Guest guest Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#CA0E00;font-weight:bold">Misconceptions About Tantra font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E">Tantra has always been a secret path. At all times there were opponents. That is why we are taught never to give away our mantra: It is a specific injunction that a person shall not be initiated into Tantra without specific testing as to suitableness. Vaidikas - the followers of Veda - on many occasions derided the Tantra path. But there are also references in Puranas extolling virtues of Tantra. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E">People in the West have not seen or been made familiar with all the Tantric practices -- even by those who have opened parts of it to the West. Thus, the West was mistakenly led to believe that Tantra is nothing but "glorified sex". This misperception has led many astray, and has kept many really deserving persons away from the practices. It has also brought many sexually unsatisfied persons to what they think is “Tantra”. It has helped many people to cash in on the “fad” and the “need”. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E">But let me clarify once and for all that TANTRA IS NOT ALL ABOUT SEX. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E">Real sexual practices may play some role in the first stages -- and at certain much, much higher stages -- but it is not the be-all and end-all of Tantra. Because, you must understand, sex in Tantra simply plays the same role as in ordinary life. We have sex in our life but sex is not what we live for. It has its role in the psychological and procreative spheres. In the same way does sex has some role in Tantra. But it is not an essential thing. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E">In Tantra there are three sub-divisions: color:#3E3E3E">1. bold">The Dakshinachra. color:#3E3E3E"> The Right-Hand Path, which is closely linked to Vaidic practices; margin-left:1.0in">2. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:indigo;font-weight:bold">The Vamachara. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E"> The Left-Hand Path, which partakes all that is good from all systems and is essentially Kundalini Yoga. Here, all differentiation between good and evil are destroyed. It is also called the Kaula Path. This is my path. margin-left:1.0in">3. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:indigo;font-weight:bold">The Samayachara. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E"> This is a purely mental process. The Vamachara system has gained great notoriety because of its use of various items like Meat, Alcohol and sex in the practices. Actually, this is a misplaced notoriety. These items are only given the same amount of usage they receive in ordinary life!! If anybody uses these items in excess in ordinary life, it is not a good thing. And the same principle applies to Tantra as well. Furthermore, the interpreters have indicated time and again that these can be replaced with symbolic items. The greatest danger of the path is that powers come to you easily and fast along this path; but any misuse leads to eternal damnation. font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E">The first and last systems have no physically sexual content. The system that is chosen by a practitioner will depend on his or her mental attitudes and spiritual development as assessed by the teacher. But before starting the practices, a student must assess his or her own fitness for the system. He/She must ask: margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"> Symbol;color:#3E3E3E">· color:#CA0E00">Am I capable of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE? "Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E"> margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"> Symbol;color:#3E3E3E">· color:#CA0E00">Am I willing to spend the time and energy to lead a life that -- from daybreak to nightfall -- will be governed by secret co-relation with Tantric practices and attitudes? color:#3E3E3E"> font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#3E3E3E">The greatest beauty of Tantra is that once the student becomes a full fledged practitioner, s/he will no longer be governed by the normal rules of Karma. Outwardly s/he will be leading a normal existence -- but inwardly s/he will be leading a very balanced life, so that all actions are properly identified and hence s/he will not be bound by the Karmic link and s/he will always be free from the Karma of all his actions, because s/he has the right attitude. The Karmic bond is snapped once for all once the student becomes a real Tantric. S/he is no longer bound by the mundane differentiations of GOOD and BAD. The dualities in life cease to have any role!! 10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic""> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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