Tantra and Sádhaná

25 May 1960 DMC, Saharsa

The Practical Cult of Spirituality

To remain satisfied with a little is contrary to human nature.

That is why, since the dawn of creation, human beings have
been worshipping the Supreme Entity. People longed for
supreme knowledge, for indirect and direct spiritual realization.
This fundamental human yearning for supreme expansion led
people to discover the practical cult of spirituality. Moreover, it
created in the human mind the sense of inquisitiveness, the
spirit of dedication, and the thirst for knowledge. It is because of
these noble qualities that human beings have become what
they are today.

The divine revelations experienced by the sages of the ancient

Vedic age through their meditative vision have been compiled
in the Vedas. Thus the Vedas have to some extent quenched
the human thirst for intellectual knowledge. But they have not
quenched the thirst for supreme knowledge, the fundamental
thirst of human life. That thirst can only be quenched through
the illuminating realizations of sádhaná [spiritual practice].
There is no reliable evidence to suggest that in the Vedic period
spiritual knowledge was handed down from preceptor to
disciple. As far as we know from the history of spiritual
sádhaná, Lord Shiva was the first to propound it, and He gave
this spiritual cult the name Tantra. Tantra is the secret behind
spiritual progress.

The scriptural definition of tantra is Taḿ jád́ yát tárayet yastu

sah tantrah parikiirttitah [“Tantra is that which liberates a person
from the bondages of staticity”]. Taḿ is the acoustic root of
staticity.

Tantra has another meaning as well. The Sanskrit root verb tan
means “to expand”. So the practical process that leads to
one� s expansion and consequent emancipation is called
tantra. Thus sádhaná and Tantra are inseparable.

Strictly speaking, theoretical knowledge cannot be called

Tantra. Tantra is a practical science. Hence in Tantra the
importance of book knowledge is secondary. The practical
process of Tantra begins with the physical and progresses to
the physico-psychic, then to the psycho-spiritual, then
ultimately results in [the supreme spiritual stance,]
ensconcement in the átmá [self]. [This scientific process sets it
apart from many other schools.]
As the practical aspect is the most important factor in Tantra,
the greatest emphasis is placed on the preceptor-disciple
relationship. The disciple must do intense spiritual practice to
be worthy of the preceptor� s instructions at every stage of
development.

And it was for this reason that Sadáshiva never wanted the
Tantric teachings to be written down. However, in course of
time, due to a lack of competent preceptors and disciples,
Tantra was about to be lost to society. It therefore became an
imperative necessity to put the teachings in book form to save
them from total extinction. There are presently sixty-four Tantric
texts.

Tantra is broadly composed of two parts – nigama and ágama.

The former is mainly theoretical; the latter practical. As the
Vedic scriptures are not based on practical instructions, some
people are inclined to categorize them as nigama.

According to the Rudrayámala Tantra,

Ágataḿ Shivavaktrebhyo gataiṋca Girijáshrutao;
Mataiṋca Vásudevasya tasmádágama ucyate.

[The science which comes from the mouth of Lord Shiva, goes
to the ears of Párvatii, and is approved by Lord Krśńa, is called
ágama.(1)]

No serious or sincere Tantric can agree with this shloka

[couplet]. Why should the science which was propounded by
Lord Shiva need to be “approved by Lord Krśńa”? The
Rudrayámala Tantra was formulated much later than Lord
Shiva. This shloka was cleverly included in the Rudrayámala
Tantra by the protagonists of the Vedas.(2)

Guru and Disciple

Kśurasya dhárá nishitá duratyayá. [Literally, “The edge of a

razor is very sharp and difficult to walk on.”] This path, to walk
upon, is like a path strewn with sharp razors. The disciple has
to tread the path with extreme caution. The disciple needs the
help of the guru [preceptor] at every step. Without this
supervision, any defect in the process of sádhaná as imparted
by the guru, or the least negligence on the part of the disciple in
following the instructions, inevitably leads to the disciple� s
downfall. For success on the path of Tantra, the proper
preceptor and the proper disciple are both essential. So the first
step in Tantra is the selection of a competent preceptor and a
worthy disciple.

The situation can be explained through the following analogy

with agriculture: The disciple� s heart is a field; sádhaná is the
ploughing and irrigation of the field; and the preceptor� s
initiation is the sowing of seeds. If the seeds are defective they
will not sprout; if the field is infertile the harvest will be poor;
and even if the seed and the field are ideal, yet the field is not
properly ploughed or irrigated, the harvest will be poor.

According to Tantra, disciples are of three categories. The first

category are likened to pitchers placed inversely in a tub of
water. Such pitchers contain water as long as they are kept in
the tub, but as soon as they are taken out, all the water pours
out. These disciples acquire spiritual knowledge when they are
in close contact with the preceptor, but as soon as they are
apart from the preceptor they forget all his teachings.
The second category of disciples are like people who carefully
climb a plum tree and pick plums from its thorny branches.
Unfortunately they become so absorbed in climbing down the
tree that they completely forget about their carefully-collected
plums, which fall out of their bags and break open on the
ground. Such disciples learn many things from the preceptor
with great hardship, but do not take proper care to preserve
those instructions. They lose their hard-earned knowledge out
of negligence.

