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In Tantric sexual rites, when the woman moves to the left of the man, she takes on an active role. Here a couple are depicted as god and goddess. The man holds a scepter, symbolic of the Lingam, while his consort holds a ritual bell, symbolic of the Yoni. From a Nepalese painting of the late fifteenth century.

Ritual love-posture. From an Orissan miniature painting of the nineteenth century.

the secret rite

Most accounts that present the Tantric love-rite are highly complex, and likely to confuse a

Westerner unaccustomed to Eastern ritual. For this reason, we will give here a version that, though direct and complete, is greatly simplified.

It is important that the Secret Rite not be rushed or interrupted. Put aside plenty of time, and take care that you won't be disturbed. Try to ensure

that the environment is "just right," enhancing it with flowers, fruit, incense,

and gentle music. It is best for the couple to make all these preparations beforehand.

Ideally there should be only a candle or an open fire burning. The couple should be located so that only subdued light falls on their bodies. A castor-oil lamp, made by placing some castor-oil in a small container and inserting a wick made by rolling up some cotton wool, is particularly suitable since it burns steadily with a bright, slightly purplish light.

Sexual ritual—or Maithuna Sadhana, as it is known in Tantra—commences with both partners taking a bath or shower, preferably in cold water. This has the effect of vitalizing and toning up the psyche. Then the couple should lightly oil and massage each other. This should be followed by a brief period spent in stretching exercises, to relax the muscles and free the circulation of vital energies. Dance serves the same purpose and can be a most effective way of harmonizing mood and circulating energy between the couple.

In the next stage, the couple sit down, preferably with legs crossed in the lotus posture, and with the woman to the right of the man. They should practice simple meditation, clearing their minds of any worldly or habitual thoughts, and regulating their breath by gentle alternate-nostril or SolarLunar Breathing. When both feel completely relaxed and harmonized, they are then ready to proceed with the Secret Rite itself. A

simple aid to harmonization of breath and mood is shared singing, which can accompany a recording. The main point is that it should be devotional or transcendental in nature.

The first part of the Secret Rite is the honoring of the female principle, the Shakti, both externally and internally. The man performs external honoring by seating his partner on a pillow or cushion in front of him, lightly wrapping her body with a red or violet shawl of cotton, wool, or silk. Imagining her as the most beautiful goddess in the whole universe, he should bring to mind her best qualities and gently massage her feet with perfumed oil. This massage should be concentrated on the region around and between her largest toes. Humming a Mantra gently to himself, the man should endow this mo -

ment with potency and expectation.

The couple should both perform inward honoring by remembering the purpose of the ritual, which is to become totally uni-

fied w i t h one's origin . E v o k i n g the

Kundalini-power within each of them, they should visualize a molten-gold serpentine energy wave uncoiling at the base of their spines. The powers of fantasy and imagination should be drawn on to make the Kundalini excited. Conceived of as a primordial ecstatic female being, the Kundalini should be endowed with emotional energy. From this point on in the ritual, the partners

Seated posture well suited to ritual love-making. This type of Taoist posture can be used to create waves of ecstasy by rocking backward and forward. From a Chinese painting of the Ming dynasty.

must forget their personal, human identities and know themselves only as Shiva and Shakti, the Supreme Couple.

Starting with her right side, the man should gradually move his hands up the woman's body, gently touching her with his fingertips, in this sequence: right toe, right foot, right knee, right thigh, Yoni, right buttock, navel, middle of chest, right breast, right side, right side of throat, right cheek, lower lip, right eye and top of her head. Then he should descend to her left eye, upper lip, left cheek, left side of throat, left side, left breast, middle of chest, navel, left buttock, Yoni, left thigh, left knee, left foot, and left toe. This sequence links directly into the lunar cycle of passion in woman. Gently vibrating his hands as he touches these erogenous zones, the man should visualize energy streaming out of his finger tips, exciting passion in his partner.

She should visualize herself as a Living Goddess, a receptacle of love, his Precious Crucible. Concentrating upon the release of erotic energy, she should stimulate her sexuality by deep breathing and by gently rocking her body backward and forward. Feeling the Kundalini vibrating within, the woman should empower her whole being with a sense of expectancy.

