Tantra Lighting

[Carol]

Forbeginners, this is a clear starting point to start developing your own homework practice. Also it helps you to understand what the context is in which this practice makes sense, and supports you in your daily life. For tantra practitioners, this weekend reminds you of the underlying principles of tantra, of the logics of the technology of the tantra body, and of the need for a thorough discriminatory practice.

Then a simple post from a dear friend inviting us all to rise and shine; trusting that `Lord Ganesha

will take care of it all` with a fabulous craft work of an elephant face put a smile on my face.

Like many such festivals; there is a demon; Narakasura involved, slain by the `light`; Vishnu the

preserver. It is not about a story about some mythological character but our inner demons of fear,

despair, gluttony, anger or dullness. Diwali is a reminder that we are supported by the light inside to

slay them all while the sunlight outside as the cosmic giver of energy shines on everyone.

According to this poetic approach of how energies work; aspirant King Bali sacrificed a complex and

rich offering, a prayog to call upon Lakshmi on earth for the mankind to receive her blessings. This

process opened the path for us all to do Lakshmi tantra. The great Mother is in fact celebrated in all

of her forms during this festival; offering awakening to the sadhak; bringing fire and inspiration into

the work and daily life of the householder.

A festival is a reminder to get together for a benign purpose serving us all. A sadhana; a meditation

practice associated with such a cause has exponential effects. We are stronger together. During

Diwali festival between 12th -17 th of November, we will call in Lakshmi for prosperity, health and

whatever form of light we need in our lives right now. Above all, we will have the chance to offer our

gratitude for all the blessings we have been granted in our lives.

What happened next was very similar to what I have described in First Steps towards the Healing Journey. We started from our toes and went all the way up to our scalp. We used the palms of our hands to touch various parts of our bodies to connect with how we felt.

Martina then introduced herself as a tantra teacher; by then, the mood in the room had already changed. We were all more present; more connected with how we were feeling in our bodies and somehow had left our day-to-day world behind. The rest of the evening was filled with various simple exercising from eye gazing to breathing to sharing simple touch. I left the evening feeling more fulfilled, more relaxed and more present than I knew I was capable of.

Later on, I realised that this was the first time my body had talked to me in such an obvious manner. My body had witnessed another awakened body and somehow it gave my body permission to do the same. I also realised that I must have released a lot of trauma from within my body because finally, there was some space in my body to give feedback to me about how it was feeling and what it was needing.

I've taken the past 9 months-ish off, and am very much hoping to get back to you soon! I'm not sure if/when I'll be available for sessions again, but you can fill out a booking request form to be updated.

I'm sheltering-in-place in Northern California, in a little house by the beach with a beautiful deck for sunbathing, and trails nearby. The full moon is lighting up the white puffy clouds in the cold night sky right now, and it's beauty has inspired me to write to you!

Those games where women pretend not to want sex...it's bullshit. They want it. And they will want it from you, regardless of your looks or financial status, IFFFF you know how to touch them in all the right ways.

In his introductory address, the Gyuto Abbot expressed his pleasure that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Ganden Tri Rinpoche and other Gelugpa hierarchs were able to attend and offered them and all the other guests his greetings. He mentioned that Buddha Shakyamuni generated the awakening mind of bodhichitta, engaged in the practices of a bodhisattva and attained enlightenment. Thereafter he gave teachings including the 17 chapter Guhyasamaja Tantra. These teachings were originally brought to Tibet by Marpa Lotsawa. Later, Je Tsongkhapa, as prophesied by the Buddha, passed them on, entrusting them to the care of Je Sherab Sengey. The Abbot remarked that His Holiness has given the empowerments, teachings and commentaries to this tradition and so kept it alive. He added that since Gyuto Monastery was re-established in India, the monks have been able to maintain their practice and traditions, even improving some of them. He declared that the monks of Gyuto follow the traditions of Je Tsongkhapa purely, none of them propitiating the controversial spirit, Dolgyal.

Some texts in the Kangyur collection were translated from Chinese, but the majority originated in Indian languages like Pali and Sanskrit. The teaching of the Buddha is intended to lead to liberation, to freeing the mind of defilement. It includes instructions on how to tame the mind, discipline the mind. However, the Buddhas cannot simply pass on their realization, you have to develop it yourself. You have to be your own master.