The best category of disciples are like pitchers positioned right

side up. When such pitchers are put in a tub of water, there is
water both inside them and all around them; and even when
they are removed from the tub, they remain full to the brim with
water. These disciples carefully preserve in the jewel caskets of
their hearts whatever they learn from their preceptor.

According to Tantra there are also three types of preceptor: the

inferior, the mediocre, and the superior. Inferior preceptors are
those who deliver high-sounding speeches but do not bother
about whether the disciples follow their teachings or not.
Mediocre preceptors impart knowledge to their disciples, no
doubt, and also check on whether the disciples are following
their teachings, but they are not too demanding. Superior
preceptors, however, take meticulous care to ensure that their
disciples follow their teachings. If they discover that their
disciples are negligent in any way, they compel them to
practise more painstakingly by applying circumstantial
pressure.

In the Vedic system there is no such strong preceptor-disciple

relationship, for Vedic knowledge is completely theoretical. In
Tantra emphasis is placed not only on the selection of
competent masters and worthy disciples, but also on the need
for disciples to make a total surrender to the preceptor in the
early stages of the Tantric path.

The qualities of the best preceptors have been outlined in the

Tantrasára:

Shánto dánto kuliinascha viniita shuddhaveshaván

Shuddhácárii supratiśthita shucirdakśah subuddhimán
Áshramii dhyánaniśt́ashca tantramantra visháradah
Nigrahánugrahe shakto gururityabhidhiiyate.

[Composed, self-controlled, adept in raising the kuńd́ alinii,

modest, soberly dressed, exemplary in conduct, having an
honest means of livelihood, pure in thought, well-versed in the
spiritual cult, highly intelligent, a householder, established in
meditation, well-versed in Tantra and mantra, able both to
punish and to reward the disciple – only such a person
deserves to be called a guru.]

All sorts of actions, be they nivrttimúlaka [spiritual actions] or

pravrttimúlaka [wordly actions] are performed by the human
mind. Shravańa [hearing], manana [contemplating], and
nididhyásana [focusing the mind on one object] are among the
actions performed by the mind.(3) One who has controlled all
actions, and perfected the last three, is called shánta, or one
who has acquired full composure of mind.

The indriyas(4) are multilateral in their activities. They too play

a very significant role in the processes of shravańa, manana
and nidhidhyásana. One who has controlled all the indriyas,
and perfected the actions of the indriyas in shravańa, manana
and nididhyásana, is called dánta, or one who has acquired full
control over the indriyas.

A kaola sádhaka (one who practises the science of raising the

kulakuńd́ alinii, that is, one who is adept in purashcarańa [the
process of moving upwards the kuńd́ alinii shakti]), is called
kuliina. Only such a person can be a kula guru [preceptor of
kaola sádhaná].
A preceptor must furthermore be viniita [modest],
shuddhaveshavána [soberly dressed], shuddhácárii (exemplary
in conduct), supratisthita (having honest means of livelihood),
and shuci (pure in thought). In the spiritual sphere this person
must be dakśa (well-versed in the practical and theoretical
aspects of the spiritual cult). One who has only acquired
theoretical knowledge is called vidvána [scholarly]. A preceptor
must [be more than] vidvána, a preceptor must be dakśa.

And preceptors must be more than intelligent, they must be

subuddhimána [super-intelligent]. They must also be áshramii
[married], for according to Tantric injunction only a married
person can be the guru of married people. It is not enough that
preceptors impart lessons on dhyána to their disciples, they
must be dhyániśt́ha (fully established in dhyána). They should
also be vishárada [well-versed, i.e., both dakśa and vidvána] in
Tantra and mantra.

Mantra is defined Mananát tárayet yastu sa mantrah

parikiirtitah – “That which, when contemplated, leads to
freedom from [all sorts of] bondages is called a mantra.” The
preceptor must know which mantras are appropriate for which
people, and which mantras are siddha mantras.(5)
The preceptor must also be nigraha (capable of inflicting
punishment) and anugraha (capable of bestowing grace). One
who punishes only or who bestows grace only is not an ideal
preceptor.

Like the preceptor, a disciple should possess certain qualities,

which are as follows:

Shánto viniito shuddhátmá

Shraddhávána dhárańákśamah;
Samarthashca kuliinashca
Prájiṋah saccarito yatih;
Evamádi guńaeryuktah
Shishyo bhavati nányathá.