The man should contemplate the flame of a candle or lamp and then return his gaze to his partner's body. He should gently apply perfumed oil (of musk, patchouli, or sandalwood, preferably) to her pubic hair, navel, heart region, throat, forehead, and top of her head, while mentally invoking the following ancient saying: "Woman is fire. Sexual energy is the fuel; her Yoni is the flame; her pubic hair, the smoke; penetration, the offering; pleasurable feelings, the sparks. In this fire, the gods offer up their semen. From such offerings, every being is born."

The man should apply additional perfumed oil to her hair, behind her ears, and to the palms of her hands, all the while controlling his mind by the use of Mantra and meditation. For this ritual, the Mantra " O M - A H - H U M , " as expounded in "Noises of Love," is particularly suitable. He should honor his partner, placing flowers in her hair or a garland around her neck. He can apply body makeup to her, or do anything that is exalting and stimulating to his partner in her role as a Living Goddess. During this time, it is most important that the man remain steady

and controlled, his consciousness focused on the intention of the ritual.

The woman now moves slightly to the left of her partner and should begin to arouse him with movements of her hands and lips over his body. In so doing, she should think of her lover as Lord Shiva himself, the Supreme Yogi; she should honor his Lingam as the Shiva Lingam, anointing it with oil. Once the female partner is located to the left of the man, she takes on the role of sex initiatress.

She should perform self-worship by lighting some incense sticks and moving them in

Seated postures aid prolonged love-making and assist the upward movement of sexual energy. From a contemporary photograph.

A maharaja in Tantric union with a lady. Once seated to his left side, she opens herself up to him as an initiatress into the mysteries of love. From a Basohli miniature painting of the early eighteenth century.

In a pleasing place, free from all distractions or disturbances, in secret, he should take a woman who has desire. "I am the Buddha, the Perfected One, Immoveable; she is the Precious Wisdom-initiatress." Thus the wise man should meditate with fixed thought. Then the man and woman should meditate on their respective divine forms. They should carry out the practice of uniting Lotus and Scepter, patiently and according to what should be done. Here, indeed, there is great pleasure. Here, indeed, Chandamaharosana, the Great Moon Elixir, is situated.

CHANDAMAHAROSANA TANTRA

Radha and Krishna in dalliance. The consort places herself to the right of her lover at the commencement of lovemaking and moves over to the left as the rite proceeds. Tantric texts declare that this mirrors the order of energy flow in the right and left sides of the Subtle Body. From a miniature painting, Kulu, circa 1720.

A couple in love-dalliance. The woman reclines while holding her fingers in the energy-circulation gesture, with thumb and forefinger linked. Ritual love-making should never be rushed. From a Rajasthani miniature painting of the eighteenth century.

a circular or undulating serpentine motion around herself and her partner, in a clockwise direction. While doing so, she should imagine that all negative influences are excluded; that she is insulating herself and her partner from the rest of existence.

The couple can now commence the act of love-making, either in a seated or lying position. Seated positions are generally more effective for prolonged intimate contact, and can be aided by the skillful use of cushions and pillows. All Eastern texts are unanimous in saying that sexual rites should begin with the woman sitting on the right of the man and then moving over to his left side for the

stage of sexual fulfillment. The right side is associated with the Solar breath, logical thought processes, the lineage of ancestors, and so on, whereas the left side is associated with the Lunar breath, intuition, and the mystic lineage of teachers and initiators. When a Hindu woman is married, she sits to the right side of her partner, but for sexual rites she moves over to his left.

Love-making should be gentle, sensual and reciprocal. With the Lingam inserted into the Yoni, the couple should explore the peaks and plateaus of loving. Alternating moving with stillness, the Tantric couple should endeavor to anticipate the approach of climax in each other, coordinating their loving so as to release surges of energy that mutually enrich their whole being. The longer they can maintain heightened sexual excitement without climax, the more transcendental the experience will be.

