Ritual

A practising tantrika in the
Himalayas.
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'microlab', where one can participate in wide-ranging experiences
which develop one's own potential in a group setting and make the
aspirant aware of integrated wholeness through interpersonal
contact. The application of many and diverse ritual practices such
as gestures (mudras) and touching the various parts of the body
(nyasa) not only have symbolic significance but a psychological
basis as well: they are 'empathy building' methods which deepen
concentration and expand the awareness of the aspirants.
The use of such things as incense, flowers, sandalwood paste,
honey, etc., and eating and drinking together, foster sensory
awakening and experience through the senses. Likewise the
frequent outbursts of the joy chorus' are deep moments of group
interaction binding each adept into a common genre. Periodic
observance of these rituals acts as reinforcement and contributes to
the complete cycle of spiritual development as well as adding
harmony to life.
During the performance of special rituals tantric aspirants
sometimes resort to the use of drugs, drinks and chemicals:
drinking bhang, a drink made of hemp leaves; or smoking
ganja, an intoxicant; or smearing the naked body with specially
prepared ashes. These are used not for mystical illumination but to
counteract the influence of adverse conditions such as extreme cold
or heat, hunger and thirst, especially when a prolonged ritual is
performed under the sky at midnight in solitary places or at a high
altitude.
In today's psychedelic rituals, many people have recourse to
conscious-expanding experiences by means of drugs, to feel the
'isness of things'. According to the findings of a Harvard
Psilocybin Project, the persons who took drugs reported that 'One
moment of clock time in an LSD session can be an eternity of
ecstasy. . . . These reports, interestingly enough, are quite similar
to the accounts given by the adepts of Kundalini Yoga and certain
forms of Tantrism.' 7 The resemblance of the LSD experience to
that of the yogi is only a close approximation to its real nature.
There are essential differences between the two. A 'chemical
pilgrimage' is a short-lived experience initiated and prolonged by
artificial means and exists isolated from life. On the other hand, a
yogi's experience is the outcome of a discipline, set within a certain
psychological and spiritual framework. His outer life is controlled
by his inner, so that even while withdrawing from the outer world
he is not alienated from life, since he is firmly established within
himself. Every movement, thought and action is performed for
the attainment of a prescribed goal. He awakens his inner forces