A book like this one introduced me to Tantra Yoga, its underlying philosophy, and the benefits of meditation. This book explores a wide range of areas, sometimes with the perspective of Western science, sometimes with teachings from the East. I go into depth with a variety of things — and not all of them may interest you at this stage of your life. That’s fine — just skip over what doesn’t grab your attention at the moment, and read and reflect on what does.
I wrote this book with a desire to provide other women with an invitation. The words certainly apply to men as well: No one can walk your spiritual path for you; each step must be taken consciously, by you alone. No guru, guide, or channel can do the inner work that is necessary to develop your higher capabilities and bring you to the realization that answers your deepest questions. Make yourself very still, and listen quietly with openness. You will be led to what you need at every point along the way.
Tantra is the oldest Eastern tradition of spiritual philosophy and practice, having originated more than 7,000 years ago in India. From its origin to the present day, it is a revolutionary approach to human evolution. The word Tantra means liberation through mental expansion, and the word yoga means union, in this case the unity of the self and all creation with the source of all being. The basic tenet of Tantra is that all of life is food for spiritual development, from the most mundane tasks of everyday living to the deepest meditation. Tantra teaches us to embrace life, to strive to see the Creator in everything within and around us. The practices, including concentration, meditation, yoga postures, relaxation, visualization, nourishing food, community involvement, service, and right conduct, are all designed to help us experience body, mind, spirit, joy, peace, suffering, and pain as changing aspects of one indivisible Being.
You may have heard Tantra referred to as the “yoga of sex.” While sexuality is a part of Tantra because it is a part of life, it is not the core of Tantric philosophy or practice. In Chapter Seven, we will examine this issue more closely, clarifying the underlying tradition that led to this misinterpretation of Tantra’s focus and meaning. Practitioners of Tantra often refer to it as the “yoga of everything.” Unlike many religious philosophies that separate the spiritual from the mundane by rejecting that which is not overtly spiritual, Tantra teaches us that in order to realize our oneness with the Supreme Being we must accept, not reject. We must embrace life in all of its struggle and pain, and through this profound acceptance we will find peace and experience freedom from the bondage of self-imposed limitation.
Chapter One Your Perfect Nature
Some people, no matter what you give them, still want the moon.
— Denise Levertov, Adam’s Complaint
Gaze, for a while, at the vast expanse of the ocean. Its surface is turbulent, waves crashing, spewing millions of water droplets into the air. But as you dive deeper, the turbulence subsides; at its depths is silence and peace. Ordinarily you may experience only the surface of your mind’s potential — the crashing waves of emotion, millions of thoughts like tiny drops of water flying in every direction. Meditation helps you dive deeply into your mind, and in the process, uncover hidden treasures.
As you discover the deeper aspects of your mind, you become better able to control your thoughts, your actions, and your reactions to the external world. “Who am I?” “Where did I come from?” and “Why am I here?” are questions whose answers are revealed as your feeling of individual existence merges with infinite awareness.
In another way, your mind is like the ocean reflecting the image of the moon. It is possible to see the reflection of the moon on the water only when the water is calm, not when the waves are turbulent. Similarly, pure consciousness is only revealed when your mind is calm and still, when the agitated waves of thought and desire cease.
The old materialistic concepts about the origin and composition of mind and matter are dissolving as we learn that matter is nothing but bottled-up energy, a pattern of waves in endless motion. Everything, from matter to thought, is made up of these waves. Physicists are beginning to recognize that intelligence is at the source of all creation. Physicist Lincoln Barnett was perhaps speaking of the connection between matter and spirit when he said, “In the evolution of scientific thought one fact has become impressively clear: there is no mystery of the physical world which does not point to a mystery beyond itself.” Through the science of intuition, or the practice of meditation, you explore these mysteries, discovering the subtle substance from which the universe evolves, which we call infinite consciousness, or Brahma.
There is a hunger for limitless freedom and happiness within every person. We seek freedom from the bondage of time, place, and person. We want to surmount time, replacing walking with supersonic travel; we try to expand our spatial boundaries with instantaneous communication and transport systems, stretching even into outer space. We attempt to surpass our personal limitations with dramas, masks, stories, personal love (trying to merge with another) and with endless attempts to create the “new me.” All these attempts lead to exploration, invention, and efforts at social, political, economic, and sexual freedom. But the only absolute freedom is to go beyond material progress and reach for expanded consciousness.
This reaching, this search for something greater, is our innate nature, our dharma. Everything in the universe has its nature. Dharma is that which maintains the structural integrity of something, without which that entity could not exist. The innate nature of fire is its capacity to burn. The nature of most of the animal kingdom is to eat, drink, procreate, and sleep; various species have their species-specific dharma, such as the honey-making nature of bees.
The most significant quality that sets human beings apart from animals has to do with the evolution of our minds; we can call it our “perfect nature.” We, too, have the animal instincts for self-preservation, but we also have a longing for the Great. It is that part of you that remains unsatisfied with appeasing the animal instincts, that propels you toward fulfillment — the search for infinite happiness. But unending happiness and self-actualization can never be yours by simply fulfilling your desires with material things or intellectual ideas, which are finite. Even personal relationships are temporary; your family and dearest friends will one day pass away. The only way the desire for infinite happiness can be fulfilled is by establishing yourself in the infinite, by merging your consciousness with all-knowing supreme consciousness. Whether you consciously know it or not, this is your goal. This is where your perfect nature is taking you.
THE FOUR PARTS OF YOUR PERFECT NATURE
According to the ancient teachings of Tantra, there are four components of your perfect nature: expansion of mind, vibrational flow, selfless service, and consciousness. Meditation is the practical means whereby your perfect nature can be realized. Meditation helps you, step by step, through specific practices, to achieve that realization.