Tantra Yoga

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Although the Tradition categorically states that the TANTRA of the Right Hand is

the highest of the two branches, the Masters also state that the men of KALI

YUGA, nowadays, especially in the West, because of the grossness (or

materiality) of their spirit, are practically almost incapable (with very rare

exceptions) to follow this path, which starts from a too high, or " abstract "

point; therefore, we are advised towards the TANTRA of the Left Hand, which

starts from a more " down-to-earth " , or concrete situation, and is more fit for

their level.

 

As it has been said, TANTRA of the Left Hand involves the actual practice of the

physical sexual activities; because of this reason, and some ridiculous scholar

speculations (like that: the right hand is the " right " one, and therefore the

other one must necessarily be the " wrong " way), a whole host of " moralists " and

amateur outsiders have cast upon the Left-Hand TANTRA the blame of being a

horrifying heresy, and a spiritual deviation, connected with fornication and

black magic, and which could by no means lead to any spiritual accomplishments.

Even today, when the morals have gone quite loose (sometimes too loose), VAMA

MARGA, the Path of the Left Hand is still looked upon with a lot of scepticism

by the narrow-minded ones, by the sexually frustrated, and by those who never

tried practically its methods. However, it has to be stated clearly that in the

Left-Hand TANTRA sex is not practised for the sake of sex itself, but as an

instrument for going somehow beyond sex, for reaching health, balance, improved

couple relationships, self-control, supernormal capacities, and eventually the

superior states of consciousness, culminating with the state of Cosmic

Consciousness, or SAMADHI (as it is called in YOGA).

 

Here, it would be also useful to mention that there are paths which are somehow

placed at the " borderline " between the Paths of the Left-Hand, and Right-Hand,

or that join and use harmoniously methods belonging to both these ways. One such

surprising example can be found in certain schools of HATHA YOGA; as few know,

the word 'HATHA' proceeds from the two Sanskrit roots HA - Sun, and THA - Moon,

which makes HATHA YOGA the discipline of the " Union of the Sun and the Moon " , or

otherwise said of the (+) and (-), of the Masculine and Feminine. Therefore, the

genuine HATHA YOGA is a kind of TANTRA in which the union of the Male and Female

aspects occurs within the being of the practiser, through specific methods, fact

which entails a final condition of inner balance, harmony, and power. As a

matter of fact, it is a well-known fact that HATHA YOGA is a typical Tantric

instrument for training, and that in most of the Left-Hand TANTRA ASHRAM-s it is

deemed to be an indispensable practice. That is why, also in our course there

will be frequent references, and exercises belonging to the HATHA YOGA system.

However, returning to the initial topic of this paragraph, it can be noted that

scholars still have difficulties in deciding if HATHA YOGA in itself is

belonging to the Right-Hand current (since physical sex is not necessarily

involved) or to the Left-Hand one (being so physical, and bringing about a kind

of physical " inner sex " ). But, for the real practisers all these distinctions

have little importance, since they are mainly concerned with the practical,

effective results of their spiritual discipline, and not with theoretical

speculations.

 

to be continued...