Does Tantra advocate hatred?

January 9, 2004

My dearest friends,

Today I received a off-list letter from a r to this

list. This person said that s/he believes that I an not a true

tantric. S/he continued to say that s/he prays that someday soon an

avatara will appear and destroy people like me.

Does tantra teach hatred toward others? Does Tantra teach that

someday the Divine will destroy all non-tantrists? I have never heard

this, and if it is true that this is what tantra teaches, then I want

nothing to do with the philosophy.

I believe that faith is an intensely personal thing. It is one

person interacting with the Divine. The choice of how and when and

where a person chooses to do this is a decision for that person and

the Divine, nobody else. Others can make suggestions, but no person

has the right to condemn another for this decision.

I have always tried to learn from people of all faiths. This

includes not only Hindus but Jews and Moslems and Christians and

Wiccans and Atheists and all people that I have met. I listen

patiently and ask questions, learning what they do and how and why

they do it. I do not judge except if they believe that their faith

compels them to hate others.

Please let us all love one another. No person has a monopoly on

wisdom, and only a fool believes that s/he has nothing to learn.

Sister Usha

January 9, 2004

As we all ascend the spirtual ladder slowly slowly all the negative feelings

will vanish leaving nothing other than love and kindness in the heart. God is

Love. Just my feelings..

Sister Usha Devi <sisterusha wrote:My dearest friends,

Today I received a off-list letter from a r to this

list. This person said that s/he believes that I an not a true

tantric. S/he continued to say that s/he prays that someday soon an

avatara will appear and destroy people like me.

Does tantra teach hatred toward others? Does Tantra teach that

someday the Divine will destroy all non-tantrists? I have never heard

this, and if it is true that this is what tantra teaches, then I want

nothing to do with the philosophy.

January 9, 2004

Dear Usha:

You are absolutely correct that faith is an intensely personal

thing. That quality is what can make faith so beautiful; but it is

also the source of the hatred and intolerance you mention. People

project their own cultural understanding, belief system, and

personal psychology through the matrix of whatever faith it is that

they embrace.

All religions offer the vast majority of its adherents some degree

of peace, fulfillment, comfort and purpose in life. As it happens,

however, all religions are bound to attract those who are hungry for

earthly power and/or vengeance, and who seek divine permission or

justification for pursuing such goals.

Thus, we find that the Bible has been used to justify such nice

ideas as slavery, subjugation based on gender, colonization,

genocide; the Koran is used to justify flying passenger jets into

office towers; the Vedas have been used to justify a caste/class

system that circumscribed the lives of untold millions for untold

centuries. And all the while, the silent majority looks at their

scriptures, feeling instinctively that something is wrong, and

wonder "where does it say *that*?"

The scriptures of any great religions are masterpieces of philosophy

and psychology, mixed with complex social ritual and cultural

specificity. They were created by great souls to elevate others who

seek higher Truth; they are open-ended; they require a great deal of

pondering and interpretation. And this means that people whose

hearts are full of greed, or hatred, or any variety of dark ideas,

will readily find these ideas reflected back at them, as if from a

magic looking glass. Too bad, huh?

As a moderator of this group, I often receive wonderful letters from

people who've found something of what they seek here, who feel they

are among friends here. That is a beautiful thing to hear. But like

you did today, I too occasionally receive "hate mail." People say we

are not "real" Shaktas, or that we're condemning ourselves forever

for publishing "secret" texts on the homepage, or that we are

ignoring the word of Christ or Allah or something like that. On a

few occasions, I've had boys of 20 or 25 (always young men of that

age, for some reason) tell me they are "advanced Tantrics" who will

employ their great siddhis to harm me or my family, or my friends,

etc. Just last night, some kid challenged me to a Tantric duel of

sorts to see how "powerful" I am. Go figure. I just ignore it.

A member here recently asked me for a literal translation of "Shakti

Sadhana." Well, Shakti means Energy or Power. Sadhana is a

prescribed set of religious activities. So I mentioned, "The Path of

Shakti (Energy)," or maybe "The Way of Devi." The member asked

me, "Is it also accurate to say Shakti Sadhana means 'The Cult of

Power?'" Sure, I replied. The member seemed extremely pleased.

Unfortunately, because of the power it can convey, Tantra does

attract more than its share of power- and/or revenge- and/or sex-

seekers. They are an angry, disturbed and dangerous bunch, and they

give Tantra as much of a bad name as hatemongers like Osama Bin

Laden give to Islam, or Jerry Falwell and his progeny give to

Christianity. But to be frank, Usha, they are literally the lunatic

fringe. They are the nuts. They do not change the essential beauty

and truth of the paths they exploit for earthly gain. They are blips

on the radar; they come and go. But the paths themselves remain --

eternal, shining and clear -- for those who travel with a pure and

unselfish heart.

Be strong. All is well.

Aum Maatangyai Namahe

January 9, 2004

Dearest Usha:

Tanta at NO PLACE states that it is the ONLY path or that all non-tantrics are

bad.

