Tantrism's ultimate aim is a channeling of the kundalini...

Tantrism's ultimate aim is a channeling of the kundalini life force through the sushumna, the gracious channel, upwards into the sahasrara chakra and beyond, through the door of brahman (brahmarandhra) into Parasiva, either before or at the time of death. The stress is on the transformation of all spheres of consciousness, spiritual, psychic, emotional and material. It is a path of sadhana. 3) --Shakta Tantrism: Brings a strong emphasis on the worship of the feminine force.

Depending on the school, this may be symbolic or literal in rites involving sexual intercourse, etc. Shakta Tantrism's main principle is the use of the material to gain the spiritual. In certain schools, historically, this implies embracing that which is normally forbidden and manipulating the forces to attain transcendent consciousness rather than lower consciousness.

There are three main streams: 1) the right-hand path (dakshina marga or dakshinachara) of conservative Hindu practice, 2) the left-hand path (vama marga or vamachara) involving the use of things normally forbidden such as taking intoxicants, meat, ritual sex, etc., and 3) the yogic path of the Kaula sect. Gorakshanatha followers are sometimes grouped with the latter. See: Shaktism, kundalini, raja yoga, tantra. Tao: "The way." The central concept of the Chinese religion called Taoism.

Though traditionally considered impossible to translate, Tao is often rendered as "cosmic order," akin to the Sanskrit rita. See: dharma. tapas: (Sanskrit) "Warmth, heat," hence psychic energy, spiritual fervor or ardor. 1) Purificatory spiritual disciplines, severe austerity, penance and sacrifice. The endurance of pain, suffering, through the performance of extreme penance, religious austerity and mortification.

By comparison, sadhana is austerity of a simple, sustained kind, while tapas is austerity of a severe, psyche-transforming nature. Tapas is extreme bodily mortification, long term sadhanas, such as meditating under a tree in one place for 12 years, taking a lifetime vow of silence and never speaking or writing, or standing on one leg for a prescribed number of years. Scriptures warn against extreme asceticism that harm the body.