Brigitte Arora: First I would like to point out what the aim of the practice of Tantra is. It is not about sex and orgasm; it is about using sex in order rise above it. Practicing Tantra is a journey, an exploration into the unknown of your Beingness. The first stage of the journey that must be reached is to achieve a deep state of meditation. This meditative state opens the possibility for entry into a higher state of Awareness, one that will Awaken you to your Higher Self consciousness. And, even the state of your Higher Self consciousness can be transcended, if the power of the Divine Grace descents and sweeps you up into Self-Realization; this is the ultimate aim of Tantra yoga.

The journey begins with sex and ends in a higher state of consciousness where the physical sexual desires are transformed into a holistic consciousness of bliss. This state of ecstasy is not sexually orgasmic but rather a sensuous feeling of oceanic ecstasy that is felt throughout one’s entire psyche and throughout all the cells of the body which resonate and pulsate in blissfulness. Here words fail, for in actuality the body and the psyche are no longer present and felt!

In Tantra it is not only the destination but the journey itself that is of the highest value.  Even if one does not attain to the ultimate aim of Self-Realization, the journey itself has the potential for greatly increasing your Awareness.

The couple practicing Tantra might not be at the same spiritual ripeness but that need not be a hindrance, for both can attain to a higher level of Awareness then their normal one. If the process continues long enough the partner who is on a higher spiritual level can actually draw the other partner up into his higher consciousness field. There then exists the possibility that each from their own soul level can merge and unite into Oneness. This Union of Soul level Oneness creates a closed circle of a vibrational frequency belonging to the Soul realms. Within this closed circle a third element, a Divine Force, enters and both partners will experience The Void. The Void cannot be explained in words; it can only be comprehended by having “been The Void”

NDM: What about the complications that can arise from this practice of Tantra, such as getting addicted to the sense pleasures?  Is this a problem in your view?

Brigitte Arora: Yes, this is a major problem particularly so for the male. It is my belief that many who are already addicted to sex are attracted to the idea of the practice of Tantra. And if that is the case they will seldom succeed in Tantra because almost all who are obsessed with sex are addicted to the end game which is the orgasm. Tantra is all about using the enjoyment of the senses for they are the tools necessary for getting to the point of the orgasm again and again, yet having the discipline not to “fall into” the orgasm! It takes maturity and a strong aspiration for spiritual transformation in order to even want to gain control over one’s sexuality and that is exactly what the practice of Tantra requires.

This “trying to control” sex can create many complications. Some will try punishing the body in order to subdue its sexual needs. They might turn to starvation diets, extreme exercising, seek out dangerous activities or turn to drugs or alcohol. And of course all of these can turn into addictions. Becoming addicted to the sense pleasures is a real danger. If control over the sexual act while in a session is lost, it will easily deteriorate down to the lower self animal level not only for one partner but for both. It is important that one of the partners take the lead in controlling the session so that it does not deteriorate into just a sexual act. The lead is usually done best by the female. She is less likely to lose control over her senses and if she is the nurturing type, will be tuned in to “where he is” and able to help him control his actions when necessary.

After the first experience of a higher state of sexual transcendence, many will encounter some complications. Some will become obsessed with trying to return to the higher consciousness experience at almost any cost. Some might turn to drugs or alcohol in order to achieve a “high”.

Those who have attained to a very high state of consciousness and received knowledge from the transcendent, might no longer want go back to their old life style or might not be able to integrate back into society in a healthy way.

For some, the lower self sexual act will no longer hold any attraction; raw sex has become meaningless. Their main aim is no longer to attain to an orgasm but to achieve a state of spiritual union with another. Those who have experienced a risen Kundalini and altered states of consciousness or have Awakened into Self-Realization will have to deal with major life changing issues.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXgkMrTjrRE

Brigitte Arora: First, I am not surprised about this occurrence; it is connected with the movement of the Kundalini. I can identify with and validate her experience due to my own encounter with a similar experience. And, I can say with certainty that Kundalini was the source for triggering her spontaneous orgasms.

