Compilation of articles of the Tibetan Buddhist view on women and tantric sexuality

Women in Tantrik Buddhism

The Buddhas command that you must serve A delightful woman who will uphold you. A man who violates this is foolish and Will not attain enlightenment. Candamaharosana Tantra One should honor women Women are heaven, women are truth, Women are the supreme fire of transformation. Women are Buddha, women are religious community, Women are the perfection of wisdom. Candamaharosana Tantra: yogini tantra One must not denigrate women, In whatever social class they are born, For they are Lady Perfection of Wisdom, Prajnaparamita, The Mother of All Buddhas, Embodied in the phenomenal realm. Laksminkara: Realization of Nonduality Women alone are the givers of life,

Giving auspicious bestowals of true bliss Throughout the three worlds. When one speaks of the virtues of women, They surpass those of all living beings. Wherever one finds tenderness or protectiveness, It is in the minds of women. They provide sustenance to friend and stranger alike. A woman who is like that Is glorious Vajrayogini herself. A man should meditate upon his female companion As an embodiment of Vajarayogini's form Until intense practice produces Clear, direct vision. Candamaharosana Tantra
A vow possessing woman is like the earth

She is the wealth of the hero who loves her. Making her his foundation, like the earth, The yogi of Cakrasamvara worships her. Candamaharosana Tantra Honor both women and the earth As your eternal source of life and energy; As your eternal source of physical and spiritual well-being. The male adept who does this sincerely will surely

Attain residence in the transcendental realms. Jayananda Tantra

In order that one may realize one's inner self, Which is spontaneous, naturally pure and non-dual, The inner self manifests here as man and woman. One's own self, creative by nature, Enacts reality through bodily (tantrik) expressions. Sahajayoginicinta Tantra on Liberation Through Ecstacy, called: Realization of Reality Through Its Bodily Expression Seeing a delightful woman As enlightenment spontaneously appearing In embodied form, A Buddha gazes with passion and playfulness, And desire for pleasure and bliss arises. Sahajayoginicinta Tantra The female lover, gazing with desire, Utters sweet words like drops of honey. She unites with her consort in sacred union. Then moving her lotus to and fro, up and down She brings a rain of pleasure and bliss. Sahajayoginicinta Tantra

om ananda jaya ananda ma

take the forms of all these women Who now live to serve all sentient beings. 'Confident each in her own mode, Whichever form the yogi encounters He should kiss and embrace her, And uniting lotus and vajra in consummation He serves and honours her. With an altruistic desire to aid all sentient beings, Serving women through love, the yogin gains power. Power is bestowed instantaneously For that reason the yogin should serve women. Woman is heaven and woman is truth, Woman is the highest ascetic path, .. Regarding her and fondling her with attention He should engage her in clear conversation, And constantly kissing her and caressing her, He should worship Vajrayogini. Physically worshipped by those who are able And verbally and mentally by those who are not, To those who satisfy me through worship I will grant all my powers.

'I am nowhere if not in the bodies of all women. So rejecting all other paths, worship women! This is the supreme act of worship of me, And serving me in this way The aspirant gains satisfaction and supreme power. When he enters the path of insight He is given perfectly discriminating vision of me, Constantly, everywhere. Meditating upon all forms without exception as myself, He should make love to his own woman, Visualising her as my embodiment, And uniting lotus and vajra [sexual organs] in consummation I will give him enlightenment. Accordingly, devoted to me in all my forms, That yogin is supreme in every way. And through this method, in complete consummation, The practitioner attains total devotion. 'He should not live in fear of sin, In fear of the lower realms like hell. Insofar as he fears samsara's stings, To that extent he becomes impotent. Although sin has not the slightest existence, And virtue and merit do not exist at all, Sin and merit were contrived

To protect the mind from life's pain. Mind is the measure of all things And all things last only for the duration of the thought. 'Who will go to heaven and who to hell? Insofar as beings die with a poisoned imagination Those who are free of the power of poison go to heaven And those who faint away under the power of poison go to hell. Thus ignorant people go to heaven or hell, While the wise, totally comprehending, Attain nirvana. But if nirvana is taken as mere emptiness, Like a lamp after a gust of wind, This nihilism, like the paths of reward and retribution, Brings enlightenment no closer. Abandoning all such preoccupations, then, The aspirant should devote himself to me, And undoubtedly he will be granted power and awareness, The powers of Candamaharosana, instantaneously.' Sixty-Nine A person's approach to sexuality is a sign of his level of evolution. Unevolved persons practice ordinary sexual intercourse. Placing all emphasis upon the sexual organs, they neglect the body's other organs and systems. Whatever physical energy is accumulated is summarily discharged, and the subtle energies are similarly

