There are seven ways for the liberation of man. The first way is the path
of Karma. This is the discipline for the man of ordinary mettle. The second
is the Vaishnava path in which devotion to the Lord (bhakti) plays a
greater role than work, and is meant for a higher competence. The third is
the Shaiva path which is more a path of meditation and gyana (knowledge).
These three orders or successive stages of discipline are meant for the
ordinary category of seeker without any special qualification, the 'pashu'
sadhaka, a creature who is bound by the bonds of existence.
The fourth path is the Dakshina path where karma, bhakti and gyana are
skilfully harmonised and synthesised. Here the fruits of the first three
are organised and conserved. Then we have the Vama path or the reverse path
where the natural turn outward (pavritti), is turned inward (nivritti), to
the source of all, and everything in creation is looked upon and used as
the means for the return to the one consciousness that bases all and
governs all. The process is one of inner identification of oneself with
divinity, not only in its state of self-existence, but also in its movement
of manifestation.
The Dakshina and Vama paths are for the aspirant who has evolved into
higher competence, the one heroic enough, who can struggle and fight the
nether forces of ignorance. This type of sadhaka is known as the 'vira'
sadhaka.
Then we have the Siddhanta, the stage or path where things are finally
determined as to the real nature and direction of one's goal, and one is
prepared to have the knowledge embodied in all the parts of one's being and
consciousness, This stage and that which succeeds it are for the highest
type of sadhaka, the 'divya' sadhaka, who is fit to tread the highest path
of inner consciousness that is rapidly nearing transcendental consciousness.
The last is the Kaula path. It is one of the most secret traditions of
Tantra and the most pre-eminent. According to Tantra there is nothing
higher than the Kaula which is the essence of all essences. There are
certain conditions to be fulfilled before the truth of the Kaula path can
he revealed. One must have matured in mind and nature as a result of study
and discipline undergone in the previous stages. Only to such a person does
the knowledge dawn without being taught and explained by others, for one's
mind and inclination depend entirely upon previous preparation. One is
ready according to one's stage of evolution.
The second factor is the degree of purification of consciousness that one
has undergone at it result of japa from the Shaivite, Vaishnavite, Shakta,
Ganapatya and Saura traditions. Third is the extent to which one has been
freed from the deforming elements of ignorance and ego as a combined result
of previous austerity, self-giving, sacrifice, repetition of mantras,
observances of niyamas and similar acts aimed at ridding oneself of
instinctive and lower tendencies. Here also one must have devotion and
faith in the deity or guru.
Thus, to one of purified consciousness, calm, active in the ways of the
spirit, of high faith, humility, cheerfulness, dedicated to truth and
obedient to the commands of the guru, does the Kaula knowledge reveal
itself.
How many types of guru exist in Tantra?
There are many types of gurus but according to Tantra there are gurus of
six kinds:
1. Prerak (impeller) - one who impels the interest that leads to initiation.
2. Suchak (indicator) - one who indicates the sadhana for which interest
has been awakened.
3. Vaachak (explainer) - one who explains the process and its object.
4. Darshak (shower) - one who shows the workings and its aim in greater
detail.
5. Shikshak (teacher) - one who actually teaches how the sadhana is done.
6. Bodhak (illuminator) - one who lights the lamp of knowledge, both,
spiritual and mental, in the disciple.
There is a tradition which speaks of twelve different kinds of guru:
1. Dhatuvaadi guru - who ensures liberation by making the disciple practise
sadhana, observances and so forth.
2. Chandan guru - who emanates his high consciousness like a sandal tree
giving out its fragrance and imparting it to other trees in its
environment. His mere proximity acts towards liberation.
3. Vichar guru - who acts on the intelligence of the disciple, leading him
through subtle and subtler operations of the intellect.
4. Anugraha guru - who uplifts by sheer grace.
5. Paras guru - who's mere touch, like that of the philosopher's stone,
transmutes the disciple.
6. Kachchap guru - who redeems the disciple merely by thinking of him, like
the turtle nourishing its young ones by thought alone.
