Guest guest Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 The Mystery of the "five M". (extract from the article) One of the most essential components of doctrine and practice of Kaula-tantrism is panchatattva or the mystery of the "five M" (panchamakara). In the context of sadhana (religious practice) panchatattva is the main ritual, the sacrifice of Kula and the mystical communion with the Goddess. Doctrinally it reveals itself as a gnosiological matrix upon which the Body of the Godhead, macro- and microcosm are classified. According to the doctrine of Tantras, the method to reach full perfection is enjoyment of the world in love towards the Goddess. Yoni-tantra 6.25 says: "Happiness is achieved through enjoyment, through enjoyment liberation is achieved. Thus one has to devote himself completely to enjoyment". But alongside it is stressed that love is the most essential on this way. For instance, Meru-tantra 10.67 says: "Only that one whose love is strong succeeds on this way of the Left"; same is stated by Kularnava-tantra, Parananda- sutra and other Tantras. Why enjoyment is so important? Because enjoyment is the means to reveal that spiritual bliss which is said to be the form of the Absolute manifested in body (Kularnava-tantra 5.80). And as Devi-rahasya puts it, "the Supreme Lady is satisfied through the worship of the taste of bliss" (Uttarakhanda 58.11). However this path of enjoyment is opened not for everyone; Tantras underline that only "hero", vira, is capable of following it. Such vira possesses complete faith in himself and God, right knowledge and logic (saljnana and sattarka), devotion to Shakti (Goddess and beloved woman) and appropriate initiation into Kula lineage. Then there is only one prescription which he has to follow - svechchhachara, "following one's own [true] will" (Kali-tantra 8.19). Thus Kaula-tantrism gives the same Law of Thelema as Liber AL does. The doctrine of "five M" has to be set in this context. Panchamakara is the essence of kula-yoga. It is stated in Jnanarnava-tantra 22.68 that "the union of male and female is the true yoga". Through the union in love one enters the transcendent abode, paramapada. As Shiva says in Maheshvara-tantra, "being in love is [being] above the world". Five essences of Kula, panchatattva, are five aspects of amorous union with Shakti. Mahanirvana-tantra 5.22 insists that panchatattva is necessary in the worship of Her. The "five M" are that much important so Kularatnavali states that without 5M the Goddess is never pleased. Five kula-tattvas are signifying the totality of the Goddess' presence. It can be put that the tantric communion exists in five forms: wine, meat, fish, mudra and maithuna. In sanskrit all these words start from letter "m", thus the title panchamakara. Out of these five two last are left without translation; the reason is that their meanings are several. Mudra commonly stands for fried grain (which symbolise that seeds of karmas are burned in the fire of knowledge), but original sense must have been "sexual partner". This reading is supported not only by buddhist tradition but also by the tantric etymology of the term: "that which brings joy is called mudra". Final makara, maithuna, is a sexual communion and its result, emission of secretions. >From one side the ritual usage of 5M was the act of antinomianism, transgression of socio-religious law of Smriti. Like that Niruttara-tantra suggests to reject vedic prescriptions. However this is merely surface of this ritual; its essence is much deeper. Symbolically five tattvas represent five aspects of the Goddess, five parts of Her Body. In their succession 5M constitute the method of tantric yoga. Wine (madya) symbolises the mystical intoxication of love-feeling, prema-rasa, which occurs as a result of awakening of the heart under the impact of divine grace (anugraha-shakti). Wine corresponds to Shakti, feminine side of the Divinity. Meat on the other side stands for Its masculine side, Shiva. It symbolises awareness, inner silence, contemplation (dhyana). Wine and meat are Shakti and Shiva (see Kularnava-tantra 5.78), they are Nuit and Hadit. The verse of Kularnava further reads: "The one who enjoys [their union] is himself Bhairava, and the bliss springing up from their union is Liberation". Bhairava or Hor of Liber AL is symbolised by a fish (matsya or mina), dragon or serpent. This dragon is arising, it is a personification of arohana-shakti, energy of uplifting. As Shiva-sutra says: "Bhairava is raising". This is also sankshobha, sexual arousing of the Goddess (see Niruttara-tantra 5.19). Then, the bliss of union is mudra, "that which brings joy". Mudra is Maat and Babalon, Scarlet Woman and the lower Shekhinah of Kabbalah. The four elements described are corresponding to the four letters of the Holy Name of God, four sphiroth, four aeons of Liber AL and four directions. They are the four aspects of fifth tattva, which is above all. Maithuna represents the return to the primal Unity, which is the state of the Godhead. It is the perfect union of man and woman in love-taste, mahasukha of buddhist Tantras. While wine and meat correspond to the descent of Shakti, graceful power of the Divine, and fish and mudra - to the consequent accent of lower kundalini, maithuna is samarasya, "merging in one taste". It is in maithuna, sexual union with shakti, that the highest bliss, paramananda, is realised. As Tantras say, "happiness that manifests in the union has the quality of bliss supreme" (samyoge jAyate saukhyaM paramAnandalakShaNam). According to the teaching of Kula, the ritual of 5M ought to be performed only when one has an authority (adhikara) given by the Goddess and guru and when he has love towards his shakti, woman. Tantras underline that woman has to be viewed as an incarnation of the Goddess (for instance, see Mahakala-samhita Guhyakali-khanda 10.1663). Moreover, Annadakalpa-tantra 15.46 goes as far as to say that "one can reject his mother and father, one can reject Shiva and Vishnu, one can even reject the Goddess - but never his beloved woman". "That Supreme Lady Shakti, who is glorified as [the Giver] of Liberation, She is manifested in the form of a woman" (Bhutashuddhi-tantra 7.17). Love is the law, love under will. Arjuna Anandanatha (arjunanandanatha) 08.06.05 e.v. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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