My experiences began after the rising of the Kundalini triggered Self-Realization. I did not have spontaneous and uncontrollable orgasms. What occurred to me was that by thought alone, orgasm was triggered. In conjunction with that, I fell into lust; the powerful lust of the male. The Kundalini energy had activated my male within and brought him to the forefront. It was then that I understood what power lust had over the male. The male had now earned my respect for learning how to take control of his sexual impulses.

It is my belief that the Kundalini got into a “stuck” position. What I mean by that is: the Kundalini is a vibration and as it vibrated to a particular rate of recurrence it would strike the area that produced the orgasm. Her mind had nothing to do with it and neither had her body. Kundalini rules over the mind and over the body; it is in control and the regulator over the body’s workings. The worst action that anyone in her position can take is to go to a doctor or to take medications of any kind. Most doctors know nothing about Kundalini and its powers. Most conventional doctors will dismiss you as being a bit mad when you mention Kundalini!

When someone has a very active Kundalini and is in the process of a biological transformation and not necessarily a spiritual one, the body becomes extremely sensitive. For instance, I went into anaphylactic shock on two different occasions after taking medications and one time it was only from an eye drop! If medication does become a necessity then the only safety measure is to take the least dosage possible. For instance, instead of taking one whole tablet then take only half or less etc. Finding the dosage that will not give you any side effects is something only you can test by experimenting with the dosages yourself. Only you can determine what’s best for your body; learn to listen to it. Many times side effects are not due to the medication itself but because the dosage is too high for you…

The only way out of this woman’s problem is by moving the Kundalini into a different position/chakra. Due to the Kundalini being stuck, the power produced rises to dangerous levels and “something has to give”. Built up Kundalini power, unless used for the transformative process, will turn toxic and can produce madness, in some cases suicide or it can burn out the entire nervous system.

One of the most immediate and effective solutions is to do strenuous exercises, manual labor to the point of exhaustion or to go on extensive walks and hikes. This will help in releasing the built up toxic energy and to ground and rebalance you. Practicing Kundalini yoga can also help if it is done with an experienced Kundalini teacher; someone who has had their own experiences to draw from.

NDM: Is it fair to say that Tantra is only for a certain type of individual? For example in some of the Tibetan traditions, they won’t usually teach this with just anyone off the street, they are very careful with whom they share this knowledge with for the reasons that you mentioned in your article? Is it the same in your tradition?

Brigitte Arora: Yes, it is fair to say that Tantra is only for a certain type of individual. And, yes Tantra knowledge should only be imparted to a very select few. Tantra cannot be digested by the average person; it will always be misunderstood and misused.

The Tantra that I describe is the highest form of Tantra; it is only for a very few. It is for those whose main objective for practicing Tantra is to transcend, to go beyond the normal bodily desires of the senses of sex. Their goal is to evolve and transform into a Being of a higher state of consciousness. You will not find many who are at this spiritual level.

The powerful pull of the sexual senses are very difficult to resist and makes it difficult not to “fall into” them during the practice. The best candidates are those who are older and sexually experienced enough to have gained a certain measure of self control during the sex act. I believe that it is necessary for the two people involved to have feelings of affection and caring for each other, or at the very least, a feeling of respect. The warmth of a “nurturing caring” for each other will add to the success of the practice.

“Nurturing caring” is almost always missing with partners who are not mature enough to be practicing  Tantra for each one is mainly interested in their own achievement. And that is the very reason that they will never succeed in overcoming “falling into sex”. And why is that? Because, there is nothing else to “fall into”! The sensitivity of “nurturing caring “can activate both partners to “fall into each other” and out of sexual sensations and into a state of pure sensuousness.

NDM: So how would you distinguish this from what Osho, taught for example, or commercial teachers like this in the west, who teach this to just about anyone (as a commercial business)?