7. Chandra guru - who's natural rays melt the being of the disciple in the
manner of moonlight.
8. Darpan guru - who, like a mirror, reveals the true nature of the self.
9. Chhayaniti guru - who's mere shadow confers divinity on the disciple.
10. Nadaniti guru - who like the precious stone of that name, gives
knowledge the moment the call of the aspirant reaches him.
11. Kraunchpakshi guru - who's mere remembrance confers spiritual elevation
on the disciple.
12. Suryakant guru - who's mere glance burns up the sins of the disciple
like the rays of the sun burning cotton.
How can we attain the goal of awakening the kundalini?
Kundalini may be awakened by intensity of work or by deep concentration.
There are many practices in Yoga and in Tantra for awakening the kundalini,
but we have to remember that any practice of Yoga or Tantra will awaken
only one aspect of kundalini. The methods which have been outlined in Yoga
and Tantra represent the techniques which are relevant to a particular
personality type.
According to modern psychology, the human personality is divided into four
categories - dynamic, intellectual, emotional and psychic, and we all tend
to become creative in one of these aspects. An intellectual will tend to
develop his intellectual creativity, while an emotional type of personality
will be inclined to develop his emotional faculties and creativity.
Kundalini represents an awakening of the inner self which does not fall
into any of these categories.
Some of the methods prescribed for awakening are:
1. Mantra japa - repetition of mantra.
2. Tapas - austerity.
3. Swadhyaya - deep self-study.
4. Bhakti yoga - remembrance of God's name and the singing of devotional
songs.
5. Gyana yoga - the yoga of contemplation.
6. Karma yoga - the yoga of action.
7. Raja yoga.
8. Practice of various other techniques like mudras, bandhas, pranayama,
etc.
9. Shaktipat - awakening through the grace of guru.
10. Deep esoteric rituals of Tantra.
11. Other sadhanas of Tantra such as the pancha makar sadhana, the
practices of vama marga or dakshina marga systems such as kaulachara and
vamachara.
12. Aushadi - awakening through use of certain specific herbs.
13. Total surrender to guru or God.
What is tantric initiation and can you talk about the different forms of
initiation in Tantra?
In Sanskrit the word for initiation is 'diksha' which comes from the root
'diksh', to dedicate oneself. Initiation implies that the disciple
dedicates himself to the service of the guru and accepting his guidance. It
also means that the disciple dedicates himself to something that was
previously beyond his perception and understanding. Whether formal or
subtle, initiation has been known and utilised throughout the world. In
ancient Greece the word for initiation was 'musierion' which means
'dedication and knowledge that cannot be divulged'. Initiation was an
essential part of the ancient mystical societies - 'The Mysteries'.
In Latin the word for initiation is 'sacramentum', that which binds.
Initiation binds the disciple to his guru and also binds him to a deeper
identification with his own being. Further, initiation has the same type of
implications as the word 'Yoga'. 'Yoga' means 'the process whereby one
gradually binds or yokes oneself' to one's deeper nature or being' . We can
say that the path of Yoga is a process of progressively more subtle
initiations. One gains a deeper insight into life and oneself. Such is the
meaning of initiation.
Initiation in Tantra is to awaken the Shakti that is dormant in us and,
through a series of initiations into different practices and techniques, a
tantric seeks to unite this dormant Shakti with the ever-wakeful Shiva. In
Tantra there are the following types of diksha or initiation:
1. Sparsha diksha: Initiation and instruction by touch is likened to the
slow nourishing of its young by the bird with the warmth of its wings. It
is the diksha where the guru divinises the sadhaka by his mystical touch.
We have the example of Ramakrishna Paramahansa who one morning put his feet
on the chest of Narendra, and as a result of that mystic touch Narendra
lost his body-mind consciousness and was transformed from a sceptic
Narendra into a God-intoxicated Vivekananda.