–Tantrasára

“A disciple must always be samartha (ready to carry out the

instructions and commands of the master). He or she must be
prájiṋa and yati – that is, must have the requisite knowledge
and experience, and must have full control over the mind. One
who is of noble soul, of noble conduct and of tranquil mind, who
is modest and reverent, and possesses a sharp memory and
perseverance, who has all-round competence and is zealous in
the practice of raising the kulakuńd́ alinii, and who is well-
informed and self-restrained, is an ideal disciple.” One who
does not possess these qualities should not be accepted as a
disciple.

Whenever a worthy disciple is taught by a competent preceptor,

spiritual progress is a certainty.

Stages

The practice of Tantra can be divided into several stages.

Everyone has his or her own individual saḿskáras, and there is
no denying that at the initial stage human beings are normally
animals (and have hence been called “rational animals”). A
human being who lacks viveka [discrimination] is actually worse
than an animal. Animals are undeveloped creatures, and thus
certain behaviour on their part may be condoned. But humans
are developed, so improper conduct by them cannot be
condoned. The initial stage of sádhaná is meant for people of
animal nature and is thus called pashvácára or pashubháva
[pashu = “animal”].
When sádhakas advance in the process of sádhaná, guided by
the instructions of the preceptor, they develop an ideation
proper for human beings. At this stage they are called viira
[heroic]. Just as animals are controlled through external
pressure, in the stage of pashvácára sádhaná disciples must
be controlled by the external application of pressure of
circumstances. This will help establish them in viirabháva. But
those who are more elevated than animals do not depend on
external pressure for spiritual progress. Their progress is
determined by both external pressure and internal urge.

Sarve ca pashavah santi talavad bhútale naráh;

Teśáḿ jiṋána prakásháya viirabhávah prakáshitah;
Viirabhávaḿ sadá prápya krameńa devatá bhavet.

–Rudrayámala Tantra

“Under ordinary circumstances all are animal-like in the initial

stage. When spiritual thirst awakens in animal-like people they
become viira, and when they are fully established in viirabháva
they become devatás [gods].” The science of Tantra is based
on this truth. Hence there is no contradiction between Tantra
and science. People are found at all different stages, according
to their ideation – animal-like, heroic, or god-like – as they
ascend on the scale of evolution. A competent preceptor
imparts lessons to his disciples after considering the degree of
their spiritual and psychic elevation.

Vaedikaḿ Vaeśńavaḿ Shaevaḿ Dákśińaḿ páshavaḿ smrtam;

Siddhánte Váme ca viire divyaḿtu Kaolamucyate.

–Vishvasára Tantra

“Vaedikácára, Vaeśńavácára, Shaevácára and Dakśińácára

are the different stages of pashubháva. Vámácára and
Siddhántácára are the stages of viirabháva, and Kulácára
belongs to [divya]bháva.”

The first stage of pashvácára sádhaná is Vaedikácára. It has

no deep principles, but is merely a set of ritualistic and showy
observances and practices. So in the eye of a Tantric
practitioner, Vaedikácára is the lowest grade of sádhaná.
It is also the lowest because it does not inspire the practitioner
to transcend discrimination and differentiation. In the subtler
stages of Tantra the artificial distinctions of caste, colour, and
social status are not recognized. In this stage all aspirants
merely identify themselves as Bhaerava or Bhaeravii. In the
Ajiṋánabodhinii Tantra it has been said,

Varńáshramábhimánena shrutidásye bhavennarah;

Varńáshramabihiinashca vartate shrutimúrdhani.(6)

Elsewhere in Tantra it has been said,

Ye kurbanti naráh múrdá divyacakre pramádatah;

Kulabhedaḿ varńabhedaḿ te gacchantyadhamám gatim.

[Even those who practise Tantra sádhaná and meditate in the

Bhaeravii cakra will, if they retain belief in caste differences,
degrade themselves to a crude state.]
“Those who accept differences of lineage and caste degrade
themselves, and are ultimately converted into foxes, dogs, pigs,
worms, or even trees and stones.” No one can prevent their
degradation. The practice of Tantra is the practice of self-
expansion, not self-contraction. Those who are blindly guided
by the teachings of the Vedas and believe in the artificial
distinctions of caste and class, etc., or beat drums proclaiming
the Aryan supremacy, follow the path of self-contraction. Their
sádhaná is the sádhaná of ignorance and annihilation.

The Crude and the Subtle Paiṋcamakára

Many people criticize Tantra for its Paiṋcamakára.(7) In their

case it can aptly be said that “a little learning is a dangerous
thing.” They neither know, nor understand, nor try to
understand, the underlying significance of the Five M� s.

Tantra can be roughly divided into two branches, one crude

and the other subtle.(8) The subtle aspect of Tantra is also
called the yoga márga [path of yoga]. Sadáshiva was the
propounder of both branches of Tantra, hence there cannot be
any contradiction between them. Under ordinary circumstances
the human mind is dominated by animal propensities. Of
course, these baser propensities are not equally strong for all
people. Those who have intense animal desires rush toward
objects of physical enjoyment. Such people cannot just
suddenly give up their objects of enjoyment in favour of spiritual
sádhaná. Those whose desire for physical enjoyment is less
intense can easily abstain from physical objects, but what are
the first-mentioned people to do?