Brigitte Arora: There is very little difference in what Osho taught from what I teach regarding Tantra and sexuality in general. I believe that one should live this life here to the fullest. Sex is a natural part of being in a body; we are a human animal. And like all in the animal kingdom, sex is the platform that sustains everything else. Sex should not have to be continuously suppressed, for if it is, it will lead to some form of sexual fetish or perversion.

It is impossible to suppress sex without it finding another outlet; the sexual drive is too powerful and this is exactly how Mother Nature intended it to be! But we are more than an animal and therefore we can acquire the desire and the will power to control how we channel our sexual energy. We must learn how to control sex not by suppression but by transforming it. This however takes maturity and knowledge. Until we arrive at that stage we should enjoy sex for sex’s sake until the time arrives when we have become satiated and long for something more meaningful than just raw animal sex. At that point only, does sexual transformation become possible.

This was what Osho was teaching yet his aim was misunderstood by most. He said enjoy until you are satiated and only then can you begin to transform sex into something higher. We can only continue advancing on our spiritual transformation if we remove the barrier that raw sexual desire creates. And that was Osho’s aim for his disciples; to teach them how to arrive to the state of Awareness that makes transformation possible.

We should not dismiss commercial teachers outright for even they can have a place in someone’s spiritual evolution. They can be of value by being a first step, an introduction for thinking beyond someone’s comfort zone. There is a spiritual law that always draws us to the people or circumstances that we need! 

NDM: Do you look for certain prerequisites in your students, or test them in some way? How do you know who or who is not ready for this?

Brigitte Arora: First, I do not look for those who might be ready because Tantra is not the main interest in guiding my students. Tantra is just a small part in giving guidance; I touch on it only when a student has a sexual problem that is keeping him from moving on with his overall spiritual transformation. I give only one-on-one guidance because each student is on a different level of understanding and have their own unique problems. It is because I have a very intimate knowledge of a student that I am able to determine whether practicing Tantra would be of help. Tantra can be very destructive if the student is not ready to assimilate it properly.

NDM: Who was your guru, teacher by the way?

Brigitte Arora: I met my first teacher about 6 months after experiencing Self-Realization. He was teaching a class on Logic at the community college in town. His teaching was a mixture of Sufism and the teachings of Gurdjieff. He was extremely severe in his methods but it was exactly what I needed at that time. His methods brought me down from the highs of the altered states of consciousness that I was frequently experiencing and would have preferred to stay in rather than getting on with the practicalities of daily living. He also destroyed several fantasies that would have become a barrier for moving forward on my spiritual path. How true the saying “when the student is ready, the teacher appears”. He was known as a teacher to only a small circle of students and would not want to be named.

Another teacher I had for a short time who had a profound impact on my spiritual understanding was Dr. Franklin Merrell-Wolff. He was also not well known except to a few students who lived with him at the foot of Mt. Whitney, in Northern California. I was with him for only 24 hours but what he conveyed to me made a difference in how I continued on in my search for answers. He validated my experiences and dispelled the apprehension I had felt about my own sanity.

Other teachers from whom I gained much understanding from reading their books were:

Dr. Paul Brunton, P.D. Ouspensky, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Joseph Chilton Pearce, John C. Lilly M.D, Robert S.de Ropp, Satprem and G.I. Gurdjieff, Sri Gopi Krishna.

I found that the genuine enlightened Western teachers that I met did not want to be well known; they preferred working with small groups of sincere seekers only. In contrast, most teachers from the East that I encountered wanted to cultivate large groups of seekers.

Here I speak from the level of my personality only: The ultimate teacher, the one who I became Aware off only after Self-Realization, was my Soul. And, it was only because I surrendered to the promptings of my Soul that I survived the early ordeals of my transformation. It is only after becoming Aware of your Soul and entering into communion with it, that you realize your Soul guides you silently from the moment that you enter this world and does do so until you leave it…

END OF INTERVIEW