2. Dhrik or dhriksangya diksha: Initiation by sight is Like the nourishing
of its young by the fish through its seeing alone. In this form of diksha,
the process of transmission of shakti is by sight. The guru transmits
spiritual power to his disciple by mere seeing. Ramana Maharshi used to
impart initiation to his deserving disciples by sight only, at Arunachalam,
his ashram in South India.
3. Manasa diksha: In this diksha the disciple receives the grace of the
guru by thought. Here, the dormant Shakti within the disciple feels the
subtle, intuitive powers of Shiva, This diksha is also known as
'Shaktipat', the awakening of Shakti.
4. Anushthana diksha. It was like a preparatory class. This initiation was
also known as vaidiki diksha. Before taking the tantric initiation, it was
customary to go through the vedic rites and rituals. In the absence of a
competent guru who could initiate and guide the disciple in the deeper
science of sadhana, vedic diksha became very popular among the ordinary
folk, and tantric diksha was confined only to a few. Anusthana diksha was
considered necessary and important for the man of animal tendencies and
instincts, to transcend his primitive and underdeveloped frame of
consciousness and to try to reach into the other higher levels of
consciousness.
5. Varnamayi diksha: It is said that it removes all bonds and brings the
realisation of supreme godhood and a stats of eternal bliss. It liberates
man from the bondage of pasha (the noose). Here the pasha is represented by
one instinct. There are fifty instincts in a human being and each instinct
is a vritti or pattern of mind. They are represented by fifty letters and
these fifty letters are represented by different petals of various Lotuses.
The lotuses are known as chakras and the letters are placed in the
different chakras of the disciple and are swallowed by the kundalini as it
ascends through the chakras, freeing the sadhaka from those vrittis,
instincts or pasha. When all the letters are swallowed up by the kundalini,
the sadhaka attains the stale of eternal blessedness. This is called
samadhi. It means that all the vrittis are extinguished and that the
sadhaka is liberated from the bondage of pasha.
6 . Kalaa diksha: The different expressions of Shiva or consciousness are
known as kalaa; the crude manifestation of Shiva is in the form of waves
and vibrations. Bindu, nada and kalaa are the three stages of cosmic
evolution. In the state of bindu and nada the bondage of Shakti is
theoretical. Paramshiva undergoes transformation due to the activation of
Shakti, but in the state of bindu and nada there is no objective
manifestation of Paramshiva, supreme consciousness. Gradually, due to the
predominance of the static principle, tamoguna, Paramshiva is transformed
into the phenomenal world. This is the state of kalaa. Kalaa is nothing but
the physical waves and vibrations of the cosmological order.
According to Tantra, the whole universe is Shiva -maya. Every being is
transcendental but due to certain faults the world becomes Shiva- Shakti -
maya, the illusion of energy and consciousness. Due to the illusion, a
human being, who in reality is transcendental in nature, does not have the
realisation of his perfection, and thinks that he is an imperfect creature.
For it the world is maya and for the liberated soul the world is Shiva-maya.
In kalaa diksha there are two elements. First, it brings the awareness of
the mind, and second it brings the awareness that the world is a mystic
arrangement of Shiva, Kalaa diksha destroys darkness. Man attains divinity.
He becomes Shiva.
7. Aanavi diksha. When, with the help of mantra sadhana, under the guidance
of a competent guru, the disciple becomes free from the bondage of world
maya.
8. Shakti diksha: The guru transmits his shakti to his disciple by any
means and method of sight, sound or touch, by written letters or verbal
communication. The guru transmits his shakti to his disciple in order to
conquer the maya and awaken his creativity.
9. Shambhavi diksha: This is one of the highest initiations in the tantric
tradition. By the mere touch of the guru, a disciple goes into sahaj
samadhi. It is known as shambhavi diksha where 'through the mere look or
speech or touch of the guru, the disciple attains, instantaneously,
knowledge of the supreme reality or truth.
What is the difference between the moral viewpoints of Yoga and Tantra?
Tantra says you have to accept yourself as you are, but religions tell us
that things are 'good' and 'bad'. It means you have to restrain yourself.
