sivasakti.net - The Mind and the Heart in Tantra Yoga

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T H E M I N D A N D T H E H E A R T I N T A N T R A Y O G A

"Because of the same facts that bring slavery to an ignorant, the wise man can free himself from the pain of this world. The main principle is that the fact should be accompanied by the lack of differences between the "mind" and the "heart"."

Advayasiddha

The heart and the mind are two distinct parts of the human body considered in the West as the main cause of the psychic disturbances. But - and it is better that you understand this very well - though the Body Temple is made of several parts, it represents an indestructible Divine Unity as a whole.

We often say, "the heart rules the mind" when, for example, someone loses his/her control because of the strong emotions. We also say, "the head rules the heart" when the mind is cold and calculated, not at all influenced by feelings.

In both cases one of the centres dominates the other. This "misunderstanding" between the mind and the heart always produced problems among humans and it is thus completely incompatible with the ecstasy, free from selfishness that belongs to the Tantric love.

In the mystical Oriental tradition there is the idea of "giving up to lust and flesh pleasures in order to conceive the ones of the spirit". But in real life this is a hopeless effort and mainly because of the fact that what is forbidden will finally end up going up to the surface, at the wrong time.

Tantra teaches us how to use our all body abilities as well as the mind's and the heart's on the way to the Final Freedom. This is how we understand this as a whole. Thus the emotions and passions can be turned into the joy of the divine ecstasy.

But such a transformation takes place because of a strong connection between the head and the heart, sense and emotion. The Tantric image of this process can be expressed in a metaphor; "the fire of emotion mixes up with the waters of the wisdom".

The notion of mutual exchange and enrichment of emotions represents an essential face of the Tantric erotic game. It makes possible the real exchange of emotions and wonderful feelings between lovers.

The Tantric love puts together all the aspects of emotions and of intellect. It will lead the lovers to the experience of cosmic ecstasy by reaching the conscience of the Universal Self.

"When there is only lust there is no freedom. And when there is no freedom we cannot find pleasure. But together, pleasure and freedom from pleasure is in the hands of the one who is devoted to the Supreme Being."

Kaularahasya

LOOSE CERTAIN HABITS THAT LIMIT YOU
Giving up certain negative habits or in other words giving up those attitudes that limit human abilities of feeling deep happiness can accelerate the evolution of the human being. When you notice that you say or think like: "But I cannot change THIS... I HAVE ALWAYS done it like that", and then you should know that "THIS" is the first habit that you have to get rid of.

Not being at random is your victory on negative habits. It is one of the most restrictive domains there are. Any act of will has a magical power and it is a lot more efficient than an automatism or than something done with no intention.

The body has the extraordinary ability to adjust, even when it is, apparently, stiffed because of rigid life conditions. The force necessary to make a change exists in every human being, but it is better not to wait for a crisis to appear in order to get rid of a negative habit. Our own surviving as a species depends on our capacity to change and adjust.

Mental habits are a lot more difficult to change than the physical ones because they are never so obvious. Most of them exist because of how our parents or society have taught us. They limit our view on life and make us feel safe, though this it not at all true.

They make us forget about our inner Self and blur our power of comprehension and our conscience. This is dangerous for our intimate relations. Often we fight with the others and do not understand them because we do not see these habits.

In order to avoid this it is important and necessary to have a strong will. A couple should have a strong will in order to change themselves, to progress, to evolve spiritually. When the initial fear of change is overwhelmed, then you can experience new realities in life.

Certain sexual restrictions throw a shadow on a couple relations and that is why Tantra requires absolute adaptability. All Oriental learning on sexual mystery underline the necessity of variation and spontaneity in life.

"The obstacle represented by habits appears and is destroying. Kill this bug and you will be able to know."

Tilopa