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The Five M-s in Tantra, i.e. the concept of Panchamakara or Panchatattva in tantric practices

9/1/2021

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Panchamakara, or Panchatattva is Tantric terminology for five transgressive substances that are used in Tantric practices. These five substances are madya, mamsa, matsya and fish, as well as mudra (gesture) and maithuna ("sexual intercourse). These elements, which are considered to be taboo-breaking and can only be practiced by "left-hand" tantrics ("vamacarins), while "right-hand" tantrics ("daksinacarins), oppose them.
 
Spiritual leader, Prabhat Ranjan Sakar described the five M's as having dual meanings. One crude (left-handed Vamachara) and one subtle, Dakshinachara
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These five M-s of Tantra are:

  1. The first M is for Madya, which means Wine-Amrita. This divine nectar drips from the brain's glands onto the tip and can be captured using Khechari Mudra.
  2. The second M is for Mamsa means Meat-Control of speech. Symbolically, it is denoted by the Khechari Mudra, in which the tongue can be swallowed back to simulate eating meat.
  3. The third M is for Matsya, and it stands for Fish. The two key prana energy channels in the body, Ida and Pingala, can be controlled by pranayama. They can be visualized as two fish-like structures of figure-8 shape interwoven like two fish.
  4. The fourth M is for Mudra, which is a ‘hand gesture’ in Sanskrit. These gestures are made to activate the Kundalini, which then passes through the central energy channel, the Sushumna nadi (energy channel).
  5. ... and lastly the fifth M stands for Maithuna. It is a term that means sexual intercourse or female sexual discharge – which is indicative of raising the Kundalini to the Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra.

The spiritual leader Sarkar says that the Five M-s are intended to help people practice yoga sadhana (meditation) in "midst of crude pleasures" and gradually decrease their consumption of wine, meat, and fish.

It is important that one does not indulge in these five M-s and learns to resist the temptation of these activities, so that they can practice the subtle art and method of Tantra-meditation- which ultimately allows them to raise their energy-vibration, direct their prana-vayu (consciousness) thru the central Sushumna energy channel and raise their Kundalini energy to experience profound states of ascension and enlightenment!

Read further:

  • Why Tantra has a ‘bad’ reputation!!!
  • Understanding the basics of the Tantric Spiritual Pathway
  • The two main Tantric pathways of Transformation- Dakshinachara and Vamachara
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Categories:
Myths And Beliefs,   Tantra Mantra Yantra   and   Vedic Tradition​

Keywords and Tags:
#panchamakara #panchatattva #madya #mamsa #matsya #mudra #khecharimudra #maithuna #tantra #tantric #tantrik #dakshinachara #vamachara #righthandedtantra #lefthandedtantra #spiritualtransformation #ascension 
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Why Hindus offer Coconut to the divine during prayers and other religious celebrations...

8/28/2020

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It is a common practice among Hindus to offer coconut during prayers. Many people, including Hindus wonder- why this is the case.

Since many of the Hindu practices come from the original Vedic culture, which was very logical and scientific in it's approach, this practice of offering coconut has a very beautiful and logical explanation.

​Watch on to know more...
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Categories:
Myths And Beliefs,   Prayers And Sadhanas,   Vedic Symbolism   and   Vedic Tradition


Keywords and Tags:
#HinduPrayers  #pooja  #puja #aarti #OfferingCoconut  #VedicWisdom #Coconut #NaraliPurnima #Naral #OfferCoconut #Hindu #Vedic #narial   #Hinduofferings  
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Why Tantra has a ‘bad’ reputation!!!

7/11/2020

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Category: Myths And Beliefs, Tantra Mantra Yantra and Vedic Tradition

Tantric practices are considered more esoteric and very few people truly understand the full connotation of their extensive possibilities.