However, Tantra says, 'Don't restrain, don't regret, just accept, but be
aware and you will transcend'.
Both ways are acceptable. The father is Tantra, the son is Yoga. They may
be two different manifestations but the genesis is the same. All the
concepts of Yoga, whether of following the desires and not allowing any
suppression to take place, or of maintaining brahmacharya and the yamas and
niyamas, are derived from Tantra. How?
In Tantra the bane philosophy is that you do not repress yourself. You
accept yourself as you are, whether you are a criminal or a saint, because
that is the expression of your life, of your consciousness in its natural
course of evolution. Maybe in this life you are a criminal. So, you must
evolve through this criminal mind, and as you transcend, in the course of
one or two lives, you allow nature to unfold within you. Then you will
leave the criminal mind behind and transcend it. The same mind will
transform itself into a saintly mind.
Within us we have both aspects, 'good' and 'bad', creative and destructive.
Usually, philosophies and religions tell us to accept 'good' and reject
'bad' or negative aspects of our personality. Up to that point they are
right, but we, with our limited power of understanding tend to mess things
up. We read, 'Do not develop negative qualities, but develop positive
qualities', so we try to create a change in the pattern of our behaviour
and thinking. This enforced change within the personality is suppression -
suppression of the normal expression which applies to all levels of our
consciousness both 'good' and 'bad', positive and negative.
Let us consider the example of Tantra where they talk about the union of
Shiva and Shakti. If you read the Mahanirvana Tantra or any other tantra
then you will find that Shakti has nearly always been defined as kundalini,
and Shiva, the male aspect, has always been defined as chetana or
consciousness. In our ignorance we think that a physical relationship is
being referred to, but Tantra is not really referring to a physical
relationship. Although it accepts it, it says that in order to experience
the internal union you first experience the external union; in order to
experience the internal bliss you experience the external bliss. The
difference is, external bliss is momentary; internal bliss is continuous.
If you achieve internal orgasm it will continue for life. How will you
control that? For that the process of sadhana is explained in Tantra -
meditation, dealing with the mind; pratyahara, dharana, laya yoga, mantra,
yantra and mandala. The word 'mantra' literally means 'expansion and
liberation' - expansion of consciousness and liberation of energy. The word
'mantra'- 'manas' meaning 'mind' and 'trayati' meaning 'liberation' - a
power through which one can liberate the mind. And 'yantra' - 'yana' means
'vehicle' and 'trayati' means 'liberation' - vehicle of liberation. Yantra
meditation expands the awareness and this awareness then merges into the
ocean of consciousness. Mandala- 'man' means 'mind' and 'dala' means
'movement' - movement of the mind.
In normal life we are aware of the mind in a very limited way, but
according to Yoga and Tantra, within the mind lie many dimensions of
experience which are happening in the form of sound or vibration, some
which are known, some which are unknown. The experiences of the whole
universe, the cosmos, exist within the mind, To bring this out we have to
tap certain aspects of the mind. We have to 'explode' that experience, and
for that purpose there is mandala meditation.
Then there are initiations, awakening of Shakti, which take place in many
ways. The practice of asana is an initiation for the body. Initiation
happens on many levels of our personality, not only on the psychic or
mental plain, Pranayama is initiation of the pranas- The yamas and niyamas
are initiation into the positive aspect of life-There is no difference
between yogic and tantric theory. The only difference between Tantra and
Yoga is that Yoga is more outgoing; it deals more with the world, with the
body, mind, personality, emotions, actions and environment, whereas tantric
philosophy or practice has more of a meditative nature. You have to have
desires in order to have a progressive mind. You require desire because,
for the evolution of consciousness, conflict is necessary. When your body
is diseased, through research and investigation you develop various forms
of treatment. That is a means for awakening part of the consciousness. If'
there were no disease, it there were no conflicts, there would be no
evolution - there would be a stagnant state of consciousness.
