Great-Bliss-Tantric-Sex-and-the-Path-to-Inner-Awakening

Verse 1: The two opening verses are praises to Śabara’s principal deity Lokanātha (aka
Avalokiteśvara) and to his deity’s consort Vajravilāsinī. The first verse is a refuge vow before
Lokanātha, “Lord of the World.” All these beings, high and low, wandering in saṃsāra, show
their reverence.
The asuras are jealous “anti-gods,” like the Greek titans, who war eternally against the gods to
obtain the secret nectar of immortality (amṛita).
“Lords of gods” refers to Indra and Indranī, the king and queen of the Vedic gods.
“Lords of humans” are human kings and queens.
Verse 2: Bhagavatī means “Lady Goddess.” It is a title of divinity, rulership, and buddhahood.
The verse states Vajravilāsinī is golden in radiance (but not in skin color). A later verse says she
has a golden-reddish glow. The sādhana does not say what color she is, but the red color of her
seed syllables indicates that she is red.
Feet represent impurity, and to take refuge at someone’s feet is to recognize that you are even
less pure than their feet are.
Verse 3: “The mountain” is where Śabara lives and practices, and received the sādhana from
Lokanātha.
“An imperishable sound” – The eternal sound emanates from ultimate reality. The sādhana is a
direct expression from ultimate wisdom, compassion, and love, divinely revealed to Śabara.
Verse 4: A mountain is symbolic for a heap of virtues. Śabara’s two mountains, 1) mano
bhaṅga padaṃ - lit. Dividing Mind Mountain, and 2) citta viṣrāma parvate – lit. Quiet Mind
Mountain, are understood as literal mountains somewhere in the Vindhya range in Orissa. At the
same time, it seems far too coincidental that Śabara begins by writing that he travels from a
mountain called “dividing mind” to a mountain called “quiet mind.” They can be usefully
understood as figurative of inner travels on his spiritual path, and the completion of his
pilgrimage signals his readiness to practice the sādhana. Here only the second mountain is
translated literally.
Jewels represent desire transformed into primordial wisdom.
Deer are a favorite animal in Buddhism, and represent peaceful awareness. Musk deer are famed
for the sexual power of their glands, and show the Tantric fusion of tranquility and sexuality.
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