If such people try forcibly to turn their minds away from their
objects of enjoyment, they will face disastrous consequences.
Psychologists are well aware of the dangers of attempting to
suppress or repress one� s desires. One may be able to
maintain saintliness for a certain time, but the raging storm
cannot be contained forever. It is not unusual for those who
remain virtuous early in life to fall prey to immoral desires later
in life. The dark shadow of immorality fell across the lives of
many sannyásiis and sannyásiniis or bhikśus and bhikśuniis
[monks and nuns] in the past for this very reason, that they had
tried to suppress their desires by force. Some people pretend to
be virtuous but indulge in immoral deeds secretly; if their
numbers increase in society it is an unhealthy sign. The
practice of the Five M� s was formulated for those people who
harboured secret desires for crude physical enjoyment. But for
those guided by subtle propensities, the subtle Paiṋcamakára,
or yoga márga, was prescribed.

The main idea behind the practice of the crude Paiṋcamakára

is to carry out sádhaná while in the midst of crude enjoyments.
While carrying out this practice, they will limit the degree of their
indulgence. By limiting the use of objects of enjoyment they will
gradually increase their psychic power, and will ultimately rise
above the allurement of enjoyment. For example, a wine addict
will drink a controlled measure of wine as a part of sádhaná. A
fish-eater will follow certain restrictions: he or she will limit the
quantity of fish eaten, and will not eat female fish in their
spawning period.

In this way people can gradually establish the superiority of

their minds over objects of enjoyment. The practice of this
pravrttimúlaka [extroversial] Paiṋcamakára will gradually take
them to the nivrtti path.

Madya sádhaná: But many people are under the impression

that the Five M� s means only the crude Five M� s. This is
incorrect. Let us take the first element of the Five M� s. The
deeper spirit of madya sádhaná is,

Somadhárá kśared yá tu Brahmarandhrát varánane;

Piitvánandamayastvaḿ sa eva madyasádhakah.
“One who experiences the intoxicating joy from drinking the
sudhá, or somadhára,(9) secreted from the Brahmarandhra
[pineal gland] is called a madya sádhaka.” In this connection
one should remember that every gland secretes sudhá,
secretes some hormone.

The hormone secretion of the Brahmarandhra, the supreme

gland of the human body, is partly controlled by the moon, and
the moon is also called soma; hence that nectar is called
somarasa or somadhárá. This somadhárá invigorates the lower
glands of the human body and intoxicates a spiritual aspirant
with joy. Ordinary people cannot experience this divine joy,
because crude thoughts result in somarasa being burnt up in
the mental sphere (in the pituitary gland and vicinity). But a
sádhaka feels a great intoxication at the time this amrta is being
secreted.

When those who are not sádhakas observe this condition, they
mistake it for something else. Ramprasad, the great mystic,
said,

Surápán karine ámi sudhá khái jaya Kálii bale;

Man-mátále mátál kare mad-mátále mátál bale.
[I don� t drink wine, I take sudhárasa, saying, “Victory to Kálii.”
My mind, intoxicated with bliss-causing hormones, makes me
drunk. But those who are intoxicated with drink, call me a
drunkard.]

There is yet another subtle interpretation of the term madya,

according to Tantric yogis:

Yaduktaḿ Parama Brahma nirvikáraḿ niraiṋjanam;

Tasmin pramadanajiṋánam tanmadyaḿ parikiirttitaḿ.

“Intense love for Nirvikára Niraiṋjana Parama Brahma leads to

the annihilation of thought, intellect and ego, and appears as an
intoxication which may be termed a madya sádhaná.”

Máḿsa sádhaná: Similarly, to a Tantric, máḿsa does not mean

meat.
Má shabdádrasaná jineyá tadaḿsán rasaná priye;
Yastad bhakśayennityam sa eva máḿsa sádhakah.

[Má means “tongue”, and it is through the tongue that words

are uttered. One who “eats”, or controls, those words is a
máḿsa sádhaka.]

Má means “tongue”; máḿsa means “speech”; máḿsabhakśańa

means “control over speech”.

There is yet another interpretation of the word máḿsa.

Evaḿ máḿsanotihi yatkarma tanmáḿsa parikiirttitaḿ;

Na ca káyaprati vántu yogibhimasimucyate.

That is to say, “One who surrenders all one� s actions, good,

bad, righteous, sinful, wicked – even the attainment of
prolonged penance – to Me, is called máḿsa.”
Meat is in no way considered by yogis to be a useful item of
food.

Matsya sádhaná:

Gauṋgá Yamunayormadhye matsyao dvao caratah sadá;

Tao matsyao bhakśayet yastu sah bhavenmatsyasádhakah.

