Compulsive Auto-Eroticism Is Incompatible With Tantra

There is a highly erroneous but persistent belief going round that auto-eroticism (with or without the use of pornography) is in some way compatible with or beneficial to the study of tantra. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the tantric arts teach us to conserve and channelize sexual energy – not diffuse it wastefully.

In the Old Testament, the Bible admonishes man not to ‘spill his seed upon the ground.’ This warning has been interpreted in many ways. The Catholic Church used it to propagate its hard-line stance against contraception. To my thinking, this admonishment would be more aptly directed at compulsive self-gratification – which watching porn definitely encourages.

Learning tantra under an accomplished tantra master will definitely do wonders to your sex life, but sex is neither the beginning nor the end of the tantric sciences. The erotic expression of tantra energy has its place in the spiritual realm, but only when it takes place within the context of a loving, mutually worshipful man-woman relationship.

I am not against self-gratification itself. There is nothing wrong with it as long as it used as a means of relieving pent-up sexual energy that is becoming a source of stress and distress. There are many situations in modern life where indulging in sexual union with a loved one is not possible. In such situations, it is better to ‘spill one’s seed’ rather than be haunted by sexual desires that cannot be expressed in the best possible manner.

However, wilfully stoking the fires of these desires by compulsively indulging in porn is unhealthy and contrary to everything that tantra teaches. No genuine tantra teacher will ever advocate compulsive sexual behaviour. Tantra is a spiritual path that leads to wholesome relationships between the genders. The sexual powers that come with learning tantra must be used responsibly and maturely.

In order to practice tantra in the manner prescribed by the ancient tantric masters, one must understand and respect the nature and purpose of sexual energy. Our erotic drive has been given to us so that we may engage in a loving union with a beloved. It must be shared in a spirit of mutual adoration and cherishment. Compulsive self-gratification – with or without the use of pornography – is tantamount to compulsive self-love.

When abused as a means unto itself rather than being used wisely as a stress reliving method, it becomes an addiction. And any addiction, as we all know, is nothing short of selfish, wasteful, unspiritual and potentially harmful

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with an in-depth knowledge of traditional Indian sciences and Sanskrit literature. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons, kriyas and mudras from this young Tantra Master.

Tantra Yoga And The Seven Chakras

There is a lot of misunderstanding about what chakras really are, and how they are pertinent to learning tantra. To begin with, it is important to understand that chakras are not real in a material sense. Rather, they are psychic centres in our body that the ancient Indian yogis identified in the course of their studies. As your tantra teacher will clarify, these chakras are in fact centres of incredible consciousness potential.

The chakras are repositories of psychic energy that are hard-wired into the overall state of the body and mind. Though chakras are often represented as lotuses on charts, the actual translation from the Sanskrit word ‘chakra’ is ‘spinning wheel’. These wheels represent a system of seven energy centers located along the spine, and each corresponds to an area of the body, a set of behavioral characteristics and stages of spiritual growth.

The technical names of the seven chakras are as follows – Muladhara (at the base of the spine), Svadhisthana (in the abdomen, genitals and lower back), Manipura (the solar plexus), Anahata (in the heart area), Visshudha (in the throat), Ajna (at the brow) and Sahasrara (at the top of head, or cerebral cortex.)

As already explained, each chakra is associated with a particular body location. However, each of them is also associated with a colour, a central emotional or behavioural issue and also many other personal aspects including identity, goals, rights, etc.

Practicing tantra yoga under the guidance of a tantra teacher can help you focus your energies with the help of different postures and tantric breathing techniques. It then becomes possible to align your chakras and get all the wheels spinning in the same direction, at the same speed. An experienced tantra master can help you understand how to fine-tune and control these energy centers via specific yoga and tantric meditation techniques. As a result, you will experience spiritual balance and complete harmony at the mind, body and spirit levels.

The spiritual energy that is in question here is also called kundalini energy. In its dormant state, kundalini energy may be seen as a coiled snake resting at the base of your spine, or the Muladhara chakra. Since the chakras act as valves or pumps regulating the flow of energy through your system, the controlled and purposeful movements of tantric yoga can help realign your chakras.

Through the movements and postures of tantra yoga, you can learn to concentrate and direct your kundalini energy to and from the various chakras in your body. In this way, you can compensate for areas that may be inactive or out of synch with the rest of your body. By balancing the energy among all seven chakras, complete physical, mental and spiritual balance can be achieved.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with an in-depth knowledge of traditional Indian sciences and Sanskrit literature. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons, kriyas and mudras from this young Tantra Master.

Self-Inquiry Is A Necessary Ingredient Of Tantra Practice

Many who have discovered tantra cannot wait to go ahead with the much-hyped promises of greater sexual gratification it holds. Such aspiring tantra students wish to learn the tantric arts for this reason alone, and they completely miss the point. Learning tantra is not about having better sex, even if that is one of the promises of this ancient art.

The most important step in learning tantra is finding a qualified tantra teacher who can properly initiate the aspiring student. Without a tantric master, the student will do little more than embark on a wild goose chase and wind up disillusioned. It is no more possible to learn tantra from a book than it is to learn a language in the same manner. A knowledgeable guide who can chart the course of instructions and make necessary corrections when the student veers off course is absolutely essential.

One of the main reasons why it is necessary to learn tantra under a tantra teacher is the fact that learning this science effectively requires considerable self-inquiry. Though this is a process where the student delves within himself or herself, the process itself cannot take place unsupervised. Self-inquiry is not within the natural bounds human nature. In fact, our natural reflex is to avoid self-inquiry because what we tend to see within ourselves makes us extremely uncomfortable.

Why is self-inquiry a prerequisite to learning the tantric arts? The reason is that in order to experience true freedom – spiritual, emotional or sexual – we must first identify what enslaves us. Our ingrained faulty beliefs about ourselves, others and things such as sexual intimacy hold us back from exploring our fullest potential. A tantra teacher will guide his student in the process of self-examination compassionately, but he will not allow the process itself to be avoided.

Various tantra meditation techniques and rituals are employed in the process of self-examination, and these lead to self-discovery. Often for the first time, the tantric student is confronted with what beliefs and attitudes he or she is driven by. This is invariably a shattering experience. However, it is also accompanied by an indescribable sense of blissful release from the bondage of false beliefs.

As these false beliefs about oneself, one’s intimate partner and the whole issue of intimacy crumble, students of tantra become ready for the first stages of initiation. Then – and only then – will they be able to understand the full spiritual power of the tantra energy that lies within them.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with an in-depth knowledge of traditional Indian sciences and Sanskrit literature. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons, kriyas and mudras from this young Tantra Master.