The big questions in life
To understand Tantra and to transform and develop yourself with Tantra you need discipline, enthusiasm and an inner calling to understand the deeper meaning of life.
Tantra is a spritual path which gives us a systematic methodology to expand our consciousness about ourselves and the relationship between ourselves and the universe. Tantra helps us in our search to answer some of the big questions here in life such as:
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Where am I going?
Why am I here?
How do I become happy?
Tantra is called a "spiritual science" as it is very meticulous in its studies of how the mind and the psyche work and how they relate to the surrounding world. This meticulous approach is what makes Tantra so effecient.
In Tantra we speak of the "ego" as the comfort zone we have built up around us to sustain our view of the world that we are used and comfortable with. It is the whole set of beliefs, views, emotional responses, mechanical actions that we uphold in order to keep ourselves alive. Unfortunately it can be difficult to find answers to the great questions if our ego has become a kind of mental prison.
To truly transform spiritually it is important to accept at a very deep level that the life one has is an exact mirror of all that one has ever thought, felt and believed. Problems in the exteriour world can only be transcended through a strong will to change the inner attitude and view on life. If you truly wish to tread the tantric path you must take a conscious decision to do so and to be ready to test your limits.
Embracing life
Tantra is a study of the relationship between CONSCIOUSNESS (in Tantra called SHIVA, the masculine principle) and ENERGY (in Tantra called SHAKTI, the feminine principle) and sees the universe as a dance between these two poles of reality. The game of love between men and women is not only something which takes place between men and women but an aspect of a divine game which takes place on all levels of existance.
A very important aspect of Tantra is that it embraces life which in Tantra is seen as being feminine in its essence.
Many spiritual paths are very masculine in their form. They demand of the disciples that they step out of life. Munks and Nuns live in monastaries and keep themselves away from lovemaking and exagerated stimulation of the senses. This is a very masculine approach to life. The masculine often tries to cut out life in the attempt to reach the divine. Many spiritual paths see the world as a kind of "Matrix" which just confuses us and casts a veil over eyes so we cannot see the truth.
In Tantra we don't try to cut anything away or to supress anything. Life is seen as a matrix in the sense that it is permanently changing and non eternal, but it is still an aspect of the divine none the less and should be fully embraced! Even your lower desires should be fully embraced as they are a part of the universe.
If you have a strong desire to do something you do not need to hold yourself back... BUT... If you have to live out your desire then do it CONSCIOUSLY. The consciousness principle is a keystone in Tantra. If you have a strong desire to eat 2 kg of chocolate then go ahead and eat it but do it very consciously. Be aware of each bite noticing the taste and texture with great awareness. Keep your awareness on your physical body in the time afterward and notice how your body responds. If you do this very meticulously in most of the times you will find that your desire will disappear and that you never will feel like eating 2 kgs of chocolate again. This is a more efficient method than suppressing the desire! Suppressing something will never make it go away but you can embrace something and that thing will no longer disturb you in the same way as it might have done before.
We do admit though that it is necessary to train your awareness first or any exercise like the one mentioned above will be nothing but an excuse to indulge in lower tendencies. Discipline is inevitable and like in so many other spiritual practices it is very necessary to have a spiritual teacher or guide who knows when your awareness is sharp enough to engage into certain aspects of life without losing yourself into them.
To practice Tantra is like taking a walk in a beautiful garden while holding a spoon with oil in it. A tantric will fully enjoy the garden without dropping a single drop of oil!. The walk in the garden symbolises the enjoying of life, and the spoon with oil is a symbol of awareness.
Tantra as a spiritual practice
Lovemaking
Sexuality is very much a part of life and Tantra has completely embraced sexuality as it realises that we cannot suppress or ignore our sexuality. But there is one thing we can do, and that is to become AWARE of our sexuality. By becoming aware of our sexuality and how it influences all facets of our lives we can elevate our sexuality to become more sublime and refined. This awareness is given to us through the practice of special Tantric sexual techniques and methods made to make us more aware of how the sexual energy works.
Spiritual practice
Spiritual practice is a very important part of Tantra. The practice consists of exercises which incorporate consciousness and energy. For this purpose Hatha Yoga is one of the best systems available on the planet. The practising of Hatha Yoga brings awareness into your thoughts, feelings and physical body, which are all different manifestations of SHAKTI or ENERGY.
Other forms of Tantric practice include the repetition of Mantras (sound words which are repeated in the mind) or visual focusing on Yantras (geometrical shapes that symbolize certain aspects of creation. Matnras and Yantras help to put us into resonance processes with aspects in the universe. In the chapter about resonance we will go more in depth with this fascinating subject.
A person walking the tantric path will very consciously put time aside to make tantric lovemaking with his/her beloved. He/She would also set aside a couple of hours daily to make a yoga or meditation session. Lovemaking and spiritual practice go along side by side for the Tantric.
In the following chapter we will expand upon the law of polarity - About SHIVA and SHAKTI and the divine interplay between men and women.
Hans og Mariah
www.tantra.nu
www.ibismusic.net
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Tantra as a Spiritual Practice
