These 36 Tattvas are described as levels of reality. It's only for convenience sake that we speak of "Levels of Reality," because many of these tattvas manifest "outside of ourselves." In NST, this is an illusion, but we need to isolate the tattvas to be able to understand them. The highest levels are explored in Tantra Occult Science.
Therefore, the external tattvas represent the lowest levels of reality, and – as we go higher in the hierarchy – the tattvas also represent deeper levels of reality. Here are the 36 Shaivism Tattvas, from Lower to Higher/Deeper:
Level 36 to Level 32: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Space
In tantric tradition, the 5 basic elements of nature are the first and most obvious levels of reality. One must realize that the tattvas are not simply "levels" of reality but also different "forms" of reality, because you really can't say that Earth is the lowest level so it is less important than Wind or Fire. To understand why these are also attributes, one has to perceive these elements with their associated characteristics: Wind for breezy, cold, forceful, etc.; Fire for heat, burning, energy, etc.; Water for cold, wet, flowing, etc.; and so on. It's also obvious that each of these doesn't exist on its own, and will be found in varying combinations in nature. For example, each of these tattvas occupies Space, and Space as a tattva exists within each – even within an atom!
Level 31 to Level 27: Odor, Flavor, Appearance, Touch, Sound
In Tantra, every "thing" has these characteristics in greater or lesser degree. Consider a menu item in a fancy restaurant: besides ensuring that it tastes great, even greater effort is put into making the plate look artistic. And where is the sound? The ambient music obviously!
This is a good example to understand how the "tattva of the dish" does not reside merely within the confines of the dish. Similarly, a tattva – any tattva – does not reside only within the confines of the space it is occupying nor only within the one major/striking attribute that it possesses. Many realities can be experienced only through the instruments with which we access them. We can't understand the reality of an object without touching it. The Vama Marga even elevates the art of touching to the level of sacred sex!
Level 26 to Level 22: Intestines (expelling), Genitals (reproducing), Feet (locomotion), Hands (holding), Mouth (chewing/talking)
Elaborating on the previous passage, to touch something, we may need to hold it. Holding that thing will also give us an idea of how firm or flexible, wet or dry, or hot or cold that thing is. Only when our Hands reach out to hold something do we manage to "touch" it!
Similarly, our Feet take us towards something that we want to experience. Three out of these five levels are controlled by our mind, but the Intestines and the Genitals have a "mind of their own." Rather, they are controlled by the autonomous nervous system, existing and functioning outside of our normal consciousness.
Level 21 to Level 17: Nose, Tongue, Eyes, Skin, Ears
The sense organs are supposed to be our direct contact with reality. In Tantra, these are the gateways to the spiritual path for every tantric practitioner and many kriyas or cleansing rituals exist to ensure that these tattvas are kept healthy. Each of the sense organs gives us a different sense of reality not a better one! Dogs have about 300 million olfactory receptors compared to about 6 million in humans. Does this mean that a dog's sense of olfactory reality is so many times more than ours? Yes, and that in itself implies a different sense of reality - not only in terms of magnitude but also in terms of 'qualia' of the dog's subjective experiences.
The idea of qualia is also expressed: Every human experience is different but is reduced to a common word or phrase. By reducing our experiences to words, we are reducing reality not only for others but also for ourselves. If each one of us had a private language, then our experiences would be infinite.
But Ludwig Wittgenstein has already shown how a private language is impossible. Hence, tantric practices place great importance on action so that one can experience reality for oneself. They also stress on exploiting the sensual world for its own sake. Our 5 Senses have been stunted by education and society, so meditative indulgences of these senses is necessary for the complete realization of our Self.
In this context, tantric sex is not about sexual acts but about sexual meditation. Tantric sex teaches diversity in love - not a diversity of lovers. In short, tantric sex is about sacred meditation!
Be warned: if you cannot draw the line between meditative "tasting" and licentious indulgence, then don't even bother to start. Once addiction sets in, you may not even realize it, denying your addiction till it ends in insanity, imprisonment (in a jail or mental institution), or death! In Alcoholics Anonymous, this is a common refrain: "The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it to the gates of insanity or death."
The Living and The Non-Living!
Did we miss "the living" on the way from the external to the internal? From the EXTERNAL to the INTERNAL! From the non-living to the living? Every school kid knows the difference between living things and non-living things! Please refer to the textbooks of primary schools, and you will find living things and non-living things. The highlight is mine, only to show how pathetic our educational system is. Anyways, this is how a deficient educational system begins to prejudice our mind. In Tantra, there is no distinction between the living and the non-living, because the stress is not on things but the intelligent space that all entities occupy. That space is the space of the mind and of consciousness, implying that unfettered, enlightened consciousness exists in a continuum from the perceived object to the one perceiving the object. The following levels will further clarify this concept.
Level 16 to Level 12: Mind, Ego, Intelligence, Instinct, Consciousness
It's important to mention here that Yoga – as it is practiced in physical exercises – also includes the training of mental faculties. For example, in many Yoga Schools specific asanas (yogic postures or poses) are associated with specific mental faculties. One yoga asana may teach us humility while another yoga posture may teach us devotion. Shaivism Tattvas offer different levels of realities to enable association with a yoga technique or method.
16. Mind
This is one's ability to pay attention. Focusing your mind to pay attention to something, to concentrate on a task, etc. is at the level of the mind.
15. Ego
This is one's ability to create an idea of Self and form an image of the Self. I create the image of My Self! But the Ego diminishes as we grow older. Unlike what most people think, an egoistic person has a small ego, so behaves in a manner wherein he/she has to protect what little he/she has retained. A child on the other hand has a massive ego, because it possesses everything it sees or perceives. The infant owns everything! Everything belongs to it!