Postures can be varied to create new forms for sexual energy to flow through. Posture changing aids retention and empowers the love-rite with new potential. Ideally the couple should discuss and work out beforehand a basic sequence of love-postures, or even a strategy for their love-making, as this will enable them to avoid physical misunderstandings and allow them to elevate love-making to its highest form. However, ultimately a spontaneous awareness should supersede any predetermined order of lovemaking. Once the basic fabric of ritual is integrated into the consciousness of the

couple they must draw on their inner resources to add depth and dimension to the ritual.

Stimulating the passions to release waves of ecstasy, the couple should nurture each other's nature and explore the transcendental power of love. Visualizing the sexual energy rising upward through their conjoined Subtle Body, both man and woman should give and receive, circulating vitality throughout their whole being.

Opening up their mind's eye with the power of Kundalini, the Tantric couple should endeavor to experience mystic initiation from the realms of the Immortals. Look into the ecstatic mind for illuminating and meaningful visions. Look into the open heart for a deeper understanding of life itself. Tantras teach that there is nothing out of reach of the couple who practice Tantric love with dedication and commitment.

A love-rite can be practiced with a specific purpose in mind, such as physical healing, the resolution of a problem, or the taste of Liberation. If there is a specific objective, it should be held in the mind of the partners, particularly as the climax is approached. To make love with or without mutual physical orgasm is a matter of personal preference, physical condition, or pure spontaneity. Tantra emphasizes that if there is ejaculation

of semen, the man should compensate by leaving the Lingam in the Yoni for some time, absorbing the secretions directly. Prolonged Tantric love-making should incorporate oral sex, as this is effective in ensuring that each partner receives the product of his or her ecstasy and does not suffer any physical loss. Control of sexuality comes through familiarization with the various techniques of retention and mutual absorption, and also through intuitive exploration.

There should always be some fresh fruit, sweets, and a beverage readily available. Partaking of food during love-making has symbolic significance and is stimulating to the sense of taste and to the vitality of the body. Passion increases thirst, and it is quite natural to want to quench it. All the five senses come into play in evolved erotic activity; conscious evocation of the senses potentizes the whole experience of love.

When the man is about to ejaculate, he should make a big effort to draw the energy upward, tracing the flow in his mind's eye. He should mentally intone the seed Mantra "SWAHA" (or " O M SWAHA") at the m o - ment of ejaculation, and touch the top of his partner's head, or between her eyes, as an act of empowerment.

There is a tradition of choosing particular times of the month for the practice of sexual

Idealization of the Tantric couple in seated sexual union. The two extra arms of the male are shown holding a sword (symbolic of wisdom) and book (symbolic of knowledge). His other two hands hold scepter and bell, indicating that Lingam and Yoni are in union. From a Nepalese painting of the eighteenth century.

At the commencement of the rite, the woman should be placed in a comfortable seated position. Her feet should be carefully washed and perfumed; then sandal paste and oils are to be applied to the various parts of her body.

Flowers and light should be offered, together with incense and music. She should then be seated on the left side and kissed and touched so as to inspire the mind.

NAYIKA-SADHANA-TIKA

Sexual energy should be consciously circulated and the contact between Lingam and Yoni maintained. By changing postures, retention is more easily controlled, allowing the couple to prolong the peaks of ecstasy. An East Indian painting of the nineteenth century.

rites. The fifth or eighth day after the cessation of a woman's menstrual period is considered particularly efficacious, as are the full moon and solstice nights. The time between midnight and two o'clock in the morning is much favored both for meditation and sexual ritual.

Parts of the Secret Rite can be incorporated into every act of loving. Mainly it is the mental attitude of exaltation that is important, as well as the sense of expectancy.

Once there has been a shared orgasm, or a prolonged plateau of ecstasy, try to open yourself up to new dimensions. Let your creative imagination be fed by the intuition and, while still in intimate union, you will find that there are many secrets that will dawn of their own accord. Love-making is a doorway to transcendental ecstasy. The doorway of Tantric love is ever open to those who bring their highest qualities and intentions as a ritual offering.

A nobleman performing the Rite of the Five Essentials. His consort offers him a cup of wine. From a Kangra painting of the eighteenth century.