His Holiness suggested that while the texts in the Kangyur can be categorised as dealing with science, philosophy and religion, the science and philosophy can be followed by anyone. He said he often speaks about introducing secular ethics into the modern school curriculum. If, along with this, the psychology inherent in Buddhist science could also be studied, it could lead to widespread benefit.

The Gyuto Abbot then initiated discussions in the course of which the assembled scholar-adepts touched on the role of the energy winds and various aspects of the generation of the illusory body. His Holiness intervened:

The scholars continued to present summaries of the main points of their papers during this inaugural session. When their brief time was up, they were informed by the striking of a resounding bell. His Holiness again commented that to gain certainty about something we ordinarily engage in analysis. In tantra, however, as the experience of great bliss increases the mind becomes subtler. And with the increase in subtlety comes an increase in certainty. So in Highest Yoga Tantra, there is no need to employ analysis to improve clarity.

Is it steady or is it wavering? When one meditates with a lighted lamp, it plays a lot of games with one. Sometimes the light whooshes and wavers from side to side, or it consumes the wick. Often one keeps lighting it and it does not light.

Now we come to the state of mind that is steady like the flame of a lamp in a windless space, which has given up the idea of meditator and meditation, and which constantly dwells in Brahman is samadhi. Upanishads.

When I write about the flame of the lamp, I am referring to an oil lamp. Please use a lamp, in which you put a wick and then pour oil, (coconut, mustard or sesame) on the wick. Light the wick and meditate.

The study and research undertaken by Dr. Tomy Augustine on Yoga Tantra Theory and Praxis in the Light of the Hevajra Tantra, a Metaphysical Perspective contained in this book makes a unique statement about the development of Tantric Buddhism in Indian culture and Philosophy.

The author's precise and meticulous analysis of the text of the Hevajra Tantra applying the Madhyamika and Yogacara metaphysics and the simultaneous attempt to highlight therein the synthesis of Tantric bipolarities delves into rediscovering the vibrant emergence of the Vajrayana Buddhism. Dr. Augustine's claim that "Vajrayan has contributed to the advancement of human thought in regard to the development of new vision of God, world and (wo)man in general and to Buddhist thought and praxis in Particular" is fully substantiated in this work.

This book will attract scholars in the field of religion, psychology and culture besides proving valuable to students of Philosophy and those who see the increasing interface between philosophy and the social science.

Dr. Tomy Augustine is a lecturer of philosophy and English at Salesian College, Sonada, Darjeeling. He holds his M.A. both in philosophy and English, and P.D. in Philosophy and religion from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He has presented papers and published articles on various aspects of Buddhism and is interested in Philosophy, Religion and Literature.

Vajrayana is a difficult and delicate theme to explore. The main difficulty arises from its secretive and esoteric nature and the mystery surrounding the tantric texts and tantric lore. The cautious attempts to interpret these texts have been made with great apology, reluctance, and compunction. On account of its overtly erotic elements it is disowned in scholarly circles as an illegitimate child of Mahayana's tryst with Tantrism. Hence most scholars refuse to stand squarely by tantric tradition, let alone consider it as a viable template for human life.

In recent years scholars of diverse of cultural, religious and ethical provenance have pitched in to interpret and possible rehabilitate tantrism in the galaxy of Indian religio-cultural tradition. Work on Vajrayana ha been limited mainly to editing and translating tantric texts. The area of analysis and systematization of the doctrine and praxis contained in these texts remains largely a virgin territory. The orientalists, cultural anthropologists, philologists, sociologists, archaeologists, and historians have had their say on tantrism in general and Vajrayana in particular yet, they have said almost nothing about, how Vajrayana appeals to a student of Buddhist philosophy and how he 'makes sense' out of the tantric tradition.

The task, albeit an uphill one and the path lonely, as Vajrayana is a road less traveled by, has proved to be a most rewarding research experience. From the plethora of ideas and practices, a system of Vajrayanic theory and praxis seems to emerge. The eclectic and syncretic tendency of Vajrayana is responsible for the catholicity of its ideas, practices, and goals, which are mundane as well as supra mundane. The influence of tantrism in general and Vajravana in particular, has been so immense that it has genetically modified the Indian way of life, if not the view of life. Art, architecture, sculpture, painting and literature have all been flavoured by tantrism. Vajrayana has been able to enter the innermost chambers of the human psyche and satisfy certain vital aspirations and yearnings of man as no other system hitherto. So much so, even its amoral appearance attracts the ire only of the scholar, not of the commoner.

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