|
Vāmācāra ((サンスクリット:वामाचार), (:ʋɑːmɑːcɑːrə)) is a Sanskrit term meaning "left-handed attainment" and is synonymous with "Left-Hand Path" or "Left-path" (Sanskrit: Vāmamārga).〔Bhattacharya, N. N. ''History of the Tantric Religion'' pp. 81, 447. (1999) ISBN 81-7304-025-7〕〔Kaal Ugranand Saraswati (''differentiating “traditional Vamamarga” from conceptions of the word “vamamarga”'' )〕〔Tantra, ''Vamamarga'' ((The Left Handed Path: Kaula sadhana) )〕 It is used to describe a particular mode of worship or ''sadhana'' (spiritual practice) that is not only "heterodox" (Sanskrit: nāstika) to standard Vedic injunction, but extreme in comparison to the status quo. These practices are often generally considered to be Tantric in orientation. The converse term is dakṣiṇācāra "Right-Hand Path", which is used to refer not only to "orthodox" (''Āstika'') sects but to modes of spirituality that engage in spiritual practices that not only accord with Vedic injunction but are generally agreeable to the status quo. Left-handed and right-handed modes of practice may be evident in both orthodox and heterodox schools of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism and is a matter of taste, culture, proclivity, initiation, ''sadhana'' and dharmic "lineage" (''parampara''). ==Nomenclature and etymology== N. N. Bhattacharyya explains the Sanskrit technical term ' as follows:
' means "pleasant, lovable, agreeable" and ' means "south". Facing the rising sun towards east, ' would be the right side. For this reason, the term Vāmācāra is often translated "Left-hand practice", while Dakṣiṇamārga is translated as "Right-hand practice". An alternate etymology is that it is possible that the first word of the expression Vāmācāra is not ''vāma'' or "left", but ''vāmā'' or "woman". N. N. Bhattacharyya notes that a main feature of the Tantras is respect for the status of women as a representation of Shakti, and that if this was the original conception underlying Vāmācāra the opposing term Dakṣiṇācara may have been a later development.〔Bhattacharyya (1999) p. 113.〕 An alternate term ''Vāmamārga'' ("Left Path") is also used.〔Bhattacharyya (1999) pp. 81, 447.〕 In this compound the ambiguity between ''vāma'' and ''vāmā'' is not present because the final "''-a''" in Vāmamārga is clearly short. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Vamachara」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|