Authentic Tantra, All Inclusive Path to Unconditional Love!

Every exhale of breath that we make relies on every inhale of breath that we take.

Without darkness, there would be no light. Order is defined against the backdrop of chaos. Sometimes we think of opposites as being separate from one another. But how is it that they can be separate when they need each other to exist? Even space and form are one unified energy. In the world of form, we tend to only pay attention to that which is visible to the naked eye. And yet, form is simply the compaction of space, and space expanded form. Energy and form are inseparable.

All duality exists because we think it does. We form distinctions, gravitate toward one end of the spectrum over another, and begin to qualify things as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. And once we’ve internally classified experiences as good or bad, we become attached to the experiences that we can have. Attachment brings identification, and we lose sight of who we truly are. When we forget our core essence we suffer.

Underlying the world of form, there exists a single, unified field of consciousness. It is timeless, eternal, whole, present, now. Consciousness is not based upon the polarizing vagaries of form. It has no opposition. It is the unnamable space of oneness from which all things arise. Consciousness is harmony, peace, it is immovable. And it is who we are.

Traditional, authentic Tantra teaches us to transform our relationship to life through fully acknowledging and embracing all aspects of ourselves. Complete immersion in all experiences without avoidance. To intimately and lovingly engage in this world of form with balanced emotions, sane minds and awakened sexuality and to simultaneously realize our true essence to be Absolute.

“It is in the nature of the Being to seek adventure in the Becoming and it is in the nature of Becoming to seek peace in the Being” ~ Nissargadatta Maharaj

It all starts from within.When we allow the core of who we truly are to blossom in our physical world, life opens for us in amazing ways. Our relationship with others become one of true compassion, understanding, transparency and unconditional Love. Many different words could be used to describe this process. Tantra uses the phrase “Intimacy with Self.’

When I refer to embracing the entire spectrum of human being, I am pointing to using every aspect of ourselves for spiritual growth and realization, which includes understanding the nature of our minds, bodies, emotions, desires and ultimately experience harmonious and intimate relationship with others. When we lack awareness in any of these foundational aspects, we seek fulfillment outside self and suffer. So let’s explore how traditional Tantra practices can help us become deeply intimate beings.

Mind and Thoughts

The mind is a remarkable tool. It is creative. Innovative. It can be an incredible asset in our lives. We can solve mathematical equations, grapple with advanced scientific theories, build architectural masterpieces, design intricate computer systems, decide which clothes to wear. We can accomplish almost anything we set our minds to. It also helps us to function in life. It gets us from point A to point B, keeps us on time, reminds us to brush our teeth. It is simply an incredible tool.

But there is just one problem. We have forgotten that the mind is a tool. We have mistaken the level for the carpenter. How many of us are identified with our fearful, disempowering thoughts on daily bases? We live in a mind-driven world. Just as incessant as the overbearing stimulus which surrounds and pummels us in society, so these thoughts which course through our minds flow on endlessly like a tsunami. The mind jumps constantly from thought to thought, consumed by outward projection and interpretation and discrimination. And we let the mind dictate who we are and how we assemble our reality.

I call this face of the mind ‘egoic mind.’ It is the mind left unchecked, obsessed with survival and self preservation, the mind that no longer is simply a tool. When left to its own devices, without the direction of awareness, the mind causes immense turbulence. It indulges in a constant dualistic battle which can never be won. Wrong, right, good, bad, beautiful, ugly, adequate, inadequate. The distinctions are endless. Mind feeds rapaciously off of cultural conditioning, past associations, and censorship. It is skeptical. Doubtful. Distrustful. The mind has a hunger for identification which can never be satiated. The more you feed it, the hungrier that it gets.