dissipated and disordered. It is a great backward leap. For those who aspire to the higher realms of living, there is angelic dual cultivation. Because every portion of the body, mind, and spirit yearns for the integration of yin and yang, angelic intercourse is led by the spirit rather than the sexual organs. Where ordinary intercourse is effortful, angelic cultivation is calm, relaxed, quiet, and natural. Where ordinary intercourse unites sex organs with sex organs, angelic cultivation unites spirit with spirit, mind with mind, and every cell of one body with every cell of the other body. Culminating not in dissolution but in integration, it is an opportunity for a man and woman to mutually transform and uplift each other into the realm of bliss and wholeness. The sacred ways of angelic intercourse are taught only by one who has himself achieved total energy integration, and taught only to students who follow the Integral Way with profound devotion, seeking to purify and pacify the entire world along with their own being. However, if your virtue is especially radiant, it can be possible to open a pathway to the subtle realm and receive these celestial teachings directly from the immortals. Seventy-One The transformation toward eternal life is gradual. The heavy, gross energy of body, mind, and spirit must first be purified and uplifted. When the energy ascends to the subtle level, then self-mastery can be sought. A wise instructor teaches the powerful principles of

self-integration only to those who have already achieved a high level of self-purification and self-mastery. In addition, all proper teaching follows the law of energy response: the most effective method is always that to which the student's natural energy most harmoniously responds. For one, celibacy and self-cultivation will be appropriate; for another, properly guided dual cultivation will derive the greatest benefit. A discerning teacher will determine the proper balance of practices for each individual. In any case, know that all teachers and techniques are only transitional: true realization comes from the direct merger of one's being with the divine energy of the Tao. Section 66 The first integration of yin and yang is the union of seed and egg within the womb. The second integration of yin and yang is the sexual union of the mature male and female. Both of these are concerned with flesh and blood, and all that is conceived in this realm must one day disintegrate and pass away. It is only the third integration which gives birth to something immortal. In this integration, a highly evolved individual joins the subtle inner energies of yin and yang under the light of spiritual understanding. Through the practices of the Integral Way he refines his gross, heavy

energy into something ethereal and light. This divine light has the capability of penetrating into the mighty ocean of spiritual energy and complete wisdom that is the Tao. The new life created by the final integration is self-aware yet without ego, capable of inhabiting a body yet not attached to it, and guided by wisdom rather than emotion. Whole and virtuous, it can never die. Section 67 ....Because higher and higher unions of yin and yang are necessary for the conception of higher life, some students may be instructed in the art of dual cultivation, in which yin and yang are directly integrated in the tai chi of sexual intercourse....If genuine virtue and true mastery come together, the practice can bring about a profound balancing of the student's gross and subtle energies [otherwise it can have a destructive effect]. The result of this is improved health, harmonized emotions, the cessation of cravings and impulses, and, at the highest level, the transcendent integration of the entire energy body.

Section 69 A person's approach to sexuality is a sign of his level of evolution. Unevolved persons practice ordinary sexual intercourse. Placing all emphasis upon the sexual organs, they neglect the body's other organs and systems. Whatever physical energy is accumulated is summarily discharged, and the subtle energies are similarly dissipated and disordered. It is a great backward leap. For those who aspire to the higher realms of living, there is angelic dual cultivation. Because every portion of the body, mind, and spirit yearns for the integration of yin and yang, angelic intercourse is led by the spirit rather than the sexual organs. Where ordinary intercourse is effortful, angelic cultivation is calm, relaxed, quiet, and natural. Where ordinary intercourse unites sex organs with sex organs, angelic cultivation unites spirit with spirit, mind with mind, and every cell of one body with every cell of the other body. Culminating not in dissolution but in integration ["not in separation but in union"?], it is an opportunity for a man and woman to mutually transform and uplift each other into the realm of bliss and wholeness.

Section 70 The cords of passion and desire weave a binding net around you....The trap of duality is tenacious. Bound, rigid, and trapped, you cannot experience liberation. Through dual cultivation it is possible to unravel the net, soften the rigidity, dismantle the trap. Dissolving your yin energy into the source of universal life, attracting the yang energy from that same source, you leave behind individuality and your life becomes pure nature. Free of ego, living naturally, working virtuously, you become filled with inexhaustible vitality and are liberated forever from the cycle of death and rebirth. Understand this if nothing else: spiritual freedom and oneness with the Tao are not randomly bestowed gifts, but the rewards of conscious self-transformation and selfevolution. [Here is the excerpt from an email that predated this polling project.] I can (usually) easily feel the energy of my partner ... where he/she is focused (which chakra). I consciously dissolve/blend/synchronize myself (my energy) with that of my partner ... and then, I consciously coax ... raise the energy higher (vibrationally), while building it. I can do all

of this with my mind and heart and spirit. I can do this while physically distant from my partner. If you had to put a label on it ... you could call it simply an intense internal visualization. When I'm with a partner (physically), I blend/synchronize so completely, that I have flashes (in my mind) of being my partner! It's as if I'm making love to myself! That's what it "feels" like! I find myself going back and forth, sort of, swirling around, into and out of both our bodies. I know exactly what my partner needs/wants/feels/thinks ... because I find myself "to be" my partner, in instances! The difference, the separation between "me" and "him" (or "her") ... dissolve. I know myself to be the pair of us, undivided. So, the entire experience feels quite wonderful, because, it feels so perfect. Perfect "doing", premised before by perfect anticipation, and followed afterwards by perfect unfoldment. When/if a "climax" of energy is achieved (orgasm) ... I can consciously pull/move the energy around in my/our head. I can 'flatten' and 'smooth' it. I can 'put it' (if you will), right where I want it (if my partner is not preoccupied with other things). I am not convinced that the "climatic" energy of an orgasm itself is

