Tantra Without a Guru ( A repost )

[Guest guest]

Devi Bhakta

 

The need for a guru in Tantra is made clear again and again in Tantric

texts and lore. However, the plain fact is that many spiritual seekers

-- both East and West -- do not have a guru, don't know how to find a

guru, and/or are suspicious of the very idea of a guru.

 

So what does this mean? Should the Tantric seeker without a guru

simply give up and move on to another spiritual discipline? Not at

all. It's been observed that people who are waiting for a certain

opportunity (in this case, a true Tantric guru, initiation, etc.)

should prepare themselves to take advantage of that opportunity when

and if it presents itself.

 

Adi_Shakti16 has, made three excellent suggestions for undertaking

such a preparation. I would like to add to the conversation by posting

some excerpts of the subject of "Tantra Without a Guru," written by

the octogenarian Hatha Yoga authority, André Van Lysebeth. Belgian by

birth, Van Lysebeth lived for years in India and is a full Tantric

initiate and teacher. Despite his formidable qualifications, he still

brings a certain non-pretentiousness and humor to his writings.

 

His style takes a bit of getting used to -- constantly alternating

between scholarly and chatty -- but I'd highly recommend his books to

those who seek a practical, no-frills introduction to this field. The

excerpts follow ...

 

In the West, being exposed to a reliable Tantric initiation is quite a

problem. …. [A woman once wrote to me and asked,] "Do you know where

and with whom I could start practicing under a safe guidance?"

 

My answer was that I did not know such a place -- except in her own

home; nor such a person -- except her own partner. In fact, if Tantra

is to become popular, this problem will grow even worse. Inevitably,

fake gurus will pop up (and some already have), and pose as high

initiates. Even in India, true Tantric gurus are very few -- and they

don't advertise. "Doubtful individuals" not only will be attracted by

Tantra but will take advantage of it and claim to be great gurus. Be

aware -- and beware!

 

Is there no scope for hope? In the foreseeable future I do not see an

answer to this question, but I think it is possible to grasp the

essential part of the Tantric view of life through good books; and

there are quite a few. But alas, most of them remain dead silent about

the actual practices (which is better than publishing rubbish). To

fill this gap, at least partly, I wrote ["Tantra: The Cult of the

Feminine," Samuel Weiser, Inc., York Beach, ME, 1995; a translation

from the original French, "Tantra: Le culte de la Féminité," Edivox

S.A., Pully-Lausanne, Switzerland, 1992]. With the help of the

techniques described and some common sense, one can safely practice

and progress a good deal -- in fact, as far as it is possible to go in

the West.

 

To tell the truth, for many years I wondered if it would be a good

idea to go public with these things, many of them being well-kept

secrets for many centuries. But now I think the time has come to make

them readily available to enable sincere seekers to practice without

the help of a guru.Not because gurus are of no value, but because they

are not available. So publishing this is, in a sense, undercutting the

fake gurus who won't like this because they can no longer tell or do

any nonsense under the cover of Tantra.

 

As for the true Tantric initiation, we should be well aware of the

fact that this is no joke. It takes many years of preparation and

practice before getting ready. First the body has to undergo a strict

discipline implying the practice of Hatha Yoga, which is a branch of

Tantra. There is also a long spiritual and mental preparation under

the guidance of the guru before he or she is ready for initiation.

 

Since time immemorial, Tantra revolves around the guru-chela

[disciple] relationship, especially for the Path of the Left, and this

relationship is of the closest intimacy and highest intensity that

only those who actually experience it can understand. … [My] aim is

not to describe the experience in itself, but to help differentiate a

true guru from a fake one.

 

Tantra says, "When the chela is ready, the guru appears," and this is

really true. … The chela does not go in search of a guru, and the

reverse is also true. One just waits until "it" happens [while

continuing to train, educate and discipline oneself as much as

possible in Tantra in anticipation of this eventuality] …

 

The Tantric guru is altogether a tutor, a master who hands over

techniques, a guide who dispels doubts, but above all a trustee and an

incarnation of the ancient Tantric tradition. … The true guru never

exploits the chela, neither financially, morally, nor on any level

whatsoever. Exploitation is a trait of the fake gurus. ….