There are a few simple keys to opening to a sane, calm, enlightened mind. First, Simply observe. Allow awareness to enter into the gaps between your thoughts. Just as mind snowballs out of control, awareness can be accumulated in the same way. Allow the thoughts to happen without any associations or judgements. In that gap, simply relax all your point of views, your mental constructs, your beliefs, rather than being driven by them. Here you are aware. You are present. The more aware you are of your thoughts, the more awareness will enter your life. Face whatever comes up and allow it to be. In the presence of awareness, any fear-based thoughts will quickly lose its energy. Without awareness, it will always lurk just beneath the surface, ready to erupt at any time. Finally, don’t censor the mind. Fighting a thought only adds to its power. If you don’t give it attention, it won’t be able to distract you anymore from this moment, from being. The thoughts will simply come and go and eventually dissipate. When the mind calms, We heal our separation from self, life, and others. You will see things, situations for what they actually are. You will also recognize mind and its nature – to create, to assist you, to think through strategies and tactics. When the mind no longer consumes you, when you no longer believe it to be who you are, other aspects of your being open up. Your depth will emerge. Your core essence will begin to direct your life. Ultimately, living in this way, we can live in a dualistic world, but our sense of being is no longer rooted in dualism.

Emotions

Where do emotions come from? Where do they go? And, after they have passed, why are we often left with the feeling of ’what just happened?’ Nature’s many ways of expression are connected to a vast, intricate intelligence. They are a part of a massive nexus of wisdom, mystery and always have a purpose connected to a greater design. Nature can be an incredible teacher. When we open ourselves to it, it is as if we are watching an ever-changing, dancing interplay of creation’s most intimate secrets. Our emotions contain incredible mystery and richness too, and are directly connected with the movement of life. But, if left unexplored, they can wreak havoc on our own internal systems. They might become sources of indifference, or fear, but in either case, they affect our ability to live in harmony with all of Creation.

The word ‘emotion’ comes from the Latin word emovere which means ‘to move through or out.’ Emotions change by the moment. They are not static. It is often we who are unchanging in the way that we experience our emotions. Most of us experience emotions which are thought-oriented. When the egoic mind runs rampant in all out survival mode, it triggers a bodily reaction. These emotions usually come with a story that we tell ourselves centered around past conditionings.

Energy of the emotion, though, simply is. Anger in itself is energy arising, but when it collaborates with our thought, which is not in cooperation with inevitability of the situation, it becomes personal, and hits up against a blocked energy within us. When that wall gets hit, it only resists more. The emotion experienced in this way only solidifies our identity. From here, what initially started out as anger/energy, now turns into resentment, manipulation, vengeance, self preservation, or some other form of energy block. In this way, our reaction to the emotion not only affects us, but can contagiously begin to move out, spread, and affect others.

Learning how to acknowledge our emotions as they arise, to not be detached from them, but also to not be swept away by them, is a practice in learning how to live in alignment with the ever evolving beauty of the universe. When our emotions are ‘up,’ we have the opportunity to embrace life, to allow our emotions to guide us back to a place of balance. Highly charged emotions bring with them the chance to transform ourselves, to experience true intimacy.

Awareness, once again, is the key.

Feel your emotions fully without indulgence or trying to get rid of them, fight them, suppress them, or otherwise entertain them. And do not make them about others. The emotion is your experience, no matter who or what else appears to bring it up in you. So, for instance, if you feel angry toward another person, stop. Take a moment. Instead of lashing out, feel your own anger deeply. Feel the trembling, the shaking. Feel the living, pulsating energy that courses through your body. Do not judge your anger or analyze it. Most of all, do not fear it. Simply be present with it. Breathe deeply. Know that it is simply the energy. When awareness is present, the energy will transform and the anger will dissolve. What the energy transforms into is heightened awareness and the flow of life force. In that moment you have become the alchemist and transformed lead into gold.

When you practice this on a regular basis, you will begin to experience an enormous shift within yourself. Unbalanced emotions will cease to have power over you. You can also bring awareness to your positive emotions. When you feel joy, feel the sensations in your body, feel the opening in your heart instead of becoming attached to the emotions or the object or person that appeared to elicit them. Simply let them guide you into your core essence, which is joy already.

