Today I'm going to be
going through the various themes that we'll be covering, just
touching on each one, and giving an introduction.
Later in the course,
we'll be going into more depth and seeing how they interrelate. So
they will make more sense as we go along, but this will be, like I
said, an overview.
Going through the '10
Keys to Understanding and Practising Tantra':
The first one is 'Yogic
Keys'...
Yoga and Tantra have
been associated throughout the history of Tantra.
In modern times, the
two things have become dissociated.
The idea of Yoga has
become, for some, a kind of modern acrobatics, and so this is the
extreme end of the scale – the popular view of people who have just
come across yoga in the gym, for example. Because you can find yoga
in many health clubs and gyms.
So the type of yoga
that you'll find in those conditions are often really
health-oriented, and fitness, and really it's a very superficial
approach compared to what the Yoga tradition has to offer originally.
You could really say
that something similar has happened to the Tantra tradition, which
was also a vastly rich tradition. Well actually, as it will be clear
in the following classes, a whole network of traditions – not just
one tradition, but a whole network of different traditions – which
have all become classed under the same name, 'Tantra'.
But in modern times,
the popular idea of Tantra has become that it is 'exotic sexuality'
and something related to Kama Sutra, and to prolonging sex, and
intensifying sex.
It's not that this is
completely unrelated to Tantra, but it certainly doesn't represent
the Tantric tradition in any clear way.
It really just skims
the surface of what Tantra is about, and in fact has almost nothing
to do with some of the Tantric traditions, because only some of them
are about sexuality as we understand it.
Some of the Tantric
traditions are practised only individually, and not as a practice
with a partner.
Going back to the
theme of the Yogic keys...
Some of the yogic
practices that are most well-known because they're the most visible
and memorable are the postures – the asanas – the physical
movements and postures that are very popularly associated with yoga.
These are much more
than just stretching exercises. They are classified in some of the
ancient texts, (which are both 'Tantric' and 'Yogic' texts)... these
postures are classified as part of the preparation for the ultimate
goal of 'Union' – Union with the Divine.
The word 'Yoga' is
translated often as 'Union', or as 'joining', and of course Tantra
also is related to union and to joining.
The word 'Tantra' is
translated in many different ways. One of them is 'technique' for
'expansion' and 'liberation' of the mind.
'Expansion of
consciousness'... 'liberation of the mind'.
So, interestingly, this
translation has absolutely nothing to do with sex, or sexual energy.
In relation to the
Yogic keys, there are these preparations for expanding consciousness
and ultimately, experiencing what could be described as 'infinite
consciousness'.
Both Yoga and Tantra
are related to expanding consciousness and experiencing profound
communion with what you could call the 'Divine', or you could call
the 'Infinite'... You could call it the 'Source of existence', or you
could call it 'the Source of Divine Grace'.
So, it's clearly a
spiritual practice – both Yoga and Tantra.
But I have to take a
step back and say that, when I refer to Tantra in this way, I am
being selective about which types of Tantra I am referring to.
There is, like I said,
a whole tapestry of traditions that are referred to under the same
name of 'Tantra'.
In a following class,
we will be going into detail about the different traditions. So it
will become clearer what the distinctions are in the different
approaches, the different philosophies, that each of these traditions
have.
Also, one of the very
central aspects found within the yogic tradition – but less
associated in the popular mind, because it's less easy to see – is
the breathwork, 'Pranayama'.
The word 'Pranayama' is
sometimes translated as 'control of the breath', or 'bringing the
breath to stillness', or creating 'evenness of breath'.
Prana means not only
'breath' but 'energy'.
Summary/ recap:
I have been going
through the first of 10 themes that are the outline of what we'll be
going through in the course – these 10 keys to understanding and
practising Tantra, the first being 'Yogic Keys' – the tools that
are used in Yoga such as asana, pranayama, mudras and other elements.
Next:
The Divine Relationship
