Journal, 30th September 2006
I recently had a fellow from JHB who was interested in the massage emailing me explicit photos of naked women and pornographic photos of men and women. This is the difficulty here in SA: Tantra is not well known, there is little information available to the general public and one has to be a seeker or at least have heard of the word Tantra to Google and find the appropriate pages. So there is this general impression here, that this work is another form of eroticism, another form of sexuality and that practitioners of Tantra are either sex workers or sex-hungry, uninhibited individuals who live promiscuous lives! This is not the case, on the contrary: practitioners of Tantra live a form of sexuality that is immersed in awareness, connecting the physical and spiritual to embrace life, all life, in the universal Love that is available to all of us if we only take notice of it and become aware of it. Having said this tantric sexuality is however, only the physical aspect of the work
I wrote to this fellow sending me the pornographic photos, that he had not understood the spiritual aspect of the work and that it was inappropriate to email me such photos. I am neither repulsed by it, nor does it turn me on. All it does is show me where the fantasies of this fellow and possibly his repressions are embedded.
Certainly, tantric sexuality is wonderful, and delving into tantric practice will enhance your sexuality enormously. This is great for both singles and couples alike and Tantra also offers remedies for all aspects of sexual problems. It is not a bad thing to come to Tantra for these reasons. However, the earnest seeker will soon realise the greatness of this work. It is so much more than sexuality. Ultimately, Tantra teaches the transcendence of sexuality. For the seeker, the work starts with his or her sexuality, it continues through alleviating suppressions and all forms of repressions as well as all forms of sexual hurt. It takes you to acceptance of the sexual as something beautiful and natural in life – free of taboos, free of guilt, free of bad associations and dependency - dependancy of relying on sexual activity and success for feeling good about yourself and your life. It leads to free flowing sexual energy that does not require pornographic fantasies or the like. It leads to wonderfully satisfying sexuality in self-loving or with consenting partners and within this, to the spiritual connection between these partners and to life, to Existence itself. In the final stage, it leads to spiritual awakening, to enlightenment – the actual quest of the seeker – in a similar way as years of meditating does.
In fact, tantric sexuality IS meditation!
What is so special about this compared to other forms of spirituality and meditation? This question is often asked. There is nothing else by way of spiritual seeking or healing body work that addresses the sexual as directly as does Tantra. When the sexual is not addressed, not included in the path, many repressions are avoided, not looked at and thus stand in the way of real personal spiritual growth.
The body contains memories of whatever we experience in life, including what we are taught as children and young adults about the badness, the sin of the genitals and our innate, natural sexuality. The part of the body that takes most care of these memories, suppressions and repressions are the genitals – for the very reason that they are not mentally or physically touched on in usual therapeutic efforts to alleviate problems of all kinds. So in this area of the body, these memories and false understandings are kept and held and sometimes not even noticed – although they are constantly affecting our well being. Tantra addresses exactly this. This is what makes it so special, so direct and such excellent work.
Tantra therefore touches the body in a very real way – through the false associations held in the mind and in the body, mentally as well as physically. Practitioners of Tantra have no inhibitions about their own sexuality, having gone through the process themselves. They have no inhibitions talking about sexuality openly, experiencing sexuality, sharing sexuality, teaching sexuality, living sexuality. One form of living sexuality is actually transcending it, getting into the space of not needing it. I have experienced this and it is a very beautiful place to be in, contrary to what most people might believe. Transcendence of the sexual does not mean impotence or frigidity. It means freedom in a very real way. It means a coming home to your independent and individual self, to the real meaning of who you are – a coming home to Truth.
You can come to this work from any level, from the sexual wanting more satisfaction in life or from the seeker's yearning for awakening. What you will find is love, for yourself, for the othe and for all life. It is in this love that you find the answers we in some way all search for: what on earth is this life actually all about?
Working, sleeping, eating, having sex, making babies, living family life and going through some joys and some hardships is what we go through in our human state, but it is not in this that we find the meaning of life. The answer to this question may fall out differently for different individuals, but to me the bottom line is that there is only one Truth about who and what we are and this is only to be found in the spiritual: we are all connected as part of Existence, part of the great Divine, God.
There is no separation between us human beings, between us and nature, between us and Existence.
We are one. This realisation means freedom to me. This freedom means bliss at every level of my being.
Namasté
Leandra
PS I am adding some quotes from a most beautiful book about sacred sexuality which I recently bought: “Kama Sutra – Including The Seven Spiritual Laws of Love” by Deepak Chopra – I need to share this with you.
First of all, the artistic illustrations are really lovely and the book is filled with beautiful verses around the subjects of love and the newly interpreted original Kama Sutra - this was his aim with the book, to translate and interpret the old texts in a new way, than has been in the past.
"All problems related to sex, neurosis, deviancy, violence and abuse, can be traced to resistance, to suppression and repression, not to the sexual urges themselves. If we are allowed to discover our urges, desires and emotions, without outside inhibition, they won't go to extremes.
Extremism, in any form, is a reaction to repression, inhibition and suppression. Aggression and violence are the shadow energies of fear and impotence."
Deepak Chopra
This is what Vatsayayana wrote at the end of his book Kama Sutra (here in the translation of Deepak Chopra):
"Thus have I written in brief the science of love, after reading the texts of ancient authors and following the ways of enjoyment taught by them. One who is acquainted with the true principles of this science plus regard to virtue (Dharma), material success (Artha), and love or pleasure (Kama),
as well as to one's own experiences. Such a one is not driven simply by his own desires. A sexual practice is not right just because it is authorized by the science; keep in mind that these rules given by them, the Kama Sutra was composed according to the precepts of Holy Writ, for he benefit of the world, by Vatsayayana, leading the life of a religious student and wholly engaged in the contemplation of God. This work is not intended to be used merely as an instrument for satisfying our desires. A person acquainted with the true principles of this science, and who preserves his Dharma, Artha and Kama,
and has regard for the practices of society, is sure to obtain mastery over his senses. In short, through seeking three goals of life an intelligent and prudent person, without becoming the slave of his passions, obtains success in everything that he may undertake."
I hope I have made you curious about this great book!
Namasté
Leandra
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