A Tantrik Occasion

A long time ago in a gallaxy called our own, there existed a world where the Goddess ruled. This is the world of tantra. The tantras are 64 sacred texts written from the 5th to the 8th century A.D. Contrary to popular belief, only a few of these texts deal with sex. The core of these teachings reveal that we are a microcosm of the universe, as everything around us is a macrocosm of what is going on within us. For this reason, tantriks revere and nurture their bodies: emotional, spiritual, and physical. Tantra is the yoga of the heart.

From the traditional tantrik view, the Goddess, or Divine Mother, gives reverence to both male and female powers. It affirms that God and Goddess go together, support each other, and should be worshiped together. In tantra, the cosmic consciousness is feminine and embodies feminine qualities. These include psycho-spiritual receptivity, compassion, and the energy of consciousness. The masculine force is the manifestation of will, drive, and control. Tantra views the feminine as the embodiment of spiritual wisdom, with the male being the embodiment of physical wisdom. Because it is the female that holds the power to see through the illusions of the mind, she is as gold to her male counterpart. She is his Shakti, his power-source, his direct access to the universe.

This view is quite different from the current patriarchal Christian or Judaic perspective. I say current because there was a time when all religions honored the Goddess and believed that without Her blessings, they were powerless. In tantra she was the Shakti, in Suffism she was the Fravashi. In the Middle East, Al Lat, the Goddess of the Moon, became Allah.

According to The Book of Jasher, a nine foot ancient scroll intentionally left out of the Old Testament, the Jews worshipped the Goddess Asherah long before the had ever heard of Jehovah.f1 Jesus called Mary Magdalene, "apostle to the apostles", "the Divine Mother that knew all".f2 Internationally acclaimed author and tantrik scholar, Miranda Shaw, revealed some astonishing research with reference to the woman behind Shakyamuni Buddha. In her book, Passionate Enlightenment: Women in Tantric Buddhism, she states that he received his spiritual enlightenment during tantrik sex with his wife in their palace. Only then did he renounce his kingdom and become a homeless wanderer in inspire people to take up the spiritual life.f3

So when did this schism between the God and the Goddess occur? Apparently not until the current world age or yuga. It is the time the Hindu's call the Kali Yuga, the time when male energy would fall out of alignment with his female energy. According to the tantrik world view, we are all male/female by nature. In the womb our bodies are androgynous for a certain amound of time until the soul entering the body makes a choice as to which sex would serve it best. Just as we are born of a woman's body, the Gods and Goddesses confess they were also born of a woman's consciousness. The universe is the embodiment of the feminine principle...just as Mother Earth is. The feminine by its nature is to "birth" life, love, and creativity. This is The Divine Mother", the Mother to the Earth, the Gods, Goddesses, the Cosmos.

I believe that one of the reasons tantra is capturing the interests for so many today is its clearly defined honoring of male and female roles. In American society, those roles have become muddled by a number of issues. Many men were raised by single mothers and did not have strong male role models. Even more confusing for a young male has been the need for his primary female archetype to be both nurturer and disciplinarian. Part time fathers rarely want to discipline their children during their precious, limited time with them. More often then not, role models have had to come from the distorted worlds and characters of television and the movies. When those scenarios are played out in our lives, it can complicate this issue even more and be labeled from everything from sexual harassment to a whole cornucopia of mental psycosis.

So what can tantra teach us about our masculine/feminine roles in today's world? First would be to honor the God/Goddess in ourselves. See our bodies as a temple for a visiting deity. What must we do to prepare this house for its sacred guest? Holding an image of the sacred within us sets a resonance for our life. Seeing that sacredness in others sets another resonance. When you treat all beings in your life as a visiting holy being, it brings out the very best in them. Treat the woman in your life this way and the results will be astonishing.

Try listening, really listening to her when she talks. Make eye contact and make her feel what she has to say is the most important thing in the world to you. If she's a chatterer, chances are she hasn't felt that you have heard her. If you're busy, look her in the eyes and say, "What you are saying is very important to me and I want to give it my full attention. I can't do that right now so could you save what you have to tell me till lunchtime?" (Or whatever time works for you). Be sure to keep that appointment, even if it's only five minutes, and then really listen to her. This will honor her and she will feel it. You will find she will honor you too by making sure what she has to say is important to you both.

Next is what I call smoke signals. When you are with friends, or in a crowded room; anyplace where you clearly are not trying to get her into bed, gently rub her back or neck with your hand. To do so in a safe, non-intrusive place signals love to her more than anything else. We have almost reachd a point in our relationships where we often only touch one another when we want something. When she begins to feel safe with you touching her in this way, snuggle and touch her in bed, but do not move towards sex. This behavior will turn her on no end, and you will find yourself being treated more and more like a king as she begins to embody her queen.

On this same note..once in a while, when she least expects it, look at her across a room or table and smile gently. Without words, show her how you feel. This simple gesture will earn you the loyalty of her heart.

This article originally appeared in the Dec.1999 issue of GC Magazine in Dallas, Texas. All rights are the property of Uriel Dana and may not be reproduced without proper copyright acknowlegement. © 1999 by Uriel Dana

.f1. From a lecture presented by Sir Laurence Garner, Kt St GM, KCD, author of Bloodline of the Holy Grail, at The Ranch, Yelm, Washington, 30 April 1997
f2. Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels, New York:Random House, 1979,p.22
f3. Interview with Craig Hamilton, What Is Enlightenment, Issue 13,Spring/Summer 1998