 

Another very important point: We should be well aware of the fact that

Tantra is not merely to do with sex, and especially sexual

promiscuity. Some fake, so-called "Tantric initiations" consist of

getting a few people together -- most of them quite naïve -- and

making them have group sex. I am afraid this is bound to happen and

has already happened. …

 

A true Tantric guru cannot have very many chelas, and his or her

relationship to each one will be different. (In Tantra, the guru can

be a woman as well as a man.) A true Tantric guru will not have a big

ashram and many followers. He or she often is not even recognized as a

guru. In some cases, however, the guru may have a large following --

but few true chelas, and these very few keep the relationship strictly

secret. This is true in India and so, too, in the West.

 

So, you may ask, is there no hope for the serious guru seeker? It is

hard to say. On the Tantric path, any true seeker will always find a

way to progress. True, a guru is irreplaceable, but if one does not

find his or her own guru, the genuine seeker can always rely on his or

her inner guru, the Self, which is the supreme guru and can be reached

through meditation and serious practice.

 

Fake gurus have already played havoc in the West, and in India as

well. Why are they able to fool us so easily? The simple answer is: We

are incredibly gullible. Most fakes are Indians and they always

promise us the earth, plus the moon and the stars!

 

In contrast, fake Hatha Yoga gurus are never or seldom seen. The

reason is not difficult to guess: Should a Hatha Yoga guru promise to

straighten out the spine of all those who are hunchbacked in just a

weekend seminar, of course, nobody would believe him. But if some fake

Tantric guru promises to awaken the Kundalini in a matter of hours,

people believe it and readily open wide their mouths and wallets. We

know that to master and adjust one's body takes years of stubborn

practice; well -- to tame the Kundalini takes even more. …

 

Genuine Tantric gurus would never [advertise such stunts]. They don't

have to. Their work is done in silence and they remain unseen.

 

And by the way, did I tell you my favorite Tantric guru's name? It is

His Holiness Maharishi Yogiraj Common-sense-ananda, whose advice often

take, whereas most people don't. Why? Is it because he does not

promise miracles? Or because his advice costs nothing?

 

You answer!

 

The above three posts entitled "Tantra Without a Guru" were excerpted

from Van Lysebeth, André. "Tantra: The Cult of the Feminine," Samuel

Weiser, Inc., York Beach, ME, 1995; translation from the original

French, "Tantra: Le culte de la Féminité," Edivox S.A.,

Pully-Lausanne, Switzerland, 1992

 

adreamgodus

 

Om Shanti

 

Jai MahaKaliji

 

i must comment on a few points and please, do not feel in any way that

this post is written so as to conterdict the wonderful posts that you

have provided for the family of this club.

 

1. we must move away from viewing the world in terms of form, of

tructure, of a solid mass. his world is Energy. And when a person is

ready the Gurudeva will find hem, Period.

 

2. i am a tantrika with a Tantrik Guru, and often members of this club

ignore my posts, me, and my methods. If members are not even able to

espond to a tantrika in their club that offers service, how do you

think ne can be ready for a Tantrik Gurudeva? Recall the many stories

of the reat Sages that dress as beggars to test thier devotees. Maybe

this nsignificant fool is sent as a begger as a test by your

Guru...for Him to est the sincerity of your heart. Not because of any

thing great in me, ow way! But, because of how simple minded i can

be...

 

I do apogize for being so blunt, but, no other way seems to reach you.

 

When we are sincere, we can see the Guru's heart in even the most

ortless sadhaka [which can be said of this foolish and often immature

'me']

 

3. that the whole concept of a Gurudeva has been so removed due to

ords [that is segmented from the heart] that the inner eye has fallen

asleep from either boredom or wonderlust. ake Up!

 

Stop looking for a Guru of the Mind and mere Imagination! Then, you

will nd that Beloved urudeva of Gold.

 

For sure, there is Not one thing special in me, not one iota. Except

that I as fortunate for some unknown reason, maybe i was too

pitiful-no atter, here i am. Learn form me while i am here. Don't be

like Rama, and reject Sita the third time. Wake Up.

 

A few of the posts written under my pen, where not by me, it was the

Guru's love, use those posts to dive deep. All Gurus are One, so, can

it not be said that my Gurudeva will lead you to yours?

 

When i was taught inititally through my teacher and later the

Gurudeva...many wonderous things happened...and the majority of it was

not explained by Them to me! It was not until much later that bits and

pieces became more and more clear...when i was ready to understand. It

was all a maze then, and sometimes now, This is the way of Tantra.

But, in order to move from the Mind, we must embrace

uncertainity--this is the ONLY way.

