Tantra and Tantric sex – Explaining the tantric path
A shloka from Tantra Rahasayam explains Tantra as “Tanyate vistaryate jnanam anemna iti tantram” (Tantra is the divine scripture by which the light of advanced spiritual knowledge is spread).
Tantra is an ancient system of psycho-spiritual meditations and self-realization techniques that originated in India. It is still practiced in its authentic entirety by a young Tantra Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta, who represents the most ancient lineage of Tantra in India.
Tantra is collectively a large set of specific tantric techniques that includes yamas, niyamas, asanas, mudras, pratyaharas, dharanas, dhyanas and samadhi techniques. These techniques are considered an integral part of tantric self-realization and awareness.
Tantra is defined as the combination of tattva (the advanced science of cosmic principles), and mantra (the sciences of mystic sound and energy vibrations) and its various applications. Authentic Tantra is based on the harmonization of this combination, raising its intensity to unlimited potency.
Tantra can further the growth of human consciousness in all its manifestations – in personal growth, health, business, and knowledge – treating mind, body and spirit as aspects of the one intelligence.
But there is a unique aspect to Tantra: Unlike several other religions and paths that preach abstinence from all that give pleasure, Tantra proclaims that a life without pleasure is no life at all. Moreover, our desires will continue to haunt us until they are allowed to reach its peak; only after that can it be submerged. Tantra instead says that the transcendental experience of sexual union should be utilized in our path to spiritual awareness. Does that mean that the paths that teach abstinence are wrong?
No! It simply means that they are trying to attain transcendence in different ways. Their aim is the same, only their basic methods differ from Tantra.
Tantra aims for the transcendence of the transient world and aims at giving its practitioners, experiences of intense meditation. Tantra recognizes sex as an important part of a person’s being and the development of one’s soul, but acquiring the right balance is the key.
Tantra is to be used as a spiritual path by people who do not prefer to sacrifice their sexual activities, either due to their disposition or because they are involved in family life.
Rather than suppressing our sexual inclinations, Tantra asks us to utilize the power of sex to gain transcendence. It instructs us not to have sexual play but to use it to climb the ladder of spiritual consciousness. Sex will not stop the continual distraction in one’s mind but when the sexual urges are strong, it is better to utilize it for spiritual purposes and not suppress it. And through these esoteric experiences gained by tantric union and through other non-sexual tantric techniques, one can anticipate to evolve spiritually in a natural way and will gradually lose mundane interest in sex.
And finally when the mind’s attention is diverted away from sex, it becomes ready for serious spiritual sadhana. That is the prerequisite for greater spiritual evolution.
But a word of caution: Tantra does not preach indiscrimate sexual play. It has set specific rules as to how the sexual energy will be utilized. These rules have to be strictly followed; otherwise one can suffer undesirable experiences associated with the premature awakening of the chakras, which is life-threatening without the direct guidance of a knowledgeable Tantra Master
Persons who would like to practice this sexual aspect of Tantric Sadhana must do so under the able guidance of a Tantra Master, who will lay down strict guidelines on the conduct of their lives and what focus their spiritual sadhana must follow.
Copyright (C) Subhojit Dasgupta.
Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Master and offers Tantra lessons to select pupils.
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