The matsya sádhaná of a Tantric yogi can be interpreted in this

way: “One who eats the two fish that swim, one through the
Ganges (representing the id́ á nád́ ii) and the other through the
Yamuna (the piuṋgalá nád́ ii) – that is, one who takes the breath
flows of the left nostril and the right nostril to the trikut́i
[concentration point of the ájiṋá cakra] and suspends them
there by purńa kumbhaka [holding the inhalation] or shunya
kumbhaka [holding the exhalation] – is a matsya sádhaka.”

In connection with matsya, Lord Shiva further said,

Matsamánaḿ sarvabhúte sukhaduhkhamidaḿ devi;
Iti yatsátvikaḿ jiṋánaḿ tanmatsyah parikiirttitah.

“When a person feels all the pains and pleasures of others as

one� s own pains and pleasures, this sentient feeling is called
matsya sádhaná.”

Mudrá sádhaná: Crude mudrá sádhaná involves the use of a

certain type of food. Subtle mudrá sádhaná has nothing to do
with food.

Satsaungena bhavenmuktirasatsaungeśu bandhanam;

Asatsauṋgamudrańaḿ sá mudrá parikiirttitá.

“Bad company leads to bondage; good company leads to

liberation. Having understood this supreme truth, one should
avoid bad company. This shunning of bad company is called
mudrá sádhaná.”
Maethuna sádhaná: Many people comment adversely on the
fifth M. Through this process of sádhaná [i.e., through crude
maethuna sádhaná], people of cruder propensities can
gradually develop self-restraint. This is the teaching of Tantra,
and nobody should object to it.

And regarding subtle maethuna sádhaná, it has been said,

Kulakuńd́ alinii shaktirdehináḿ dehadhárińii;

Tayá Shivashya saḿyogah maethunaḿ parikiirttitaḿ.

The lowest vertebra of the spinal cord is called kula. In this part
of the múládhára cakra [basic plexus] is located the
kulakuńd́ alinii, or daevii shakti [divine energy]. The purpose of
maethuna sádhaná is to raise the kulakuńd́ alinii and unite it
with Paramashiva [the Nucleus Consciousness] at the
sahasrára cakra [corresponding to the pineal gland].

The Lessons of Tantra

The lessons of Tantra are physico-psycho-spiritual – from the
physical to the psychic, and from the psychic to the spiritual.
Tantra says that one can attain spiritual elevation through
physical and psychic purification. This is a very logical
proposition. Hence absolute purity in food and conduct is
essential for a Tantric sádhaka. Without attaining all-round
purification it is impossible for a sádhaka to experience real
spiritual ideation. On the path of spirituality, bháva [ideation] is
the main factor.

Regarding the interpretation of the word bháva, the devotional

scriptures observe,

Shuddhasattva visheśádvá premasúryáḿshusámyabhák;

Rucibhishcittamásrńya krdasao bháva ucyate.

[Bháva (often translated “psycho-spiritual idea” or “psycho-

spiritual parallelism”) means that type of special ideation which
makes the entitative rhythm very pure and holy, which arouses
the latent love for Parama Puruśa, and which makes the mind
smooth-surfaced and soft owing to the spiritual effulgence.]
But Tantra explains bháva as follows: Bhávo hi mánaso
dharma manasaeva sadábhyáset – “Bháva is a mental
tendency. The flow of bháva can be brought about through
repetition.” This repetition of ideation is called japakriyá – outer-
suggestion or auto-suggestion. If human beings repeatedly
ideate on Paramátmá, their psychic waves gradually straighten,
because they come in contact with the perfectly straight
spiritual waves of that Entity. Japakriyá is the practical way to
realize Iishvara. In the Vedas, Ahaḿ Brahma, Tattvamasi and
many other mantras have been mentioned. But what does a
person gain by knowing the theory behind these words without
experiencing any practical realization from them? The Vedas
do not state clearly how to ideate, nor how to realize the inner
import of mantra, nor even how to use mantras in practical life.

Anubhútiḿ biná múd́ ha vrthá Brahmańi modate;

Pratibimbitashákhágraphalásvádanamodavat.

–Maetreyii Shruti

[Without God-realization, a person will try in vain to get spiritual

bliss. Seeing the reflection in water of a sweet fruit hanging
from the branch of a tree does not give one the taste of the
fruit.]
“The sight of the reflection in water of a sweet fruit hanging
from the branch of a tree does not give one the taste of the
fruit.” Similarly, what is the value of book knowledge of Brahma
if a person has no actual spiritual realization? In this regard
Tantra says,

Ahaḿ Brahmásmi, vijiṋánáda jiṋánávilayo bhavet;

So� mityeva saḿcintya viharet sarvadá devi.