 

Belive this, if you don't wish to belive any of what i have said...the

REAL Tantra will not be in a book. Period. The reason that most of it

is secret is to Protect the sadhaka from Maya. Not because one group

is special and all that. Is this the way of the Compansonate Mother?

 

"kamini kanchan" :the habits of sex and possessionism:

 

possess not the mind, posses not the thought possess not the body,

possess not thy culture, possess not thy dreams, possess not and in

this will shine that ruby heart of light--so pure and so radiant that

it will show you your Gurudeva.

 

I will repeat: The Gurudeva watches their devotee and when the time is

ripe, like a gentle breeze will capture you and then, will blow you

away from maya...so, please, stop holding on to those dead braches and

soar like the brilliant kite that you are born to be...

 

Until we are illumined, with or without a Guru, we are imperfect in

Maya, but, if we look at the best in all, we shall find so much peace.

Until we are illumined, it seems that we are all in the same boat...so

let us travese that ocean of Divine Love, hand and hand, heart's

together as we scan the horizon.

 

Keep faith, my brother, keep love, and more importantly, keep Belife.

Cry for your Mother, be She Sri Durgaji or Sri Kaliji..Cry and feel

Her Love...

 

love, yours shikha

 

 

devi_bhakta

 

Thanks as always for your wonderful insights, Shikh'a. If I have been

overly silent in response, it is most probably because -- in the

presence of wisdom -- I try to quiet down for a bit, listen hard, and

maybe learn.

 

You are certainly right when you say, "the REAL Tantra will not be in

a book. Period."

 

Likewise, you can't teach the "real" Tantra in a club. You can't teach

Shaktism in a club. Because ultimately, you've got to turn off

the damned computer, sit down and pray. You've got to throw yourself

away, and -- as you so gorgeously phrased it -- "Cry for your Mother,

be She Sri Durgaji or Sri Kaliji ... Cry and feel Her Love..."

 

Yes. That's where it happens; not in a club. But the club is here for

a reason too: It helps us remember Devi when we're immersed in

workaday life. It helps us share the wisdom of others on a common

path, however elementary or advanced their sadhana may be.

 

Words are death, as the saying goes -- but only if we fail to catch

their current and move beyond them. And, as a matter of practical

limitation, words are all we have to work with in clubs; well, words

and pictures. The words are signposts, pointing to something more.

 

Why did I post Van Lysebeth? Believe it or not, I posted him because

of Thomas Jefferson, who once, when a friend pointed out how lucky he

was in life -- responded that "Luck is where opportunity meets

preparation." I hope that some of the collective wisdom that gathers

in this and other spiritual clubs will help people prepare themselves

for their journey, or fortify themselves along the way.

 

The Tao Te Ching teaches, "Who says doesn't know; who knows doesn't

say." Which is almost always true -- but a club's job, if anything, is

"to say" ... something! Sure, the truth that can be said may be

incomplete at best. But if it keeps a faltering member on the path; if

it provides a friend I'll never know with moment's inspiration; if it

gives a

fellow-seeker the unlikely psychic "nudge" that takes them to a new

level -- then

it's quite possible not futile.

 

Van Lysebeth is a knowledgeable Tantric; he would certainly agree with

almost everything you say. But he also sees the individual and

societal promise of the Tantric system; and he sees how it can be

abused and exploited by opportunists. His purpose seems to be keeping

people on as true a path as possible until the real Truth finds them.

To a very large extent, that's how I conceive this club as well; a

gathering souls helping one another on a long, difficult journey.

Through the combined strength of our commonalities, we find

inspiration; through the sharp, dynamic tension between our

differences, we perhaps move closer to the Truth.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namaha

 

 

adreamgodus

 

Om Shanti...

 

Beloved Devi Dear, the only wisdom in me is the mirror of your very

oul... ou are correct in all of what you say and the post and the

viewpoint of an Lysebeth is indeed vauable. I have yet to reach his

level of xperience in the world and tantra. Hey, i'm still a baby,

yet!

 

What use are these clubs...well, for one, they are a seconday stage in

hich to allow that lamp to shine.

 

Yes, Tantra is being expoited as are many paths...Tantra is so

difficult at it is to wonder...

 

now to take your advice...i shall turn off this computer and begin the

preparation for evening sadhana...

 

Really, all of the advanced Sadhaks here and in the Bhraman are truly

amazing. The Divine Mother is so ever loving...

 

By the way, buddy [you are my brother are you not?] why not post the

Guru post in my club, smile.

 

Love forever! yours, shikha

 

Om Shanti