VIRTUAL TANTRA

Tantra is a spiritual method or yoga that takes into account both "inner" and "outer" realities.  It is alchemical in nature, being based on the union of opposites.  Derived from the root words "to expand," "weave," or "extend consciousness," tantra implies a continuity beyond the physical plane.  Tantric teachings evolved in India and eventually spread to Nepal, Tibet, China, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia.

These teachings are said to be particularly relevant in this time of materialism and narcissism since all human activities can be used as tools in the tantric path toward liberation. Tantras are texts which outline specific practices.  These practices are a meditational systems that aims at the experience of the highest bliss in physical and spiritual relations by cultivating the totality of one's erotic potential.

Ancient scriptures containing the mystical teachings and ritual instructions of Tantraism are called tantras.  Briefly, they teach that earthly delights stem from the union of opposites and are achieved with an ideal partner.  Such a union is said to exemplify the harmony of creation and be a step toward perfection (i.e. union with God).  The power of love thus becomes central to the whole of existence.

Kama, or desire, is a creative principle that aims at the perfection of life on earth, just as the divine love that Krishna bore the shepherd girl Radha represented the cosmic energies of creation in action on earth.  Among the tantric aids to meditation are mantras, sacred sounds that may be visualized as yantras, and mandalas, symbols of psychic wholeness.

The first action required by tantric yoga is the "cleansing" of the nadis, the more highly developed nerve ganglia of the body.  These points have also been associated with the chakras, but are really considered "tubes" connecting the various chakra points.  This purification is carried out by means of special postures of the body (asanas) and by breathing exercises (pranayama).

The mind is habituated to concentrate itself upon a point or an object, real or imaginary, so as to accustom itself to remain calm and to take absolutely "the form" which the will of the yogi wishes to impose on it.  This mental process is concentration (dharana).  When the mind can identify itself with the divine presence in every human being, a state called samadhi has been established.

Kundalimi is a Sanskrit word for the normally latent psycho-sexual power that, when awakened ascends through the central channel of the subtle body.  The root word "kunda" means a pool or reservoir of energy.  Kundalini is likened to a coiled snake, ready to strike at any moment.  When this energy is correctly directed, it can bring about cosmic consciousness and liberation.

In tantric rites, the body is bathed and lightly oiled and then dusted all over with ashes (a modern equivalent might be scented dusting powder).  Wood ash contains valuable trace minerals that are easily absorbed through the skin.  Pure ash from selected hardwoods (such as oak) has an invigorating and insulating effect on the body and is said to protect it against psychic disturbances.

Once the wood ash is applied, exact marks (usually groups of three parallel lines) are made on the lower legs, thighs, forearms, upper arms, between the sexual region and the navel, in the middle of the chest, and on the throat and forehead.  These are made with a powder or ointment from crushed sandalwood, herbs, cereal grains, and intoxicating ingredients.  There is no doubt some profound symbolism for the tantrics in these marks, but by and large they are merely deemed attractive as the tattoos and scarifications of various world cultures, lately arrived in the west.

A virile-looking man and a seductive woman symbolize the union of male aggressive energy with female receptivity.  Same sex partners also express their inner masculinity and femininity in the psychosexual dance. In Tantric ritual, especially during sex magic, a woman is expected to wear her most symbolic jewelry.  When arrayed with full ornamentation, a beautiful woman is able to excite and stimulate any man.  You should try to make use of cosmetics and jewelry whever possible.  This will enhanced your natural charms and increase novelty and aesthetic delight.

The western world has no equivalent to the Kama Sutra, or Perfumed Garden -- ancient manuals of sacred sexuality from the east.  What we do have is fetish, perversion, pornography, and a manic stampede for achieving as many orgasms as possible.  Sexuality in America is still regarded largely from a Puritanical, rather than joyfully aesthetic perspective.  Religion has attempted to constrain and suppress it practically into oblivion, separating it from spirituality.

In the East, both men and women studied the arts of sexual ecstasy and enhancement.  They acknowledged the Divinity of the Feminine element in a variety of Goddesses.  The Kama Sutra listed a variety of arts which contributed to one's desirability.  They include: the arts and sciences, singing, music, dancing, writing, drawing, painting, sewing, reading, recitation, poetry, sculpture, gymnastics, games, flower arranging, cooking, decoration, perfumery, gardening, mimicry, mental exercises, languages, etiquette, carpentry, magic, chemistry, mineralogy, gambling, architecture, logic, charm-making, religious rites, household management, disguise, physical sports, martial arts, herbalism, etc.  We could add digital photography as a modern art.  The Art of Love requires all these arts and skills for its support and enhancement.  Knowing a wide repertoire of sensually and intellectually pleasing arts is another means of self expression.