–Gandharva Tantra

“The realization Ahaḿ Brahmásmi [”I am Brahma“] is the only

way to dispel the darkness of ignorance. But if this knowledge
of Brahmásmi remains confined to mere words, it will not serve
any practical purpose.” To gain knowledge of Brahma, one� s
ideation – ideation on the So� ham mantra – will have to be
continuous. Continuous ideation is not possible through mere
parrot-like repetition of a mantra. This subtle science of psycho-
spiritual practice is the discovery of Tantra.
Japakriyá and dhyánakriyá [auto- or outer-suggestion, and
meditation with unbroken concentration] are the subtle
techniques prescribed by Mahákaolas.(10) Tantrics also say
that mere repetition of mantra will not serve any purpose unless
there is a rhythmic parallelism between the incantative flow (the
flow of the mantra) and the mental flow (the flow of the unit
mind). To perform japakriyá while harbouring harmful thoughts
is futile. One can only attain success in japakriyá if all the
psychic propensities are diverted towards the deeper spirit of
the mantra. (This will simultaneously bring about stillness of the
váyus [energy flows in the body]).

Mano� nyatra shivo� nyatra shaktiranyatra márutah;

Na sidhyati varánane kalpakotishataerapi.

–Kulárńava Tantra

“The mind runs in one direction towards its object of

fascination; its object of ideation lies in another direction; the
vital energy moves in yet another direction; and the váyus run
in all directions uncontrollably. In the midst of such chaos
ideation on Parama Puruśa is impossible, even in billions of
kalpas [ages].”
Indriyáńám manonáthah manonatho� stu márutah. “The
controller of the indriyas is the mind, and the controllers of the
mind are the váyus.” In spiritual practice the indriyas, the mind
and the váyus cannot be ignored. They must be consolidated
and directed towards Parama Puruśa.

In Tantra the system of diikśá [initiation] is highly scientific.

Initiation has two important aspects: diipanii and mantra
caetanya. Diipanii(11) means “torchlight”; mantra caetanya
means “conceptual understanding of and psychic association
with a mantra”. Regarding the interpretation of diikśá, the
Vishvasára Tantra says,

Diipa jiṋánaḿ yato dadyát kuryát pápakśayam tatah;

Tasmátdiikśeti sá proktá sarvatantrasya sammatá.

“The process which produces the capacity to realize the inner

import of mantra and which expedites the requital of the
saḿskáras, or reactive momenta, is called diikśá.”
You may have noticed that some people become extremely sad
or extremely happy after being initiated. This is a good sign
because it shows that the saḿskáras are being exhausted very
quickly. But this sort of reaction does not occur merely by
hearing the mantra or repeating it parrot-like. One must be
initiated according to the prescribed system. Only then will the
mantra be effective. This will be clear to those practising
Ananda Marga meditation.

Andhakáragrhe yadvanna kincat pratibhásate;

Diipaniirahito� mantrastathaeva parikiirttitá.

–Sárasvata Tantra

You must know that both diipanii and mantra caetanya must
precede the repetition of a mantra. “One cannot see even the
most valuable objects in a dark room. Similarly, a valuable
mantra cannot be used properly without the help of diipanii.”
Mantra caetanya: Unless the kulakuńd́ alinii is raised upwards in
the process of spiritual practice, repetition of mantra becomes
meaningless. The system of raising the kulakuńd́ alinii upwards
is called purashcarańa kriyá. Mantra caetanya literally means to
imbibe the proper spirit of a mantra. If a mantra is repeated with
the understanding of the inner spirit, mantra caetanya will be an
easier task. To repeat the mantra without understanding its
spirit is a waste of time. In this connection Sadáshiva said in
the Rudrayámala Tantra,

Caetanya rahitáh mantráh proktavarńástu kevaláh;

Phalaḿ naeva prayacchanti lakśa kot́i prajapati.

[Mantras without their corresponding ideation are merely a

couple of letters mechanically uttered. They will not bear any
fruit even if repeated a billion times.]

Dhyána: Diipanii and mantra caetanya are not necessary in the

process of dhyána,(12) but they are necessary in japakriyá
[auto- or outer-suggestion through repetition of mantra]. Those
who are unsuccessful in japakriyá find it very difficult to master
the practice of dhyána.(13) In the process of dhyána, mantra,
diipanii, and mantra caetanya – all three – are associated with
the dhyeya Puruśa [Puruśa as the object of ideation]. So from a
subtle perspective, japa is a composite of a number of
processes, but dhyána kriyá is complete in itself, and this is the
reason that beginners find it difficult to become established in
dhyána.(14) For those who can establish themselves in
dhyána, however, samádhi is a certainty.

Vinányásaeh viná pújáḿ viná japaeh puraskriyaḿ;

Dhyánayogád bhavetsiddhirnányathá khalu Párvatii.

–Shrii Krama Tantra

[Said Shiva to Párvatii, “Through dhyána one can attain the

highest spiritual success, even without nyása, pújá, japa and
purashcarańa (other practices). You can take this for a fact.”]