One needs to remember that any of action, any kind of system, right-handed tantric path (Dakshinachara), left-handed tantric path (Vamachara), Shabar tantra or simply doing meditation and/ mantra chanting (Bhakti yoga)- it is ALL ultimately a “tantric” path!
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As the word tantra suggests (tantra, literally means a tool), all these paths are a way of manipulating the energies and when we consider the simple scientific fact that all matter and energy is interconvertible- then we know that by manipulating the subtle energies, we can also manipulate and modify a situation at the grosser level! 
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Because people doing black magic or wishing ill on people have taken the guise of doing “tantric” rituals, tantra started getting a bad reputation in the east (as in India). 

On the other hand, in the west, tantra has been portrayed as some kind of sexual technique that allow one to feel a higher sense of physical gratification- thus reducing it to mere physical debauchery!!

Then there is the practice of Shabar Tantra. In this, people can do simple activities which allows them to modify smaller energy patterns. Usually these activities are conducted not for spiritual awareness and raising of consciousness but for material gains or other ego-gratifying reasons such as stopping one’s enemies, taking revenge and so on.
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Shabar Tantra techniques are called as totka in Hindi. Many a times, these techniques seem illogical to the rational mind (unless one truly understands the working-mechanism of the cosmic energy at the level of quantum consciousness). 
The one extremely challenging aspect of Shabar Tantra is that, it also takes help from lower energy forms and spirits such as channeling spirits of dead people, working with elemental forms and other such activities which can easily ensnare and captivate both the practitioner and the one seeking their help!! 

For e.g. a Shabar Tantra practitioner (called as Tantric or Tantrik) may suggest something like feeding grains to birds or tossing a piece of bread down a flowing river to attract more abundance into one’s life. 

As mentioned above, many of the Shabar Tantra techniques seem illogical to the rational mind. But they work by manipulating the universal energy at a small level to bring about the required change. 
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Instead of building up one’s understanding of the cosmic phenomena, people seeking to learn and utilize these techniques are usually asked to work with “faith”- this in turn has led (still continues) to rise in superstition and further abuse of these practices.
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Over the years, there has been much abuse of these many such Shabar Tantra practices. 

Also, there are not many clear guidelines for all kinds of tantra- but particularly for Vamachara (left-handed tantra) and Shabar Tantra. There are no clear texts on how these activities should be properly and safely conducted to ensure- what (and how) one is doing something is in-tune, is in-sync with the cosmic flow and so will not captivate one in the lower energy states!

Bottom-line: it is not that tantra or tantric practices are good or bad. It is a medium of energy manipulation. What one does with it, is our choice. It is our action, our karma.

Think of tantra like electrical wires that allow for the electrical energy from the reservoirs to be transmitted and brought to the various appliances. If used positively, it can light our homes and power up our life and if used in a negative way, it can be used to electrocute someone to kill or harm them!!


So, are the electrical wires- good or bad?? They are neither- they are merely a tool that give us the ability to harness electrical energy. 

How we choose to tap into this energy reservoir and how we ultimately utilize this energy will determine our karma and then as per the universal law of Karma- we will need to face the retribution!!

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Read further:
  • Understanding the basics of the Tantric Spiritual Pathway
  • The two main Tantric pathways of Transformation- Dakshinachara and Vamachara
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​#tantra #tantric #tantrik #dakshinachara #vamachara #righthandedtantra #lefthandedtantra #shabartantra #shabarmantra #totke #totka #spiritualtransformation #ascension #spiritualdevelopment
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Enlightenment: Significance of Lighting an Earthen Oil Lamp (diya)

9/10/2019

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Back in the days before electricity, lighting oil lamps was the main way people were able to light their homes after sunset. But even with electricity, we still use oil lamps during our pooja and prayers. Is there a special significance to lighting oil lamps?

Yes, there is… but not just any oil lamp. We are meant to light an earthen oil lamp during our prayers or performing any spiritual austerities, i.e. sadhana.
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The earthen lamp signifies our body. We have heard the phrase- “we arise from dust and to dust we return”. Clay, mud, dirt has always been used to indicate that we have been created as part of this nature and also to signify our mortality, i.e. how after our death, our body (which is a mere vessel for our soul) will disintegrate, perish and return to nature.

