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Sanskrit and all Indic languages have a common feature — each word may have many meanings. Also, each word has many synonyms. Among the many meanings, tantra can also refer to a loom, thread, scientific work, framework, or correct method. But in the context of religion, it refers to what the average Hindu may refer to as black magic. In reality, this is a simplified surface level (mis)understanding.
In the words of Vaman Shivram Apte in his The Practical Sanskrit — English Dictionary, tantra is
“a religious treatise teaching magical and mystical formularies for the worship of the deities or the attainment of superhuman power.”
We might agree that the above definition is what we mean by “black magic”. But black magic as well as Apte’s definition cover only a partial definition.
According to the Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology,
“Black magic as practiced in medieval times may be defined as the use of the supernatural knowledge of magic for evil purposes; the invocation of diabolic and infernal powers to blind them as slaves and emissaries to man’s will; in short, a perversion of legitimate mystical science.”
Black magic involves pleasing evil spirits or the devil. Practitioners of black magic intend to manifest superpowers. The goal of black magic is usually to do harm individual(s). Black magic also involves enslaving spirits.
But tantra also involves pleasing auspiscious deities (among malevolent deities in certain sub-traditions). Also, in some sub-traditions, practitioners do not consider siddhis (superpowers) as the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal may also be moksha. Tantra focuses on realizing the inner divine.
Hence, we may categorize black magic referring to practices within the purview of tantra. But not all tantra is black magic.
If ‘tantra’ has so many meanings, why did it come to refer to only these “religious treatises”?
Swami Harshananda, in his The Tantras — an overview, clarifies
“Originally, the word ‘tantra’ seems to have meant any science or body of knowledge.Gradually, however, it got restricted to a particular class of literature, a literature primarily devoted to the cult of shakti or the Divine Mother, and containing an amalgam of religion, philosophy, esoteric and occult rites, astronomy, astrology, medicine and prognostications.”
Abhinav K https://medium.com/@abhinavk2017/is-tantra-black-magic-c646bb1723ed
Posted for educational/informational purposes only.