Only after one is established in dhyána can one attain

nirvikalpa samádhi. If one is established in samádhi, liberation
or salvation will come as a matter of course.

Tantra, being a practical process, does not recognize any

external practices or showy displays, and in particular does not
recognize idol worship as the best process of sádhaná. Even
the Vedas, although they contain references to idols, do not
approve of idol worship; and Tantra is much more liberal, much
more psychological, than the Vedas. According to Tantra idol
worship is also a process of sádhaná, but the crudest process.

Uttamo Brahmasadbhávo madhyamá dhyánadhárańá;

Japastuti syádadhamá múrtipújá dhamádhamá.

[Ideation on Brahma is the best, dhyána and dhárańá are

second best, repetitious incantation and eulogistic prayer are
the worst, and idol worship is the worst of the worst.]

Tantra declares that Citistad shabda lakśárthácidekarasarúpinii

[“The Supreme Entity is fundamentally citi (consciousness). It is
an unbroken flow of cognition.”] The Supreme Entity is a
continuous flow of cognition, only attainable through the
process of incantation. So how could Tantra consider the
worship of idols or matter an ideal type of sádhaná?

In Tantra there are three types of sádhaná: pravrtti sádhaná,

nivrtti sádhaná, and a combination of the two. The crude and
horrifying practices of pisháca sádhaná [pisháca = “ghoul”] are
part of pravrtti sádhaná. The goal of pisháca sádhaná is to
establish supremacy over material forces. Even though one
acquires certain powers, and thereby the possibility of some
purely temporary happiness, after practising this sádhaná for
some time, one� s degeneration is inevitable, for it is based on
an external outlook. Pisháca sádhakas will suffer the inevitable
fate of being reborn as animals or being converted into wood,
earth or stone.

Tantra� s nivrtti márga is the highest type of practice. Through

this process a spiritual aspirant attains elevation step by step.
Nirváńa or mahánirváńa, mukti or mokśa,(15) can be attained
through this process. The path which mixes pravrtti and nivrtti is
called the path of upavidyá. Nivrtti márga, or Vidyá Tantra,
brings about the highest excellence in the spiritual sphere, but
the mixed path of pravrtti and nivrtti brings neither degeneration
nor progress. Hence it can be said that practitioners of
upavidyá simply waste their valuable time.

Tantra� s freedom from superstition, and its psychological

approach, are clearly illustrated in the last few lines of the
Mahánirváńa Tantra:
Bálariid́ ańavat sarvarúpanámádikalpanam;
Kevalaḿ Brahmaniśt́ha yah sa mukto nátra saḿshayah.
Mrcchiládhátudárvádimúrttáviishvaro buddhayo;
Klishyantastapasáh jiṋánaḿ viná mokśam ná yánti te.
Manasá kalpitá múrtih nrńáḿ cenmokśasádhanii;
Svapnalabdhena rájyena rájáno mánavástadá.
Ná muktirtapanáddhomádupavásashataerapi;
Brahmaeváhamiti jiṋátvá mukto bhavati dehabhrt.
Váyu parńa kanátoyaḿ vratino mokśabháginah;
Apicet pannagáh muktáh pashupakśii jalecaráh.(16)

To realize the greatness of Tantra, one will have to carry on

spiritual practice. A non-practitioner can never penetrate into
the mysteries of Tantra.

Some people are under the wrong impression that as the

practice of Tantra is based on an ardent love for ideology there
is no room for devotion; or if there is an element of devotion, it
is a very minor one. But this is not correct. On the contrary,
Tantra� s love of ideology is dependent on parábhakti
[absolute devotion]. Hence it has been said:
Api cet sudurácáro bhajate mámananyabhák;

So� pi pápavinirmuktah mucyate bhavabandhanát.

[If even the most wicked persons worship Me with a

concentrated mind, I will liberate them from the three bondages
(physical, psychic and spiritual).]

And finally, regarding Parama Brahma, Tantra has said,

Oṋḿ namaste sate sarvalokáshrayáya;

Namaste Cite vishvarúpátmakáya.

Namo� dvaetatattváya muktipradáya;

Namo Brahmańe vyápine nirguńáya.

Tadekaḿ sharańyaḿ tadekaḿ vareńyaḿ;
Tadekaḿ jagatkárańaḿ vishvarúpam.
Tadekaḿ jagatkarttr-pátr praharttrḿ;
Tadekaḿ paraḿ nishcalaḿ nirvikalpam.
Bhayánáḿ bhayaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhiiśańánáḿ;
Gatih práńináḿ pávanaḿ pávanánám.
Mahaccaeh padánáḿ niyantr tadekaḿ;
Paresháḿ paraḿ rakśakaḿ rakśakáńám.
Paresha prabho sarvarúpavináshinnanirdeshya;
Sarvendriyágamyasatya.
Acintyákśara vyápakávyaktatattva;
Jagadbhásakádhiisha páyádapáyát.
Tadekaḿ smarámastadekaḿ japámas;
Tadekaḿ jagat sákśiirúpaḿ namámah.
Tadekaḿ nidhánaḿ nirálambamiishaḿ;
Bhavámbodhipotaḿ sharańaḿ vrajámah.

