misguided use of tantra

[simon]

It bothers me that people discover the Tantra in books and think it is just a religion where one is able to indulge in all the forbidden pleasures. It is dangerous to dabble with desire. The point of Tantric practices is to achieve awakening by stimulating the chakaras, the seven energy points of the body, those happening to be male and female. But should one partake in the dangerous practice of sex it is not for desire and a guru must be there in order to observe if there is any desire involved. I myself am skeptical about this principle in and of itself, that through picturing or practicing sex one will achieve an awakening. Yet I am not going to knock the doctrine, for the majority of Tantric practices are not understood without a guru so who am I to comprehed. Because one needs a guru though to decipher the Tantric texts it is dangerous to mess around with without a guru and it seems to me that many people in the west are abusing what they think is a fun religious practice.

I am interested to know what other people think of the Tantra and Tantric meditation techniques. Does anyone practice these? Does anyone else feel taht there is a severe misinterpretation of these practices that are being abused? Does anyone think they are right ot wrong to practice?

[Nid-Vaeda]

Well personally, I feel that it is the individual's responsibility to interpuret their relgion for themselves and that it isn't up to someone else to say what is right for them.

[starrwriter]

I am interested to know what other people think of the Tantra and Tantric meditation techniques. Does anyone practice these? Does anyone else feel that there is a severe misinterpretation of these practices that are being abused? Does anyone think they are right or wrong to practice?
I'm always for religious beliefs that advocate sex. :nod:

But, seriously, I think sex is the closest many people ever get to a religious experience. This is no tragedy, it's just the way things are.

[simon]

haha not exactly the responses I was looking for but hey

I wonder also at chasitity vows taken, why do people restrain from such acts that others see as a religious experince? Does it just depend on the person, as to what beleifs best fit them?

[sporkubus]

I know someone from Nepal whose tradition is tantric, but he didn't know before coming here that it had anything to do with sex. In South Asia, it is often associated with sorcery, but his philosophy really differs from the rest of Hindu philosophy on only a few points. I guess when one element of a religion is appealing, people will take that and run with it as fast as they can...