The Tantric Way of Life

Individuals unfamiliar with true Tantra often associate the concept with exhilarating, prolonged sexual encounters. For those who have encountered it, Tantra is often associated with exceptional empowerment, liberation, and euphoric emotions and sexual experiences. Indeed, those elements pertain to Tantra; yet, Living Tantra constitutes a PRACTICE.

The spiritual discipline of Tantra originated thousands of years ago in India, although it has never attained such popularity as it has now, particularly in the West. There are a greater number of Tantra instructors present there than in India. In India, it is still seen as unethical and, thus, avoided. However, in the West, it continues to gain popularity, despite the absence of Tantra temples such to those at Khajuraho.

Tantra inquires if we can embrace what is there before us in the current moment. Is it possible to love our spouse as they already are, rather than for their potential? If I were to remain unchanged for the whole of my life, do I enjoy my current self?      If you cannot love your own self, you will be incapable of loving others as they now are. Contemplate what aspects of myself I find unlovable. The response serves as the impetus for your practice.

Tantra is a distinctive alchemical discipline focused on the transformation of a practitioner's human energy from a lower state to a higher one, akin to the enigmatic process by which coal is transmuted into a diamond.

Fostering the ability to love entails loving ourselves and others without conditions. Certainly, we will sometimes make mistakes. Even the most enlightened individuals I have seen are incapable of offering unconditional love at all times. However, we may establish it as a discipline, akin to how we approach meditation, exercise, and good eating—viewing these activities as processes of learning, cultivation, and intentional integration into our everyday lives.

Tantra is unrelated to superstition or the veneration of a deity. It is neither jantar mantra (magic), as misinterpreted in India, nor is it a kind of sexual indulgence, as often misconceived in the West. Individuals in both the East and the West have been misled on Tantra. In the East, many have held the belief that practicing Tantra would bestow upon them mystical abilities and lead to wealth. In the West, several practitioners have reduced it to the level of the Kamasutra. In every instance, human avarice has generated delusions in the brains of countless individuals.

Tantra adopts a holistic perspective on life, eschewing division and advocating against a fragmented existence. All is sacred – body, mind, and soul — including the physical and non-physical, the ordinary and the spiritual, from sexuality to higher awareness.

Living Tantra entails introspectively inquiring about the nature of my relationships. Our relationships include not just our beloved but also our connections with ourselves, friends, family, job, community, God/Spirit, and our interests and hobbies. Subsequently, use the response as a gauge for the profundity of our Tantra practice. The profundity of what emerges is contingent upon your degree of self-inquiry. What emerges may include articulating our needs, embracing vulnerability, asserting boundaries, prioritizing ourselves, meditating, listening, experiencing emotions, shaking, chanting, forgiving, and exhibiting compassion.

By denying the Chrysalis that facilitates our Metamorphosis, we are opposing transformation. We inhabit a pampered society that desires convenience in all aspects. However, the authentic application of Tantra extends beyond the confines of the bedroom. It observes our suffering and experiences our joy. It is a practice of returning to our core, returning to unconditional love.

When you are detached from pleasure and impervious to suffering, you are Living Tantra. When you embrace love and let your connections to facilitate your healing and growth, you are Living Tantra. When you are part of a community of individuals who support one another, engage in song and laughter, reflect, share, and connect, you are Living Tantra.