–Mahánirváńa Tantra

[My salutations to the Self-Existent Entity, the supreme shelter

of all the created worlds. My salutations to the Supreme
Cognition, the Supreme One, the Absolute One in the form of
this expressed universe. My salutations to the supreme non-
dualistic Entity, the distributor of salvation. My salutations to
Brahma, the All-Pervasive and Non-Attributional Entity. My
salutations to that Supreme Entity who is the ultimate refuge of
all, the supreme adorable one, the primordial cause of the
universe, the One who has deliberately assumed the form of
the universe. My salutations to That which has been creating,
protecting and dissolving this universe. My salutations to that
Supreme Unmovable Entity, the One without an alternative. My
salutations to that which is the fear of all fears, who is the dread
of all dreadful entities, the Supreme Terminus of all living
beings, the purity of all purities, the Supreme Controller,
controlling even the highest dignitaries of the universe. That
Supreme Entity is the Subject of all subjects, the Supreme Lord
of everything. All the objects, or forms, ultimately merge in Him.
He cannot be shown to anybody. He is the Supreme Truth,
inaccessible to the senses. He is beyond the capacity of
thought. He is intransmutable. He is the most pervasive Entity,
yet at the same time, He is unmanifest. It is He who has given
expression to the expressed universe; yet at the same time He
is above the fundamental factors of which the universe is made.
Him only we remember, on Him only we contemplate; my
salutations to that Supreme Entity, the witnessing force of this
expressed universe. We seek shelter in that supreme ship of
the universe, who is the most dependable shelter, but who has
no shelter of His own.]

Footnotes

(1) Ágama is a composite of the first letters of three words: the

of gatam (“coming from”), the ga of gataiṋca (“going to”), and
the ma of mataiṋca (“approved by”). –Eds.
(2) The authority of Lord Shiva should be considered sufficient
to validate any teaching. (And the fact that Krśńa came 3500
years later than Shiva also makes the shloka unconvincing.)
The protagonists of the Vedas wanted authority to rest in Lord
Krśńa, whom they claimed not to be a Tantric. –Eds.

(3) For more on shravańa, manana and nididhyásana, see

“Mantra Caetanya” in Volume One. –Eds.

(4) An indriya is a sensory or motor organ, together with its

respective nerves, nerve fluid, and site in the brain. –Eds.

(5) “Perfected” mantras. See also “Mantra Caetanya” in Volume

One. –Eds.

(6) “One who accepts the divisions of society according to

varńa and áshrama is a veritable slave of the Vedas. But one
who is above varńa and áshrama is the lord of the Vedas.”
There are four varńas [castes] – Vipra, Kśatriya, Vaeshya and
Shdra – and four áshramas – Brahmacarya, or student life;
gárhasthya, family life; váńaprasthya, retirement in solitude;
and sannyása or yati, the life of renunciation. –Eds.

(7) Literally, “five ma sounds” – madya (wine), máḿsá (meat),

matsya (fish), mudrá (parched grains), and maethuna (sexual
intercourse). –Eds.
(8) There is a middle path between the crude and subtle paths,
called madhyama márga in Sanskrit, and majhjhima mágga in
Pali.

(9) Literally, “nectar”; actually a hormone. –Eds.

(10) A Mahákaola is a Tantric guru who can raise not only His
own kuńalinii, but those of others also. –Eds.

(11) In Ananda Marga meditation there is a process for

performing diipanii. –Eds.

(12) They are not necessary as auxiliary practices, because, as

will be explained, they are included within dhyána. –Eds.

(13) Japakriyá is a composite of processes, and those

processes can be carried out one by one; therefore it is not so
difficult as dhyána. –Eds.

(14) Japakriyá is a composite of processes, and those

processes can be carried out one by one; therefore it is not so
difficult as dhyána. –Eds.

(15) “Liberation or emancipation (non-qualified liberation)” – in

the terminology first of Buddhist Tantra, then of Hindu Tantra. –
Eds.
(16) Translation of first four couplets: “Meditation on the names
and forms (of idols) is a kind of child� s play. Only one whose
mind is reverently concentrated on Brahma will win liberation;
there is no doubt about this. Those who think that Parama
Puruśa is confined within idols made of clay, stone, metal, or
wood, are simply torturing their bodies with penances – they
will surely not attain salvation without self-knowledge. If an idol
produced out of the human imagination can bring about
salvation, then can a person, by creating a kingdom in his
dreams, become a king in the real sense? Liberation is not
attainable by penance, sacrificial rituals, or hundreds of fasts.
Living beings attain liberation when they realize, ‘I am
Brahma.’” –Eds.

25 May 1960 DMC, Saharsa