An Excerpt from Tantra for the West by Marc Allen
Open up to the possibility
that there is a quick, direct path in front of you to the fulfillment of your dreams.
It’s fascinating that when the word tantra is used in the West, it’s almost always thought of as sex, with some kind of mysticism thrown in. But if you look at how tantra has been taught and studied in the East for the past several thousand years — particularly in India and Tibet — you get a much broader sense of its meaning.
Tantra is not just “the yoga of sex”; it is the yoga of everything — of every moment. Yoga means “union,” so a good way to define tantra is “union with everything” or “the practice of every moment.” Here’s another good definition:
Tantra is the awareness that every moment is a direct path to love, freedom, fulfillment, and enlightenment.
Tantra is a path, a means, to freedom and fulfillment. What do freedom and fulfillment mean? It is up to you, of course, to discover what they mean for you — no one can do it for you. Once you can clearly define what freedom and fulfillment mean for you, you can realize them in your life — and it’s not all that complex or difficult. Freedom is being free to be yourself. Fulfillment is finding the direct way to realize your greatest, most wonderful dreams.
Tantra is wide open, with infinite possibilities — like life is, and like you are. Tantra includes sex, yet it includes everything else, too — every moment of your life. Every moment is sacred. Every moment is either something to enjoy and celebrate or something to be used as a teaching, a piece of valuable instruction, a message from the Universe for you in your emotional, mental, and spiritual growth.
Everything you are doing, have done, and will do are part of your practice of tantra. Through an awareness of tantra, we discover the unique perfection of every moment of our lives.
You can work miracles in your life by spending some time with the principles and practices of tantra. All you have to do is open up to them. Open up to the possibility that there is a quick, direct path in front of you to the fulfillment of your dreams. It is up to you.
The Brilliant Concept of Tantra
The concept of and the vast body of teachings encompassed by the word tantra are far more ancient than any scholar or historian could ever trace. The word comes from the ancient Sanskrit root word meaning “to weave.” Tantra is the stuff of life, the unique fabric of our lives that we have woven over the years.
Tantra has come to us through two vast, multifaceted traditions: Hinduism and Buddhism. Both originated in India, in all likelihood, although Buddhist tantra comes to us through the Tibetan culture. (If you’re interested, see the addendum, “Tantra in the East,” for more historical details.)
Although every form of tantra is unique, some important points can be made about all tantra:
Tantra is a way of life that involves acceptance of all life. It does not reject anyone or any spiritual path or psychological area of study. It embraces the whole of life. Everything has its own perfect reason for being.
Tantra shows that within every moment of our lives — within every feeling and thought and activity — there are deep and powerful truths that, when examined in a clear light, can lead to making great leaps along our paths in a very short time.
Tantra teaches respect for the individual, recognizing that everyone must evolve in her or his own way. There is no one answer. There is no pat system that will work for everyone. There is only endless evolution, and we’re part of the process, whether or not we’re aware of it. Simply becoming aware is the most important thing we can do to speed up the process and move into a state of being in which we are peaceful and free.
The Western world is ripe for the ideas and practices of tantra. Westerners are usually too individualistic and too worldly-wise (and a lot of us are way too lazy) to accept most forms of Eastern thought and practice, mainly because they contain a great many of the cultural trappings from the countries of origin. Many Eastern traditions encourage Westerners to go without sex, alcohol, coffee, meat and “impure” foods; to live a life of rigorous discipline; and to reject a great deal of the culture, heritage, and lifestyles of the West.
A study of the history of tantra reveals that its power, its ability to adapt so successfully to other cultures, rests on the fact that it does not reject modern culture. We don’t have to give up sex and meat and TV in order to achieve freedom and happiness. This is the effectiveness and power of tantra. We can create our lives exactly as we want them to be. It is up to us.
Marc Allen is the author of several books including Tantra for the West, The Magical Path, The Greatest Secret of All, Visionary Business, and others. He is an internationally renowned seminar leader, entrepreneur, author, and composer. He co-founded New World Library (with Shakti Gawain) and has guided the company, as president and publisher, from a small start-up to its current position as a major player in the independent publishing world. He leads seminars in northern California and gives teleseminars that reach people all over the world. For more information visit www.MarcAllen.com or www.NewWorldLibrary.com.
Excerpted from the book Tantra for the West, © 2015 by Marc Allen. Printed with permission of New World Library. www.newworldlibrary.com