Tantric Objects, Tantric Subjects: A Complex Fluidity in the Formation of Subjectivity and Objectivity in Nondual Tantras

Tantric rituals are foundational for understanding Tantric philosophy. Anything we can establish from complex philosophical texts we can also derive from manuals outlining Tantric rituals. Rather than only reading philosophical texts, I begin with ritual practices in Tantras, where the notion of ritual objects crosses the boundary between the sacred and profane, and at the same time, also confronts the polar divide between subject and object, engaging in philosophical reflections on the basis of ritual practices that buttress the same claims. I first focus on ritual objects that are common to any Hindu ritual, revealing the additional Tantric meaning. Then, I highlight objects that are taboo in the common Hindu ritual world. I address the ritual objects that are also subjects, sentient beings, and return the gaze to pure objects that are given subjectivity. Finally, I address objectified subjectivity and the elimination of bipolarity in the conversation on Tantric rituals.