12 - Discourses on Tantra Volume Two

Chapter 2 Tantra and Its Effect on Society (3)

So practice in each and every stratum of life receives due recognition in Tantra, and the coordination and cooperation of the practices in all strata represents Tantra in its proper perspective. The practice for raising the kulakuńd́alinii is the internal sádhaná of Tantra, while shattering the bondages of hatred, suspicion, fear, shyness, etc., by direct action is the external sádhaná. When those who have little knowledge of sádhaná see the style of this external fight, they think that the Tantrics moving in the cremation ground are a sort of unnatural creature. Actually the general public have no understanding of these Tantrics. In the direct fight against the ripus and páshas they may appear to be unnatural for the time being, but one cannot ignore the fact that in wartime every person becomes, to some extent, unnatural in his or her activities.

Those who did not understand the inner spirit of the subtler sádhaná of Tantra,(1) or those who did not or could not understand the essence of [Tantric] practices or could not follow those practices in their lives, misinterpreted the real idea and did whatever they liked according to their sweet will, with the intention of furthering their narrow individual interests and fulfilling their worldly desires. A section of the polished intelligentsia, because of their meanness and degraded tastes, misunderstood Tantra and went against its idea. Those who could not understand the inner spirit of the terms madya, máḿsa, miina [matsya], etc. (known as the Paiṋcamakára),(2) accepted the crude worldly interpretations of those articles, and their Tantra sádhaná was nothing but an immoral antisocial activity.

The process of Tantra sádhaná is gradual. But with even a preliminary advancement in this sádhaná, sádhakas attain certain mental and occult powers which make them stronger than the average person in terms of mental and spiritual development. But if in the process sádhakas forget Parama Brahma, the culminating point of all our vital expression, and employ their mental and occult powers to exploit the common mass and to satisfy their lusts, then the demerit lies with those individuals, not with Tantra. If sádhakas remain vigilant and alert regarding the principles of Yama and Niyama, that is, the cardinal moral principles, there is little chance of their degradation. Rather with their developed mental and occult force, they will be in a position to render better service to humanity and to utilize their intellects in a better way.

People can use any of their powers or attainments either for virtue or for vice. If anyone applies his or her potentialities in evil or destructive designs instead of in good ones, then the powers or potentialities are not to be blamed – all the lapses are lapses of the person. Money can be used in various public welfare projects; yet it can also bring on various socials evils. Swords can be applied to suppress the stupid, but also the gentle. So is the sword or the money responsible for its own good or bad use? Certainly not. It is highly improper to allow the powers attained through Tantra sádhaná to become extroversial; it is proper to exercise all these attainments in more complex sádhaná, in the subtler pursuits, so that spiritual obstructions are forced out of the human mind. This spiritual attainment helps the kulakuńd́alinii to ascend and to merge with, or unify with, Supreme Consciousness.

Tantra should be utilized only in the subtle field; if applied extroversially, it brings about so much of the crude impact of worldly affairs that the degeneration of a sádhaka becomes unavoidable. The power that is applied by degenerated Tantrics in the śát karma(3) of Tantra – that is, psychically killing, psychically dominating or controlling, stupefying, hypnotizing, etc. – has, in reality, nothing to do with spirituality. All of these powers are simply mental powers attained through Tantra sádhaná. They can be attained even without practising Tantra sádhaná, by practising certain mental processes. But then such powers can be successfully applied only against mental weaklings. No endeavour of this sort will find any opening with mentally stronger persons. And none of these actions carries any value for a spiritual sádhaka.

To attain Tantric power one has to practise both external and internal sádhaná – has to stage a fight of both kinds. As a part of the external fight one has to apply a vigorous force or control over his or her worldly conduct and expression, while in the internal fight one has to arouse and to take up his or her kulakuńd́alinii against one’s crude thought with all the strength of one’s intuition.

(1) See “Tantra and Sádhaná”, section on The Crude and Subtle Paiṋcamakára. –Eds.

(2) See “Tantra and Sádhaná”, section on The Crude and Subtle Paiṋcamakára. –Eds.

(3) For more on the “six actions”, or “six branches”, of Avidyá Tantra, see the chapter “Vidyá Tantra and Avidyá Tantra”. –Eds.