hot & cold

Most of the time, we live life rather half-heartedly. We are torn between doing one thing and doing another. We might desire something, but at the same time, fear it. Or we might want something and at the same time believe it to be bad, or wrong in some way. So our mind is split, and with this inner division, we also feel separate from the outside world. And if you look closely you will often see not just two opposing forces in your mind, but many fragments pulling you in different directions. This is the mind-set of separation; of fragmentation, and our ego depends upon it, for it also gives us the playground where we can feel that we have freewill, and that we are in control.

But the spiritual path is about the ending of the ego, and it entails integration, no longer living in fragmentation and separation, but living in a holistic way: undivided on the inside, and not separate from anything on the outside, so much so that the words inside and outside lose their meaning. Of course, bringing about this change in mindset can take many years, and there are many different disciplines and paths which aim to do this. Here, I want to differentiate between the tantric paths – tantric methods – and non-tantric ones.

The non-tantric, or classical methods, are cooling. They take energy out of the system. For example, one may meditate and contemplate on the fact that I am not my body, and I am not my mind. I am not the thoughts that are arising. I am the consciousness which is witnessing those thoughts. In this way, the ego has less energy to feed off in the various fragmented thoughts as they arise. Slowly, the ego can be starved, starved to death by these cool methods, these non-tantric methods. These can also bring about integration. For once we do not put energy into those fragmented thinking patterns, they will subside, and we can be left feeling that we are this pure consciousness and nothing else.

One of the difficulties with these non-tantric approaches is that they are dispassionate. We have to set aside the passionate energy which is naturally part of our being. Tantra, on the other hand, takes a completely different approach. It uses passion, it relies on passion. Instead of starving the system by denuding it of energy, tantric methods allow energy to build. They are hot methods. They are designed to stir up energy, more and more energy until, if we are lucky, we become that energy, and the energy itself can burn through obstacles in the mind. The ego can be burnt up, incinerated, by tantric methods. The danger with tantra is that if we are not total in it, if we have any doubt or hesitation, if we hold back in some way, then we are adding energy to a fragmented system, and the ego will feed off this and grow stronger, not weaker. So with tantra, it is paramount that we jump in totally with all of our being; we just drop any resistance. It has to be a complete yes to whatever the practice is, and then, then tantra can work miracles. But if you allow any hesitation, any doubt, then tantra is dangerous indeed, for it will do more harm than good. So if you are to try tantric methods, know from the outset, you will need that courage, that trust, to jump in completely with all of your being.