Tantra preaches only unconditional love.

I was a very harsh man and i feel my path through Tantra - I do not know whether

it is a plateau or a hill or a descent - has made me more tolerant. Or so I

believe.

Tantra is a part of larger Hinduism - destruction of the unworthy and

judgementality are anthema to both Tantrism and larger Hinduism. Nay!! I would

say it is anthema to all true religions - untainted by later interpolations. The

great seers saw essential unity of all human endeavours. It applies equally to

the other great religions like Judaism; Chistianity and Islam. All are religions

of love corrupted by political needs. It is when that corruption comes in that

thoughts of revenge and retribution creeps in.

Any spiritual path practiced in sincierity and in consonance with the basic

teaching makes one only tolerant, loving and non-judgemental - that is my

belief.

Kochu

Usha <ukavarthapu wrote:

As we all ascend the spirtual ladder slowly slowly all the negative feelings

will vanish leaving nothing other than love and kindness in the heart. God is

Love. Just my feelings..

Sister Usha Devi <sisterusha wrote:My dearest friends,

Today I received a off-list letter from a r to this list. This

person said that s/he believes that I an not a true tantric. S/he continued to

say that s/he prays that someday soon an avatara will appear and destroy people

like me.

Does tantra teach hatred toward others? Does Tantra teach that someday the

Divine will destroy all non-tantrists? I have never heard this, and if it is

true that this is what tantra teaches, then I want nothing to do with the

philosophy.

/

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January 9, 2004

I thank the three kind and wise people who have responded to my

messsage. I agree and and grateful to you for taking the time to

express these enlightened thoughts.

I am constantly amazed at animosity between religious groups. I

have even seen it between groups of Christians. I am surrounded by

Christians here in the USA, and I chuckle sometimes. There is a

ritual that some Christians perform every week. They all eat small

pieces of bread and pretend that the bread is the body of Jesus. It

is a VERY bad idea to sugggest that there is anything cannibalistic

about this. But some Christian groups will say that the bread is a

symbol representing the body of Jesus, while others will say the the

bread really is the body of Jesus. The group that believes one thing

will hate and ridicule the group that believes the other thing, as if

it actually made any difference. As I said, I am not a Christian, but

I have read some of what Jesus said and find much wisdom in it. I

wish that these Christians would stop fighting and read their own

scriptures on occasion.

Sister Usha

January 9, 2004

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

>

> On a

> few occasions, I've had boys of 20 or 25 (always young men of that

> age, for some reason) tell me they are "advanced Tantrics" who

>will

> employ their great siddhis to harm me or my family, or my friends,

> etc. Just last night, some kid challenged me to a Tantric duel of

> sorts to see how "powerful" I am. Go figure. I just ignore it.

I came across a few like that. That can lead to their downfall,

for sure. Such things arent uncommon among tantrics(as you noted,

especially young ones). Using spirituality as a ground to exhibit,

the hatred within and power.

> Unfortunately, because of the power it can convey, Tantra does

> attract more than its share of power- and/or revenge- and/or sex-

> seekers.

There seems to be a surge in the last group of ppl mentioned,

especially in US.One such self styled teacher would not even answer

anything when politely questioned. This is like 2 years back.

January 9, 2004

, "Sister Usha Devi"

<sisterusha> wrote:

> My dearest friends,

> Today I received a off-list letter from a r to this

> list. This person said that s/he believes that I an not a true

> tantric. S/he continued to say that s/he prays that someday soon

>an

> avatara will appear and destroy people like me.

As for me, I do wish that ppl who make money/fame in the

name of tantra(maybe we can call them non true tantrics) are somehow

barred from doing so.

> Does tantra teach hatred toward others? Does Tantra teach

>that

> someday the Divine will destroy all non-tantrists?

Ofcourse not. Actually that would be a sin if anyone wishes so

about non-tantrists coz there are non-tantrists who are devotees of

Shiva,Vishnu etc.

January 9, 2004

Dear Sister Usha- I really appreciate your postings. They are always filled with

food for thought, very far reaching, and you have the courage to ask very good

questions. Please continue. The really "powerful" Tantrics I know are people of

profound humility and kindness, who have a true sense of awe and wonder, living

at the heart of the manifested Devi. Who knows what these other confrontational

folks are up to?! I am studying the Mundaka Upanishad right now. In it there are

some slokas that might apply to their case, for instance: "Dwelling in the midst

of many kinds of ignorance, these "children" think "We have achieved the goal".

The Upanishad is talking about those who perform Vedic yajnas for self-serving

ends, but I think it could also apply to Tantrics who perform sadhana with an

eye to gaining siddhis, bigtime powers. I think those folks must end up a little

like the ghost of Jacob Marley in Dickens' CHRISTMAS CAROL, trailing piles of

long and heavy chains. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to beg the Mother not to

give him powers. I think you have said often in your postings, the real power is

love. To me, that is the challenge for true Tantrics, to realize and manifest

this power of the Devi in our own lives. Don't you agree?