Tantra: Sex and Beyond
by
Wendell E. Wilkinson

Tantra philosophy is as old as the Hindu Vedic scriptures which are at least several thousand years old. The Devi Sukta in the Rig-Veda is the main source of the Tantric teachings. The popular understanding of Tantra in the West represents only a part of the vast system. "Tantra" means a loom or weaving. In Tantric teachings, the universe is perceived as a fabric where everything is woven together, connected and related seamlessly. Tantra is also translated as "web". We are all connected to each other in this infinite web.

In Tantra the Goddess is known as Devi. Devi is the source of all knowledge and power. Her power is called Shakti. The main initiators of Tantra into the esoteric world were originally female adepts. These women were seen as manifestations of the divine Shakti, the female aspect of the ultimate reality.

Devi created the universe and the whole universe is her body. The sun and moon are Her eyes. The wind is Her breath. The mountains are Her bones. The rivers and oceans are Her veins. Devi is omnipresent and all-knowing. Electricity, magnetism, power, heat, light, and the five elements are Her eternal manifestations. She is the primal force of life which underlies all existence and the Tantrik seeks union with Her.

By use of mantras a person is able to create and experience the vibration of the Goddess. Mantra is so important in Tantra that it has been called the "Path of the Mantra." Mantra is a chant, a prayer, an invocation, a magical syllable, living words made of power, and a manifestation of the Goddess. A Mantra is a combination of sacred syllables which form a nucleus of spiritual energy. It serves as a lens to focus spiritual vibrations. The potency of mantra is released through repetition and this may entail many thousands of repetitions or just one, depending upon the receptivity of the individual. OM is the supreme mantra and the easiest to remember. The mantra of the Hindu and Buddhist goddess Tara is OM HRIM STRIM HUM PHAT. The universe and every being are made of these occult sounds, letters of light, the little mothers of existence.

The mantra helps to focus the mind and awaken the supernatural energies within the body and to evoke the presence of the Goddess. Mantra is used to bring oneself into harmony with the universe, uniting individual and cosmic consciousness (the Goddess). The devata is the presiding deity of the mantra, a very personal aspect of the goddess. Mantra is Goddess of the spoken word.

Tantra views the body as a living temple. A mysterious force is active in the body. It is in the brain, the cells, everywhere. Consciousness is not found in the brain alone, but exists throughout the body. Raising the Kundalini (life force) is a primary goal of Tantra. The Kundalini awakens in the lower back and when it reaches the brain through Tantric methods, bliss and enlightenment result.

In Tantra there is always an emphasis on personal experimentation and experience. Tantrikas experience enhanced sensory and mental capacities. Though our ordinary perception is confined to a narrow range, Tantrikas can often feel an intense variety of universal vibrations. Tantric yogis use the senses as a means of elevating their consciousness.

Tantric yoga is the only system of yoga which deals with human sexuality and focuses on the unification of male and female energies. By merging with a partner, one can experience the blending of male and female essences. Within each gender lies the seed of the opposite sex which creates attraction between two people. The Taoist sages call these opposites yin and yang (feminine and masculine respectively). Both yin and yang exist in men and women, with the yen predominantly in women, and the yang in men. These polarities compliment each other and it is important to learn how to balance them. Tantra endeavors to combine yin and yang into blissful union and although one can work with a sexual partner to accomplish this, the inner yoga practices of Tantra can enable an individual to unfold and unite the male and female energies without a partner. In fact, it is better for a person to do Tantric spirituality alone than to attempt it with the wrong type of sexual partner.

In Tantric sexual practice, to see your partner as divine, to actually and deliberately worship and adore the divine in her/him, initiates the process of transformation. Tantra teaches that men and women are manifestations of god and goddess. Two of the ancient Hindu Tantric models for this are Shiva and Shakti, Krishna and Radha. These Divine couples demonstrate the possibility, through Tantric sexual union, of achieving a fully conscious awareness of themselves as God and Goddess.

