Source Text
HEN WE ENTER the world of Tantra, we may need to loosen some of our preconceptions about the nature of reality. We begin to inhabit a twilight world where the distinctions between the material and the symbolic are less defined. We discover that psyche and soma, the unconscious and matter, are in an intimate interrelationship. The tantric view of reality does not make such solid differentiation between them; they are simply two reflections of the same ultimate nature. In the West, we habitually make a clear distinction between spirit and matter, whereas, in the East, these two are not separated.
PART
We use many activities of our worldly life-television, work, relationships, or food-as an escape into unconsciousness. Even spiritual practices such as meditation can be used to avoid feelings, responsibilities, relationships, and even living fully in our bodies. We can drift into a detached, disconnected, but peaceful state that avoids reality and the deeper aspects of ourselves.Definite emergence is the willingness to abandon the habitual disposition of avoiding facing ourselves. It challenges the habit of letting ourselves sink into unconscious, anesthetized states of denial.
Meditation is not a soft, quiet, easy way to generate a peaceful dissociation from the trials of life. If this is our wish, then Tantra is not the path to follow. When practiced properly, Tantra will confront us with our emotional problems so we have the opportunity to grow through them. Therefore our first prerequisite is a willingness to face the challenge, and no longer seek refuge in habits that keep us unconscious. Definite emergence is not abandoning life, as renunciation might imply, but living it fully and consciously. Rather than running away from difficult times when we are challenged, we wake up to the situation and face what there is to learn.
Spiritual practice often brings to the surface aspects of ourselves that are extremely painful. We have a deep reservoir of emotional wounds and patterns that may be hard to accept in ourselves, and which we have consequently often ignored or denied. This forms a powerful “Shadow,” to use Jung’s term. As we begin to develop some aspects of tantric practice, these repressed emotions will be resurrected from the underworld of our psyche. This enables the energy bound up in them to then be addressed and potentially transformed. This can sometimes be an uncomfortable process, and it is important to accept and value ourselves even though we feel dreadful, or are frightened of or disgusted with what…
Bodhichitta is a profound openness that seeks to respond to otherswithout judgment or discrimination. It is a big heart that has the capacity to accept and value all living beings, holding them dear and precious. This is not a passive principle that wishes only that all beings may be happy. Rather, it is an active dynamic quality of intention, sometimes known as the “great will,” that will engage in a demanding journey to awaken for the welfare…
Our tendency to get caught in harmful egotistical needs and habits, whether conscious or unconscious, is rooted in ignorance, the fundamental cause of suffering. Ignorance in Buddhism is seen in two ways. One is the failure to understand the laws of karma, or cause and effect. The other is our misunderstanding of the nature of reality. This refers to a particular misconception of the nature of both the ego and phenomena;that is, the belief that they have inherent self-existence. Unless this misconception is rectified, the…
The distinction between the two levels of truth-relative and absolute-is fundamental to Buddhist understanding. Relative truth is the way in which phenomena appear to exist; ultimate…
We cling to the idea that objects are independent, permanent, solid, and reliable because they give the illusion of being so, and vet the way they actually exist is interdependent, transient, unstable, and empty of inherent…
The tantric path is based on the view that all relative appearances arise in dependence upon the consciousness that cognizes them; in other words, the world each of us…
AI Summary
The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra by Rob Preece presents key insights from the Tibetan Buddhism tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.