A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

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Noah D, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 8:12 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 8:11 AM

A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

Posts: 1211 Join Date: 9/1/16 Recent Posts
I am hesitant to share this because it seems as much of a “secret technique” as anything would be and it’s really weird.  But I didn’t get it from a teacher directly, so it’s mine to share. 

I saw Amma (the hugging saint) this weekend (with the SPUDS - our Seatttle Meditation Mafia) and she struck me again.  For context, prayer in Amma’s general, physical vicinity was how I got my first, psychedelic, 3-day a&p in 2011.  This time, I was speaking with Amma telepathically while chilling in jhana 4.6 about 4 rows from the stage (relatively close to her).  I was explaining to her how far I had come since our last meeting in 2011 and that I finally felt “safe” enough in my own baseline of functioning to be of service to others.  Also that I am finally willing to give up craving & clinging rather than find a way to give into it.   

Within this context, an answer appeared to bubble up from deep within my mind in terms of how to deal with lust.  The technique is similar to how I’ve been doing “perfect parent” practice in that you give your inner self exactly what it wants via visualization, then drink it up through the chakra system, then become exactly what you wanted.   

However, in this case, I am dealing with my  inner being of lust.  Therefore, I would imagine a divine consort of some sort (in a female, human form, possibly a recent memory of a real person).  After really feeling into the energy of this desire, I would condense the essence of that desire as well as its object (the being) into a  ball of energy and allow it to enter through my crown chakra and down through my root, absorbing through each chakra at once.  What naturally follows from this is that I become the consort. 

This is where it gets even more bizarre.  I can take this further and imagine that I was this being now looking through her eyes at myself.  In this imaginal world, this being desires my form just as I desire hers.  So I imagine having lust as her, for myself.  I feel the energy of the lust, as well as the essence of myself as an object.  I drink this energy-essence in through the consort’s chakra system.  I become myself in form once again.  As myself, I return to looking out through my own eyes and see the consort.  In this way, the process can endlessly repeat. 

What it feels like is mixing an acid & a base until they completely neutralize each other.  I have noticed that this exercise curbs my sexual energy in a way that does not feel suppressed but rather so deeply balanced that the entire thing resolves itself similar to how orgasm culminates (expression not repression).  Another image that comes to mind is a bartending technique called “boxing” which involves pouring 2 or more ingredients from one glass to another repeatedly until they are thoroughly combined.  It is like “boxing” yin and yang together until the yin-yang is complete.   

As a note: the only reason this works for me is because I am firmly established in supramundane right view, which is a solid ‘picture’ on how clinging arises, how to stop it from arising and why any of that is a really, good idea.  Another part of this right view is the understanding that all 3 vehicles of Buddhism have exactly the same goal when it comes to the defilements - complete annihilation.  Yes, an arahant uproots, a bodhisattva services and a siddha transmutes (thanks Hokai Sobol for that), BUT the end goal is the same so there is no reason I can not switch between these species of technique as the situation calls for it.  Also, libido is not a problem at all, lust is (for all you romantic humanists out there emoticon ).    

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Laurel Carrington, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 9:22 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 9:22 AM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

Posts: 439 Join Date: 4/7/14 Recent Posts
I don't quite get how your terminology of libido vs. lust works. I'm guessing that libido is positive energy, whereas lust involves objectifying others for the sake of self-centered gratification. Is this correct? And have you ever read St. Augustine's Confessions? On another note, there is a problem with trying to get rid of something in that the more you fight it, the stronger it gets. After all, Non sumus angeli. And please forgive me if I am showing ignorance of places in previous threads where you've already elaborated on these matters. 
Derek2, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 9:34 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 9:34 AM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

Posts: 231 Join Date: 9/21/16 Recent Posts
Hi, Laurel, My impression is that sex-desire (as most people experience it) actually has two components to it. There's a biologically driven base, and then there is a mentally created layer on top of that. The mentally created layer is what I think of as "lust." It can be reduced or even eliminated by spiritual practice. The biological part, on the other hand, cannot. Noah, is that how you see things, too?
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Noah D, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 12:43 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 12:43 PM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

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Yes!  Thanks Derek emoticon
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Noah D, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 12:44 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 12:44 PM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

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Laurel, I haven't read Confessions.  What's it about?

And I personally am not resisting.  Just engaging with various energies in a relational way.
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Laurel Carrington, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 1:48 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 1:47 PM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

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Hm. I've never heard of defining lust that way, but then again, I've done a lot of reading in the early Christian Fathers (on the whole, a misogynistic lot) and to them, all sex desire constitutes lust. The cultural containment of the sex drive in marriage is considered to be beneficial, though not as good as complete abstention. Over the centuries numerous theologians argued the point, and then when Luther and the other reformers came along there were renewed attempts to frame sexuality and marriage. 

But I digress. Augustine of Hippo (454-530 c.e.) wrote about his struggles with lust as a young man, among other topics, in his spiritual autobiography. It might make for interesting reading. 
Derek2, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 6:33 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 6:33 PM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

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This definition of "lust" makes perfect sense in the context of Jesus's teachings. Jesus is obviously pro-marriage and pro-sex (Mark 10:6-8). At the same time, he is against lust (Matthew 5:28).

It is Paul who introduces the idea that celibacy is to be preferred to marriage (1 Corinthians 7:7).
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Laurel Carrington, modified 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 6:50 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/2/17 6:47 PM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

Posts: 439 Join Date: 4/7/14 Recent Posts
Right. During the high Middle Ages, some theologians began to back off the negative evaluation of marriage and even have a good thing or two to say about sex. Back to Augustine, though: he definitely is following Paul, but also in the City of God he elaborates on the evils of sexual desire, which he sees as a compulsion over which the reason has no control. As originally created by God, before the Fall, sexuality was a pleasure that could be enjoyed without compulsion or lust. Adam could just will himself to get the necessary erection (wouldn't that be nice!), and when the act was over, will his organ to settle down again. Once sin enters the picture, sexuality is corrupted along with everything else humans do. 

So, again: I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around Noah's (and Derek's) definition of lust. 
Edward Prunesquallor, modified 6 Years ago at 6/3/17 2:06 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 6/3/17 2:01 AM

RE: A New Tantra From Amma, the Hugging Saint

Posts: 55 Join Date: 10/11/14 Recent Posts
Derek2:
This definition of "lust" makes perfect sense in the context of Jesus's teachings. Jesus is obviously pro-marriage and pro-sex (Mark 10:6-8). At the same time, he is against lust (Matthew 5:28).



This is complete out of context bullshit. Jesus explicitly forbids divorce in this chapter (Mark 10:6-8). He is not encouraging people to have sex or get married. You can't have sex without feeling lust for what you see, touch, smell and hear. Hence, sensual pleasure.
Something repeatedly denounced by the Buddha.

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