Tantra Versus Religious Morality

Every tantra teacher is sooner or later faced with the tricky task of explaining to his students the difference between spirituality and being religious. These two concepts are often considered to be one and the same, maybe with minor variations. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Tantra is a spiritual path, and has nothing to do with religion. It has been argued that there are tantra deities who are worshiped, which makes it a religion. After all, idol worship is one of the hallmarks of religion. But as a tantra master, I want to clarify here that the tantra deities are, in fact, nothing but what we must strive to become. A tantric adept does not worship these deities as idols, but in the form of his or her beloved.

Religion exploits mankind’s innate fear of the unknown – fear of living a meaningless life, fear of death, fear of eternal damnation and fear of ostracism. The first and foremost objective of ancient tantra is to rid the practitioner of such fears. One of the most crippling fears that I encounter as a tantra teacher is the fear of sex itself.

Religious priests of all stripes have inculcated a feeling of wrongness about sex into the minds of the people they administer to. It is, in fact, a very clever thing to do – humans are sexual by nature, so sexuality will always manifest itself in their lives. This is necessarily true of other moral weaknesses such as greed or lack of humility. Sexuality is always present in human beings, so priests call it ‘lust’ and condemn it.

Tantra teaches us that our sexuality exists as our natural state, and that there is nothing ‘wrong’ or ‘sinful’ about it. It teaches us that we must recognize it as a divine gift – a gift with which we can express ourselves fully to our beloved. Once you recognize and accept this fact, almost every fear that the priests of the world have forced upon you fall away.

Sigmund Freud was right in stating that our sexuality is expressed in almost everything we do, and that its suppression leads to mental disorders. Ancient tantra is a path towards freedom from the oppression of religious regulation of your sexuality. While the tantric path has always been available to those who seek this freedom, the religions of the world have consistently condemned it as ‘evil’. Nothing that does not conform to the idols they advertise is condemned as ‘heathen’.

If you want to know more about the power of tantra and experience the freedom of self that it offers you, find a genuine tantra teacher and learn of this ancient spiritual path. When you learn tantra, you will experience a wondrous transformation is your relationship with your beloved – and an exhilarating freedom that you would never have thought possible.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.

Is Tantra Meditation Different From Yoga Meditation?

As a matter of fact, there are distinct differences between tantra meditation and yoga meditation. They have different premises and the methods of practice are also different. Tantric meditation is one of the most important techniques taught by a tantra teacher as he is helping his students to understand the divine nature of their sexuality, and to overcome sexual inhibitions.

However, it does not necessarily involve sex. Tantric meditation is indeed an advanced method of delving within, connecting with the tantric deities and deriving understanding and power from them, and from the Cosmos.

Once you become adept at tantric meditation, your mind and body become vibrantly attuned to your natural desires – much like a perfectly tuned violin or piano. You are able to resonate to your partner’s own vibrations. When this happens, you will understand what it means to be in a state of constant readiness to engage in intimacy. Also, you will have overcome all your misconceptions and fears about physical intimacy.

In order to you to learn this form of meditation, your tantra master will gradually expose you to various mantras and mind states. The blockages that prevent the free flow of tantra energy between your chakras dissolve, leaving a clear path for the energy to flow.

These are the first steps towards unleashing of the kundalini, but it is still only an initial stage. Kundalini awakening must happen only once the mind and body have been sufficiently trained by tantra meditation. Nevertheless, you are tapping into this powerful source of energy as you practice this form of meditation.

A person whose mind has been trained by tantra meditation will be able to engage in physical intimacy for virtually unlimited periods, because the old concepts of what sex and orgasm are have been left behind. A sexual encounter between two partners who have attained proficiency in this kind of meditation takes place in what could be termed a trance.

Actually, it is nothing but a very high form of awareness and involvement with each other. There is no agenda, and there are no goals to reach. The only purpose is to stay in the moment in a state of complete worship of each other.

It should now be clear that tantric meditation and yoga meditation are very different concepts. While yogic meditation can bring about peace of mind and significantly improved health, the tantra version goes far beyond this and actually taps into one’s primeval energy. It is one of the most healing and exalting experiences that a human being is capable of. There are also various forms of tantra meditation, which I will discuss at a later stage.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.

The Tantric Significance Of Rudraksha Beads

Those familiar with Indian lore in general will have heard of or seen images of Shiva, the quintessential tantra god. Shiva is depicted as wearing chains of dark beads around his neck, arms and ankles. These are rudraksha beads, which have a special significance in Hindu tantra.

When we study the story of Shiva and Shakti, his consort and the traditional tantra goddess, several fascinating stories emerge. One of these is that that Shiva, who is also the Destroyer, took the incarnation of Kali and defeated several demons.

Mythology tells us that he beheaded the vanquished demons and allowed their heads to dry up and shrivel, after which he adorned himself with them. The rudraksha beads which Shiva devotees wear represent these heads of defeated demons.

How is this significant for someone learning tantra? There is, in fact, great relevance in wearing rudraksha beads if one is aware of what they represent. Your tantra teacher will inform you that in order to pursue this ancient science of life and love, one must certainly overcome some demons in one’s life – just as Shiva had done.

These demons are jealousy, selfishness, hatred, dishonesty, bigotry, misogyny and the various other negative traits that contaminate an untutored human life.

When you progress in your study of ancient tantra under a gifted tantra master, you will be confronted with these negative traits within yourself over and over again. The specific tantra instructions and rituals to which you will be introduced will help you to gradually shed these traits and evolve into a superior, spiritually accomplished person.

At this stage, you will be able to wear a chain of rudraksha beads with pride – for you have defeated the demons that hindered your spiritual progress.

These beads have various other mystical properties – they are said to reduce blood pressure, act as a detoxifying agent and have the ability to cleanse and focus the mind. This is why they are also of great help in tantra meditation. However, the benefits of wearing Shiva’s traditional adornment can only come when one’s mind has responded to them with understanding, and one’s actions correspond to their symbolism.

As a traditional tantric teacher, I am firmly against my students wearing such adornments without fully comprehending what they stand for. The fact is that wearing rudrakshas is symbolic of the fact that one has overcome base desires and drives and is committed to the study and enforcement of the Truth. Let no one belittle Shiva’s victory over evil with idle tokenism, for his battle must be ours as well.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.