always a 'bad thing', it is simply, usually, uncontrolled, and a violent eruption. But it doesn't have to be. Maybe it is "in most cases" ... for "most people" at this time. But, I think, it is more complex than you seem to have accounted for. I think the energy 'ball' can 'burn out' the various centers as it travels up the spine, if those centers have not been properly/appropriately purified before hand. I think the energy can be "rarefied" to such an extent, that it will "pass through" channels that it could not before (it would have been blocked). The energy always takes "the path of least resistance". But that path ... can be consciously controlled ... like damming a river, and deliberately diverting the water into canals and to operate a water wheel for a mill. But, it must "go" somewhere. If it travels up to a point ... and then the point is blocked (like a dam), and it keeps building up against the dam, then, at some point, the dam will break ... and that is "the release" (the orgasm) that most people identify with and are familiar with. This is what is "damaging" ... because it is undirected energy, exploding through a center that is blocked. It damages that center. Then, it takes time (a lot

more than two weeks) to rehabilitate that center to proper functioning. Just because a center is functioning "properly" doesn't meant that it is 'pure' enough for the energy to flow THROUGH it in a directed manner. Purification is key. So, next time, when the torrent of water reaches that center ... it is directed ... and the turbulent flow is consciously transformed into laminar [smooth] flow ... and directed upward (harmlessly and calmly) to the next center. The level of purification achieved at each center, defines how the flow is transformed (controlled and directed) as it flows upward along the spine. Some of the energy is "spent" spinning up each center as it flows through that center ... and 'new' energy is added at each center point. The "color" of the flow is altered and increased at each point. So, if you're "really good" (conscious and pure) ... the energy reaches the very top of your head. All the chakras along the front of your body are "spun up" ... and that is where many people "stop" the flow ... they consciously release it into their heads. But, you see, they are only halfway there. The energy has only completed HALF of its journey. Once it reaches your head, it needs to be

consciously directed back down the "back side" channel of your spine. Each chakra has a 'front' and a 'back'. So, you consciously direct it back down. It feels "warmer" after the U-turn. It starts pulsing, and takes on the feel of a standing wave. This is when/where the expansion really begins. Before, upward, it was building, rarefying, transforming from turbulent flow to laminar ... once it starts going back down ... the 'mission' is different. Now it is expansion and flowering. Just as a bulb stores it's essence, then breaks the ground with a single shoot, and that shoot grows towards the sun, straight up ... and then, eventually flowers open at the top. It is the same with this moving energy. Once the U-turn happens, the flowering (the expansion) begins. I cannot tell you about this too much ... because normally I stop in my head, right at the top. Obviously I have blockages preventing the energy from U-turning at the top, and going back down. I have been able to make it to my throat ... but never further (and even that is rare). My intuition tells me that if the "ball of energy" can be returned to top of the spine (after a full circuit has been completed) ... then a fundamental shift occurs.

The journey is not meant to be singular ... but pulsing, like the tides, like the sun and moon, like a wave, like breath. The physical bodies are better still. Eventually, the energy can complete many circuits, with each full circuit creating a shift in consciousness of the human being. The energy is not depleted, or "released" ... or "exploded" ... it is simply re-invested into the next circuit. The consciousness shift absorbs/uses most of the energy, so there is not much to "release" afterwards. There is no "climax" in the typically understood sense. But, it is still "an orgasm". I think using one word for "orgasm" is misleading. I think it is time to expand our vocabulary to encompass the multiplicity and multidimensionality of the act. Answer 9 - joyful expression rather than discipline This is what I feel for myself: I think when I am alone and my mate is not in the vicinity, I cannot just try to ignore my groin, which has energy that wants to move, nor when I am with him and the energy wants to move even more. I cannot depend only on controlling orgasm and such selfdiscipline, which requires work. Instead I can see it now as moving the energy to open my fifth chakra, which means I can sing my sexual urges

away, I can write them away, I can speak into my tape recorder to send them away, I can do different art pieces to send them away. I can visualize the opening of my throat to chant, sing and channel spirit. I can see a bridge between my heart and my throat so that only truth is spoken. I can see that I can be the oracle I desire by using that "groin-ular" energy and bringing it up to serve me in my channels with God and for God. I can use my sexuality to serve the Planet, to serve God, by seeing it as a way to speak Truth into the planet and beautify it with my creativity. This will ease the concept of strict self-discipline because I will see the FUN of extremely expressed creativity with Higher Mind and Truth, and that will also help my pocket book. So, see, it helps the self-discipline aspect very much and helps me ease into "holding my seed forever." I know that when I sing and chant I get to ecstasy - and it lasts much longer than an orgasm. When I write a great poem - it also puts me in ecstasy and also lasts longer than an orgasm. I wish orgasms had not been created - so that all relationships just were harmonious all of the time and I could have my fantasy come true and not have to self-

discipline myself into hyper-control when I want my hair loosened. (And it would also help population control!)