Tantric partners should maintain eye contact and become aware of each other's breathing until their breaths come simultaneously. With practice, they'll eventually match their heartbeats, energy, and consciousness. In Tantric sex the couple becomes one Being and they are able to experience the ecstasy of sexual union for an hour or more. In this sense, Tantric sex is used as a vehicle to expand consciousness. Experiencing oneness with each other will enable them to experience the ultimate oneness with the Goddess.

Sexual foreplay, which should last at least an hour, is used to build energy and increase a couple's awareness of each other. In ordinary sex, people rush to get to the end. But in Tantra, the process of getting there is even more delightful. Tantrika adepts can make love for several hours or even longer.

In Tantric sex the climax is avoided as long as possible or even dispensed with entirely so as to build energy which can be used for psychic experiences or even for spiritual enlightenment. Tantra is not about giving into lust. Many people have been led astray in Tantric sex because they only fell into lust. Never mistake Tantra for lust! Some Tantrikas undergo years of training so that they can experience sacred sexuality without the least trace of lust ever crossing their minds!

Suggestions for creating a Tantric environment include keeping the bedroom clean, as well as oneself, use incense and candles, and meditative music. Eat a light meal and either drink just one glass of wine to attain a slight glow and to help relax or abstain from alcohol completely for the evening. Use massage to begin foreplay. Dancing, feeding one another and taking a bath or shower together can also begin Tantric foreplay. Loving conversation is good as long as it's not of the past or future. Keep your thoughts in the present!

Tantric sex requires you to fully engage all of your senses. Be aware of what you hear, of what you smell, of what you see. Be aware of the sensations on your skin. Try to be totally cognizant of as many sensations as possible occurring at once. In this heightened state of awareness, your body will give you messages. Listen to them.

Tantra seeks to animate and control the life force. When Tantric lovers connect deeply and their energies join, they magnify the life force in each other. If one person constantly drains the other, then this is conscious or unconscious vampirism. Lovers can exchange and magnify energies by holding one another and breathing together. This Tantric practice can lead to a pure and enlightened love that is beyond sex. Ultimately love is Divine. Love is God/dess. Tantra uses love's energies to awaken the soul's light, power, and awareness.

Several forms of Hinduism teach that the world is an illusion, but Tantra teaches that our world is real. Tantra celebrates the physical aspect of creation. The Tantrika enjoys all aspects of life and some of the skills s/he develops are composing poems, drawing, singing, chanting, writing, gardening, cooking, playing musical instruments, dancing, tattooing, sewing, solving riddles, carpentry, meditation, sports, gymnastics and sexuality. Those who practice Tantra know that all seemingly ordinary activities can lead one to higher mystical awareness if these things are done mindfully and skillfully.

Basic Tantric mind training teaches one how to control thoughts and moods. We must always learn to think consciously without daydreaming, thus do our thoughts become focused and powerful. Eventually we can even experience the primal cosmic realm that has eternally existed beyond all thoughts and symbols. Without mental discipline, Tantra, nor any form of yoga or spirituality can be effective. The mind is our basic tool. A strong mind saves us while a weak mind dooms us!

Tantra teaches that there is a constant exchange of energies between people, animals, plants, planets, stars and universes. It is the blessing of a human being to be able to feel things more deeply and consciously. The human being can sink lower than the animals or rise higher than the angels.

Tantra is a way of life, a path of discovering the ecstatic in everyday life. Everything is to be experienced as a gift from the Goddess. Passion is important in all aspects of life and in Tantra it's understood that our search for passion and pleasure is really a search for God/dess. Sex is only one doorway to the Divine. Each flower is a doorway. Each smile of a child is a doorway. For the Tantrika adept, there is nothing but doorways. Even eating, drinking, or listening to music can be a communion with God/dess. God/dess is in a finger, a nut, or a glass of water. A feeling of warmth is felt. The soul becomes a fire. An inner light is seen. When God and Goddess unite within us, we experience the true inner marriage.

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