However, as the infant grows, the idea of Self starts getting limited by its experiences. A fire is painful, a beetle is bitter, mud is distasteful… these unpleasant experiences get imprinted and lead the child to form the idea of "not me" or "painful/unpleasant" thing. By adding to the list of "not me" the idea of "me" gets refined but also gets limited. In the modern world - especially in the Western industrialized societies - ego often creates the biggest barrier to self realization.
Shaivism Tattvas offer the egotist the opportunity to become the Supreme Ego!
14. Intelligence
This is our common understanding of "intelligence." When the idea of "me" starts becoming separate from "not me" a mechanism needs to create the distinction. This is the intelligence which has the ability to differentiate between things. Thanks Howard Gardner, we know of 8 (probably even 9) distinct intelligences that have a specific origin in the brain.
13. Instinct
It's obvious! If it's not, you are not human. But even as an alien you will have some alien instincts. Jokes aside, instincts are perhaps the most obvious aspects of our consciousness. If one ignores them, then they remind you by slapping you in the face. Here is an instinct that you may not be familiar with: even kids who are born blind - and have never seen someone smiling - will smile when happy. So smiling is an instinct… smile more!
12. Consciousness
In most Yoga Systems, this is the highest form of "experience" but not in Non Dual Shaiva Tantra. A simple form of Tantra meditation will reveal that that this tattva has many diverse manifestation. Stating the obvious, consciousness is that framework within which the other tattvas reside. For any form of reality to be expressed – objectively of subjectively – consciousness must be present as a platform on which reality expresses itself. It is the vessel within which reality is contained, and if you ask, "What about the reality outside the vessel?" then consciousness will expand and contain that too.
Level 11 to Level 7: Cause and Effect, Time, Desire, Knowledge, Action
These levels represent the fundamental principles that govern our experience and understanding of reality in the tantric framework. In Shaiva Tantra, these five tattvas form the bridge between the lower levels of physical and mental experience and the higher occult levels of Maya, Wisdom, and God. They are not merely philosophical abstractions but living forces that shape every moment of our existence.
Level 11: Cause and Effect (Nimitta)
The principle of cause and effect — karma in its most fundamental sense — governs the law that every action produces a corresponding result. In Tantra, this is not seen as a moralistic punishment-and-reward system but as the simple mechanics of reality. Every thought, every word, every deed creates a ripple in the fabric of consciousness that eventually returns to its origin. Understanding this principle deeply changes how one lives: not out of fear of consequences, but out of the recognition that you are the architect of your own experience.
The tantrik does not ask "Why is this happening to me?" but rather "What within me has caused this to manifest?" This shift from victim consciousness to creator consciousness is one of the most profound transformations Tantra offers. When you realize that you are the cause of your reality, you simultaneously realize that you have the power to change it.
Level 10: Time (Kala)
Time in Tantra is not the linear clock-time of modern physics but a quality of experience. When you are absorbed in something you love, time flies. When you are in pain, time crawls. This subjective experience of time is more real than the ticking of a clock. Tantra teaches that time is a modification of consciousness — it is how consciousness experiences change.
In deep meditation, practitioners often report that time seems to stop or expand infinitely. This is not a trick of the mind but a direct experience of time as a tattva — a level of reality that can be transcended. When Kundalini rises to the higher chakras, the practitioner begins to operate outside of ordinary time, accessing what Tantra calls "the eternal now" — a state where past, present, and future coexist as a single moment of pure awareness.
Level 9: Desire (Raga)
Desire is the force that propels consciousness into manifestation. Without desire, the universe would remain unmanifest — pure potential without expression. In Tantra, desire is not something to be eliminated (as some ascetic traditions suggest) but something to be understood and refined. The problem is not desire itself but unconscious desire — wanting without knowing why, craving without understanding the root.
Tantra teaches conscious desire — the ability to desire with full awareness of what you are doing and why. When desire becomes conscious, it transforms from a compulsive force into a creative power. The tantrik learns to desire not out of lack but out of fullness — not to fill an emptiness but to express an abundance. This is the difference between the craving of the addict and the inspiration of the artist.
Level 8: Knowledge (Vidya)
Knowledge in this context is not intellectual accumulation but the power of discernment — the ability to distinguish between what is real and what is illusion, between what serves your evolution and what holds you back. This is the knowledge that cuts through Maya, the illusion that makes the temporary seem permanent and the unreal seem real.
There are many forms of knowledge: book knowledge, experiential knowledge, intuitive knowledge, and what Tantra calls "knowledge by identity" — knowing something because you have become it. The highest knowledge is the recognition of your own true nature as pure consciousness. All other knowledge is preparation for this one recognition. Explore the Power of Knowing for a deeper exploration of this principle.
Level 7: Action (Kriya)
Action is the final expression of all the other principles. Cause and effect set the stage, time provides the framework, desire provides the motivation, knowledge provides the guidance — and action brings it all into manifestation. In Tantra, action is sacred because it is the means by which consciousness creates reality. Every action is a creation; every creation is an action.
The yogi who has mastered these five principles becomes a "karma yogi" — one whose every action is aligned with the flow of universal consciousness. Such a person does not act from personal desire but from the recognition that the universe is acting through them. This is the state of "non-doing" that the Taoists speak of — not inaction, but action without the sense of a separate doer. This is the essence of Kriya Yoga.
Together, these five tattvas form the operating system of human consciousness. Understanding them is like understanding the code that runs the software of your mind. Once you see how cause and effect, time, desire, knowledge, and action work together to create your experience, you can begin to rewrite that code — consciously, deliberately, and with full awareness of what you are creating.