Regarding our desires - we must accept them. If I desire to give you a
slap, I should give you a slap, but at the same time I should think of the
repercussions it can have, either positive or negative. You will hit me
back and that is a negative repercussion. If I simply follow my emotions
like an animal there will be a big fight between us. This is where you have
to learn to detach yourself. Both processes happen together. You allow the
emotions to flourish; you observe them, but at the same time you team how
to control them. You come to know when it is the right time for action and
then let that energy manifest. Then this manifestation will be positive and
creative, rather than haphazard. You wait for the right time; you follow
that desire through - so there will be no conflict.
There should be no conflict in the mind because where there is conflict
there is a breakdown of natural tendencies. Then you are not a yogi, you
are not a tantric. You are a bhogi.
Does yogic philosophy consider that men and women have different spiritual
roles or attributes?
Yoga is an offshoot of Tantra, and as Tantra believes that, there is no
distinction of thought between Yoga and Tantra. Tantra believes that women
or the feminine energy is much more refined and is of a higher quality than
the masculine energy. In Tantra the female principle has the position of
guru, and the male principle has that of a disciple.
What is the difference between the male and female aspects? And why has the
feminine aspect been considered as something superior in the tantras? The
only reply that we get after a lot of searching and discussion is: because
of a woman's ability to flow without any kind of intellectual barrier,
which binds one to the gross material level. Women have this ability more
than men; intuitive ability - they have more, and picking up the vibratory
field is more predominant in the female principle, because it is a
psychically active and not a passive energy, Male energy is passive and it
seems that malt energy tends towards tunnel-vision. Men only see straight,
whereas the feminine energy has a very broad vision. Women are able to
perceive things which the male energy generally cannot perceive. This is
the theory of the tantras.
In Tantra the role of the female has been that of a teacher: one must learn
to flow with sensitivity; one must learn to flow with higher awareness.
This does not mean higher awareness. It means just the subtle or sukshma
awareness. Awakening of the subtle awareness is an important aspect in the
life of a yogi.
Is celibacy necessary? Can a sannyasin really experience the union of Shiva
and Shakti without physical contact? And what role does the guru play in
this process?
Let us divide people into three categories. One, the 'real' sannyasin; two,
the 'real' householder; three, halfway house. A 'real' householder does not
just mean one having a happy family. By using this term I mean to imply
that two people understand, support and encourage each other in their
respective growth. Tantra is for such householders who do not simply seek
company for the sake of pleasure, but who can encourage each other's growth
in all spheres of life, both mundane and spiritual. By 'real' sannyasins I
mean those who have renounced and who are celibates. They do not require
any relationship with the opposite sex because through sadhana they can
invert the energy process.
The problem comes when we fall in between the two. If we are an
'in-between' sannyasin out mind will be swayed and then we shall find
excuses: 'the mind is willing but the flesh is weak'. And if we are a
'halfway' householder a similar thing will happen. You may decide to
convert the sexual tendency into a spiritual tendency but the urge for
pleasure is so powerful that it is impossible to change it. The majority of
us fall in the 'in-between' category, because there are very few 'real'
sannyasins and very few 'real' householders who can systematically and
seriously follow the path of Tantra.
If we deal with the middle majority group then we have to consider many
things. What is the state of their mind? Is it pulled towards the tamasic,
rajasic or sattvic nature? Even a sannyasin can be very tamasic or rajasic.
A 'real' householder who follows the path of Tantra sincerely, may not need
the constant guidance of the guru - just one meeting is enough. A 'real'
sannyasin who follows the path of tantric sadhana may also not need
constant guidance; 'You go and do that': 'Alright'. Then nothing can shake
me from what I have decided to do. But for the 'in-between' the constant
guidance of the guru is necessary. He can observe the disciple's growth and
say 'Now, this is what you need to do!
If the tamasic or rajasic nature of the sannyasin does not allow the
practitioner to follow in the path outlined for sannyasins, then the guru
can also say 'Alright, it is not for you, so leave aside your guru robes.