The cotton wick indicates our ego. It burns because of the oil in the lamp. This oil is the accumulated soul-actions and soul-tendencies (i.e. karmas and samskaras), which compel us to perform more action. If this oil is pure and of high quality, then the wick will glow brightly. If there is impurity in the oil, then the flame will be dull… in the same way, if we have challenging or negative karmas then our life here will not be able to exhibit the full glory of our true divine nature. 
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It is not surprising that in Jyotish (Vedic Astrology), Saturn is the karaka (indicator) for oil as he is also the one who maintains and administers our karmas!!
Sooo… the signification of lighting an earthen oil lamp (mitti ka diya) is that… when we light an oil lamp, we are hoping that as the oil helps to burn off the cotton wick, similarly as we conscious do the prayers, pooja, it will help to burn off our karmas.  Thru devotion, by doing our prayers, pooja and so on, our ego will burn off and it will generate light, which is our true essence (our soul).

So next time, you are lighting a diya (earthen oil lamp). Don’t do it mindlessly. Light the lamp with a conscious intension. Do your prayers with a conscious intension of burning off your karmas and by doing so, you are slowly becoming more and more light. I.e. you are slowly becoming ‘enlightened’.
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​#diya #deepavali #earthenlamp #oillamp #lightingdiya #lightingoillamp #Hindutraditions #Hindurituals #Vedicrituals #whydoHindus #mittikadiya
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Why Hindus apply Tilak on their foreheads...

8/31/2018

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Tilak means, applying sandalwood paste, sacred ash, turmeric or kumkum (red vermillion powder) on the forehead or between eyebrows. Tilak is usually applied on the forehead, either between the eyebrows or starting from the spot between the eyebrows to the top of the head. At times, it is smeared all across one’s forehead.

The spot between the eyebrows is the seat of the sixth chakra- Ajna as well as of the third eye of Consciousness; an eye, which is not sullied by karmic memory or samskaras.

According to Hindu philosophy, applying tilak on the forehead reinforces our connection with the divine and reminds us of our true-life purpose, which is moksha- i.e. freedom from these cycles of birth and death.

Over the years, in the Indian sub-continent, tilak was applied to wish good luck before any important event or before going on any important journey and welcoming someone by applying a tilak was done to mark and celebrate their successful and victorious return, their accomplishment.

In this way, there are many spiritual and cultural significations to why Hindus and several other cultures in the Indian sub-continent apply tilak on their forehead.

From spiritual or cultural viewpoint, however we look at it; we find that applying tilak on one’s forehead brings great benefits. Something to think about and adopt, so as to enhance our conscious lifestyle.


You may want to check out...

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#Tilak #WhydoHindus #ApplyingTilak #SandalwoodPaste #TurmericPaste #VermilionPowder   #SacredAsh   #Vibhooti
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Belief around Straight and Raised Trunk Elephant Figurines

3/13/2018

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There is an age-old belief in India, that it is auspicious to keep an elephant figurine in the house with a raised trunk. Now mind you in the state of Kerala in southern India where many of the elephants are found, you will find many households having images of straight trunk elephants. So, the significance of this belief (or myth) seems to be limited to certain parts of India. Though the auspiciousness of a raised trunk elephant figurine is generally accepted in many parts of the India and even around the world.

This could be because a raised elephant trunk is considered as welcoming and showering with blessings as seen in images of Hindu God & Goddesses (particularly Goddess Laxmi). So, a straight trunk would not indicate those blessings and aplomb.  In addition, elephants are supposed to signify Lord Ganesh and because of this, keeping a figurine of elephant in the house is considered most helpful and auspicious.

Also, an elephant’s trunk is considered to be a subtle indication of kundalini awareness and in this case a raised trunk would indicate a raised kundalini (where a person is receiving the blessings from such an awareness) as against of a straight trunk which would indicate a person not aware of their energy purpose in life and thus living in misery and sorrow.

Either ways, having a small figurine of these beautiful,  gentle and yet elegant animals will surely add much good energy to our home decor.

#RaisedTrunkElephant #ElephantFigurines   #MaitreyiParadigm
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