FROM TAPAS TO MOKṢA A VEDĀNTIC INQUIRY INTO THE PRACTICE OF OLAH KANURAGAN SUKMA RAGA TANTRA

Abstract

This study analyzes the practice of Olah Kanuragan Sukma Raga Tantra from the perspective of Vedānta, focusing on the dialectic between the body–energy dimension and the realization of pure consciousness. Grounded in the prasthānatrayī (Upaniṣads, Brahma Sūtra, Bhagavad Gītā), this research highlights how Vedānta places mokṣa as the ultimate goal of life through the realization of the identity of ātman and brahman. Conversely, Sukma Raga Tantra is rooted in the cultivation of the body, breath, and energy, emphasizing physical–spiritual balance as a practical path to enlightenment. Tensions arise when Vedānta regards the body as a temporary instrument, while Tantra affirms it as a sacred medium. However, potential synergy emerges through integration: Tantra provides embodied praxis, while Vedānta offers a profound philosophical framework. In the context of the Indonesian archipelago, these two traditions intertwine through the use of mantra, yantra, mudrā, mandala, and sacred syllables in Balinese Hindu rituals, including those of Olah Kanuragan Sukma Raga Tantra. In the contemporary era, reinterpretation of this practice opens a space for global dialogue on Hindu spirituality that remains rooted in locality while responsive to modern needs. Olah Kanuragan Sukma Raga Tantra can thus be positioned as a relevant, transformative spiritual practice compatible with the Vedāntic framework.