Go and marry and raise a family. Forget about sannyasa'. However, if the
guru sees that there is even a five or ten per cent chance that the person
can come out of his tamasic or rajasic tendency then despite every
difficulty he will try to encourage that growth. It may of course be
possible that the sannyasin 'slips up' without the knowledge of the guru
but in the case of the householder it is a. different matter, for they have
an outlet for that surplus mental, sexual or spiritual energy.
Tantra says that, even though you may need the help of a companion
initially, in the later stages of evolution you will not, because you have
to experience the aspect of Shakti within yourself. And this Shakti aspect
is not a physical, emotional or rational aspect.
It is an experiential aspect. The realisation that I am a combination of
energy and consciousness, that I am the combination of Shiva and Shakti, is
the ultimate aim of Tantra. So we can achieve this as a householder or as a
sannyasin by following a sadhana which involves practical sexual experience
and interaction, or just a meditative conversion of Shakti from gross to
spiritual.
This has been further clarified in the chakra philosophy. The chakras in
the body are manifestations of Shakti and Shiva representing different
experiences, stages or states of consciousness. If a chakra awakens in the
body then that experience of Shiva and Shakti will also be there, and as we
evolve we experience the manifestation of Shiva and Shakti in different
chakras. The theory is that we have to raise the Shakti from mooladhara and
merge it with Shiva at sahasrara chakra. The Shakti is raised from the
level of the earth element to that of water, from there to the fire
element, from fire to air, air to ether, ether to mind, and finally mind to
pure consciousness. This is the meditative conversion of energy in Tantra.
Is it possible to have power over another's mind through the practices of
tantric mantra?
It is possible because Tantra usually works with energy fields. I will give
you one small example. During the time of British rule there was a judge by
the name of Sir John Woodroffe. He became interested in Tantra after the
following incident happened to him. When he sat down to pass his judgement
on a particular case he found that he could not do so. One day he would be
attracted towards the plaintiff and the next day he would be in favour of
the other party. The judgement was very simple and he could not figure out
why his decision was wavering from day to day. Everything was over. The
jury had given their verdict and only the final judgement was to be given.
Later on he made enquiries and found that both parties were independently
employing tantrics to influence the judgement. So one day he would decide
in favour of the criminal; the nest day he would favour the plaintiff. He
became interested as to how his mind was being influenced and started
studying the tantras. He has written many good books on Tantra: "The
Serpent Power", "A Garland of Letters". All these boots deal with mantras,
chakras, kundalini, and the aspects of Shiva and Shakti. To date they are
considered to be the best authoritative English translations of the
tantras; nobody has done so much thorough research as Sir John Woodroffe.
The final conclusion he reached was that Tantra deals with energy fields. A
person who is tamasic and using the tantras for tamasic attainments will
influence the energy fields in a tamasic or negative way, while a person
counteracting that will influence the energy field positively. It is now an
accepted fact that we can project our thoughts and that those thoughts go
into the environment in the form of energy waves.
How can you stop someone influencing your mind?
Everybody influences each other directly or indirectly because of their
weak will. You just have to be strong within yourself. If I am trying to
influence you negatively, how will you stop that ? You cannot influence me,
but you can be strong and committed within yourself so that, if I try to do
something positive for you, then you accept it; if I try to do something
negative against you, you reject it-Why can we not learn to stand on our
own two feet ? That is the biggest siddhi. Swamiji was once asked by a
reporter, 'Your disciples say that you have many powers; can you describe
them to us?' Swamiji said, 'You start asking me and I will answer 'yes' or
'no'. So the reporter started, 'Can you read, peoples' minds?' Swamiji said
'No.' 'Can you walk on water?' 'No.' 'Can you fly in the air?'
'No.'.........etc. After about ten minutes of questioning the reporter gave
up and asked. 'What can you do then? I have asked you everything under the
sun and you have denied everything. Tell me what power you 'have.' Swamiji
simply replied, 'I can stand on my own two feet That is my biggest siddhi!'
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