Emotions are natural, as natural as energy movement itself. What is not natural is holding onto them, blocking them. Occasionally, we might try to hold onto our emotions with such a tenacious grip that we end up storing them in the body as if within a tightly locked vault of pent up energy. It is often very easy to see how we store emotions in our physical bodies simply by walking down the street and noticing the looks on people’s faces, stiff bodies, guarded hearts and distorted breathing. Sexual energy cultivated consciously, with awareness, is one of the most potent ways to transform destructive emotions and free blockages in the body. Ancient tantrics often used sexual practices to heal and transform mental, emotional and physical blocks.

When we are no longer dominated by our emotions, we become deeply feeling beings. You can easily recognize the difference between emotionality and feeling in one very simple way. In emotionality, you are always right. Justified. Invested. When you feel deeply, you have absolutely no investment whatsoever in the indulgent, consuming need to be right. Emotions will still come and go like the changing weather patterns. But you will neither be invested in them nor detached from them. You will simply feel and experience.

Life on this planet is meant to be felt. Emotions provide us with a richness, a depth to our earthly experiences. When we approach them with awareness, they provide us with the ability to feel our own naturalness in deep, deep ways. And there is almost nothing as valuable to continued existence on this planet as highly aware, deeply feeling, open hearted beings.

Desire

Desire is vital to our human experience. We have to have the desire to wake up each day, to greet the sun, to go on living. Without it, it’s unlikely that our heart would bother to even go on beating. We were born through an act of desire.  Desire puts us in touch with our senses. It awakens us to our physical world, it makes us feel alive.

When we are capable of experiencing deep sensations with all of our senses, awake, alive, totally present without condition or thought, then desire becomes a powerful stream through which we can experience our true essence.The challenge begins when that one moment becomes a series of moments. The person or object we feel desire for quickly becomes an ‘object of our desire.’ Our mind places the person, object or situation into the contextual framework of memories, associations, and conditioned responses. Thoughts quickly take over.

Non-inquired desire can lead to the bottomless pit of obsession. There is never enough, nor will there ever be enough, to satisfy the egoic mind. Being able to distinguish the egoic mind from pure desire is mastery. But it’s tricky.

We can easily convince ourselves that how we are acting is not survival-based. “I need to experience this from the place of my highest self.” When you experience the desire from your higher self, The desperate need or identification will be absent. Our desires can easily lead us into the world of opposition. We quickly discriminate between pleasure and pain, appropriate, inappropriate, and yet, any desire based in unconditional love will always serve the highest for all beings.

We’ve been taught that desire will lead us astray, that desire prohibits us from knowing God or creation. Genuine desire does not prohibit us from knowing Creation. Rather, it allows us to live creation fully. When experienced without the interference of egoic mind, sexual desire is one of the strongest, most natural feelings that we can have. It is the impulse to live, to create, to share, to be. Without it, there would be no physical life on this planet. In its genuine form, it is the desire to be fully alive.

As your desire comes up, let it be, and allow awareness to reveal subtle manipulations, attachments and identifications. It is the perfect arena through which to liberate yourself from that which restricts you from intimacy with Self. Do not make your desire wrong. Know your desire, understand it, and you will realize when to act on it or not. Observe the egoic mind and how it seeks to control. Acknowledge the presence of your desire. There is an inherent intelligence within you that is not beholden to thought. When thoughts arise, let that intelligence guide you. We may think that our deepest need is for our desires to be fulfilled but if we truly investigate with awareness, what we really want is to not be so identified with our desire. Desires come and go, it is the attachment to our desire that causes distress. Relaxing in awareness allows a deep knowing to come through. This knowing will guide you, open you to your totality. Whatever we seem to desire is never about the object. Recognize that the ‘object’ is not separate from us to begin with.

If you follow desire back to its source, you will find that it is an inward experience, even as it seems to want to move outward. Follow that desire, let it take you in, into the wholeness that you already are. Let it show you that your innermost desire has always been to know your True nature in all its glory.

