Ritual

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Sakti worship It is not physiological sight but psychologically seeing her as a mental screen onto which is projected a series of personifications, that changes the adept's ordinary perception of a woman into a special kind of perception - Sakti. The transference of divinity is not something which is detached from the real but is within the reach of experience. The man and the woman both are parts of a drama to which they conform in perfect lucidity. Their interplay is a complementary movement of thought and feeling; there is no place for abstraction here, but only constant reference to a tangible human condition. Hence the experience of the transubstantiation of a woman into a goddess is viewed as a very special revelation of reality which can be seen, felt, and apprehended in no other way than what it is. The man and woman encounter themselves in one another; in doing so more completely does one relate to one's inner self. This continuous activity of 'seeing' into one another through the various ritual acts climaxing in sexo-yogic asana plunges the group into an anonymity in which personal ego-sense is dissolved for the acceptance of the common goal. By the process of ritual projection, the adepts are imbued with divinity until both the male and female, who represent the dialectical principles, achieve an existential awareness of unity similar to the symbol of the circle: 'So 'ham: I am He' or 'Sa 'ham: I am she', for 'There is no difference between Me and Thee.' Sublimation techniques are based on regulating seminal ejaculation, which is achieved by combined thought and breath control, along with certain asanas such as Padmasana, Siddhasana, Savasana, Yoniasana, Janujugmasana, Chakrasana, Puhapakaasana, Ratiasana, Bhagasana, and certain mudras, prominent among which are Vajroli, Sahajoli, Yoni, Khechari and Mahamudra. Sexual energy is also controlled through Hatha-yoga. The proper practice of these mudras, bandhas or asanas, pranayama, etc., ensures retention of sexual energy in both partners. If, by chance, orgasm occurs, the fluids can be withdrawn into the body by Vajrolimudra. Through bandhas and asanas, expansion and contraction of the pelvic region are also possible, the most effective being the Uddiyana-bandha, Mula-bandha and Mahavedha. True maithuna is the consummation of a difficult apprenticeship. The next stage of the ritual consists of its higher level, Sakti worship. The adept visualizes the essence of his Sakti as an abstract Devi. Kulu Valley, Himachal Pradesh, c. 18th century. Bronze. 175
Kali Yantra. Rajasthan, 18th century. Gouache on paper. 176 yantra of the Devi - a bindu in the triangle with its apex upwards at Sahasrara, the top of the head. He shares food and other ritual objects with his Sakti and draws an inverted triangle with a bindu inside it, within a circle on the ground at Sakti's right side; he worships the yantra, the abstract symbol of Sakti, with an offering of red flowers, preferably jaba (hibiscus), and the mantra: Om mandukyaya namah om kalagnirudraya namah om anantaya namah om varahaya namah om prithvyai namah om nalaya namah om kesaraya namah om padmaya namah om karnikaya namah om mandalaya namah om dharmaya namah om vairagyaya namah om aisvaryaya namah om jnanaya namah
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$9.95 Printed in England The life-a
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Frontispiece: Manuscript leaf illus
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Archaeological Surv
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Introduction Tantra is a creative m
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number of tantric texts were assemb
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Saktas (worshippers of Sakti, or fe
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The basic tenets of tantra can be e
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the union of opposites, the male an
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notions concerning time and space,
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Cosmic energy symbolized as the ser
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Tantric asana, or sexo-yogic postur
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The washer-maid represents the prim
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the five ingredients beginning with
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32 but at the same time maintains p
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Om, the cosmic sound, is a combinat
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Brahmanda, cosmic spheroid, a symbo
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Hari-Hara. Painting illustrating Vi
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ART The art which has evolved out o
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spective, tantric imagery is not an
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Symbolism and Imagery Tantric forms
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visible and eventually apprehended.
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figurative representation. The Sukr
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uilt up in stages during the entire
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The Universe and the terrestrial sp
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Point, and signifies the starting-p
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The Sri Yantra is a configuration o
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The Sri Yantra is called 'Nava Chak
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The seventh chakra, consisting of e
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64 The mandala indicates a focaliza
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The Kundalini Sakti, symbol of coil
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The creative spiral, Kundalini. 68
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A cosmographical schema showing Jam
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Cosmogram: an astronomical computat
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Cosmographical scheme showing Jambu
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so they signify the action of karma
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The terrifying aspects of these ima
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Modern research into the compositio
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'Krim', the bijamantra, almost an e
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consciousness, came spontaneously i
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tantric art and their own. Like the
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94 ancient Hindus. Some inferences
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Bindu. The universe in its unmanife
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98 units of energy called tanmatras
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V Astronomical equations, based on
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Samkhya's view that it is possible
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Atoms The atomic hypothesis of the
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matter or the remaining sediment of
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The Siddhayoga of Vrinda is an Ayur
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The science of mathematics was clos
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Solar orb. An astronomical chart us
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Extant astronomical charts were use
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(beginning with the new and full mo
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ecorded in 1954. Though science has
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Being residing in heaven. The real
Page 127 and 128: 126 Moscow Institute of Oriental St
Page 129 and 130: 128 of realization. Harmony is the
Page 131 and 132: Symbolic marks painted on wooden ma
Page 133 and 134: Yantra with mantra. 132 guru select
Page 135 and 136: Chakras in the etheric body. Rajast
Page 137: IX A practising Tantrika from north
Page 143 and 144: 142 Both mudras and nyasas are exte
Page 145: Schematic representation of how a y
Page 148 and 149: absorbed within the system and a gr
Page 150 and 151: object of concentration. Meditation
Page 152 and 153: After such a survey of various tech
Page 154 and 155: (from the root nad meaning motion,
Page 156 and 157: a red triangle 'radiant like the ri
Page 161 and 162: XVI
Page 164 and 165: to balance the dialectical process
Page 166 and 167: that involves the sperm's odyssey t
Page 168 and 169: inner spiritual urges to flow natur
Page 170 and 171: chaksuratatam'. He then salutes his
Page 172 and 173: Only when she is seen through divin
Page 174 and 175: IV Ram vanhyatmakam dipam sasaktika
Page 178 and 179: om anaisvaryaya namah om avairagyay
Page 180 and 181: om Im madanaye namah om Im utpadiny
Page 182 and 183: haga, which means both female organ
Page 184 and 185: That Power who exists in all beings
Page 186 and 187: either position, both the adepts en
Page 188 and 189: the Ida and Pingala subtle channels
Page 190 and 191: outgrow the merry-go-round of self-
Page 192 and 193: of beings and forms; (6) Chinnamast
Page 194 and 195: of the discipline may even abandon
Page 196 and 197: chants mantras, nor performs mudras
Page 198 and 199: BHUTA, any of the five elemental co
Page 200 and 201: PARA, last stage of consciousness.
Page 202 and 203: Bibliography Abhinavagupta, Tantras
Page 204 and 205: Panday, K. C, Abhinavagupta, Varana
Page 206 and 207: Index Abhinavagupta, 80 Absolute, 1
Page 208 and 209: Mercury, 19, 73 Mevlevi Dervishes,
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Ritual

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