Enlightened Relationships

We cannot be truly intimate with another if we are not intimate with ourselves. Deep intimacy with Self is our great work as humans. It is a remarkable process which takes us on a journey of intense exploration, moment by moment. A journey which helps us to know the workings of our mind and emotions through direct, personal experience. It requires commitment, courage, deep earnestness and maturity. It deepens our communion with all forms of all things. When the the doors to awareness open, we begin to live our lives with ease, in alignment with the ebb and flow of creation. The place where we no longer fight life, no longer resist it, we avoid nothing and face everything. Completely receptive to existence, but active within the movement of it. Our true nature will continue to call us home and remind us that our deepest fulfillment lies within the awareness of our eternal nature.

It is possible to do our inner work while in romantic, intimate relationships. Most of us bring our past conditioning, our traumas and our fears in to our relationships. We expect another to fulfill our needs, cater to our egoic mind and unbalanced emotions and to fulfill our deepest desires in order to be happy. This can never bring us true happiness and joy.

Traditional Tantra provides many sexual and awareness practices to bring continous renewal in to our love relationships. These practices help us realize that our essence is unconditional love so we can sustain the feelings of aliveness, clarity, freshness and being in love. Realizing our fundamental nature brings about kindness, deep compassion and true understanding for another being.

Imagine if all our relationships were based in heart-to-heart communication, deep in-to me I see (intimacy), where we realize that fundamentally we are all one and desire the same things. To love, to be loved, to be understood and accepted for all that we are. Imagine if we all realized that, who we are is fundamentally whole already, who would we be today as a society as the world?.

“When we come to know that in our core essence we are already whole and choose to share this knowing with one another, a deep, deep communion occurs. There is no need for words because the language of the heart knows itself to be love! It is where the sacrosanct enters the realm of the physical. Life becomes a celebration of ecstasy. It is as if all of existence celebrates such a union.”

Comments:

  1. Romaldo avila says:

    Zeerak Your videos are good and inspiring.

    It is essential for everyone to know and understand his/her forgotten
    Origin and the cause of our fall from Grace. Because everything in the
    Cosmos is interconnected, multi-dimensional and has many forms.

    This humanity acts and reacts in an intellectual three dimensional world.

    It relies on data supplied by the five senses. Unfortunately, the intellect has locked almost every inhabitant into the cosmic Law of Empathy. Where, everybody does the same thing. The intellect cannot get anyone into the Internal worlds. For this purpose, humanity needs to learn to think psychologically in order to re-open it’s internal mind. Who’s eloquent language is silence.

  2. Maggie Kalas says:

    I hear you, sister. One in light… you have a lovely way of expressing this truth.

  3. Zeerak,

    Wonderful words of wisdom again. Good to hear a teacher such as yourself speaking on the wisdom of moving energy from the crown to the heart chakra to move consciousness higher. Have done this through meditation numerous times, though the goal of course to to reach that point with a true love and allow the energy to spiral higher with the joining of two beings.

    Wonderful wisdom.

    Namaste,
    Stephen

  4. Kaushik says:

    The idea of sentimental heart is a tough one for the ego to give up. We believe it is what gives life spice and color.

    The love in Awareness is far more expansive and inclusive. As Rumi said, it is as the Sun loves the Earth. Unconditional and constant.

    Thanks, I’m enjoying your site.

  5. watching one says:

    Your words here on this blog are very good. It all works (as much as I have read here). I don’t think that you address the question that I am about to ask you, but I would so like to know dear Zeerak, please tell me, how do you see the matter of the hallucinogens, as to the manner in which people use them to address their spiritual understandings. I am referring here to such things as ayuwaska, and as magic mushrooms (when used in this way).
    I would rather not turn to these things myself. But, do you see a need for these things? And, if you do, do you know a way that is correct to use them, and, or, a way that is not correct?

    Your comments and insights will be most appreciated.

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