Black Magic, Dakini & Bodhichitta in Tantra | Ācārya Dr. Sthaneshwar Timalsina

[00:00:00]ask him, "What is the tantra?"

[00:00:02]They understood it's like black magic.

[00:00:05]>> [laughter] >> And also dakini when we say dakini in Tibetan something very enlightened female respect like this, but Indians say, "Oh, that's scary."

[00:00:17]>> You say tantra, people get scared.

[00:00:20]Ramaji, I have told people People have come to me, "You practice tantra." And I'm like, "I'm going to turn you into a cat." They run away. Honestly. There is so much superstition.

[00:00:32]>> Uh the Tibetan tantra and then this the others tantra Indian tantra.

[00:00:39]They say they have no bodhicitta basis.

[00:00:43]Uh that's they believe. Okay. So, that's true or not Maybe you need to explain what is bodhicitta means in Tibetan, right? So, in the even the conventional motivational bodhicitta uh you have to have just love kindness kindness compassion is not enough. You have to have this motivational bodhicitta.

[00:01:05]So, is that true?

[00:01:06]>> Yeah. So, the idea of bodhicitta is a Mahayana idea. Originally in the original teachings, it's thought that when you attain enlightenment, you do it as an individual as an arhat, and then you sort of are transported to the other shore. But the question becomes, "Well, what about everyone else?" So, in the Mahayana path, bodhicitta is this awakening mind that says, "I don't want to get there until everyone gets there."

[00:01:30]>> Also, Tibetans believe that if you have no bodhicitta, then you practice tantra could be go wrong, you know, like wrong [clears throat] become powerful demon and like these things.

[00:01:41]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:01:42]>> So, they they believe that. So, and they believe that the Indian these people tantra they not emphasizing this. So, my question is that true?

[00:01:53]>> Um Ramaji, Uh, at least in the popular imagination, that is true.

[00:02:00]Uh, but in actual lineages, uh, I would say that's not true. So, there's just like a what is popular and what is actual lineage.

[00:02:09]And in actual lineage of Sarvamnaya, we therefore meticulously educate the students to cultivate Shiva nature.

[00:02:19]And that is why we first start with the Shiva. Shiva by literally Shiva translates as compassion, Karuna. Shiva is a Karuna. So, there is no categorical difference. Or we cultivate Bhairavi bhava, the nature of Bhairava, that is repleteness, fullness. And then only then we are supposed to initiate the students.

[00:02:43]So, but what we see in the market is you're right. It's not happening in all contexts. People are rushing to become a guru and giving mantras for black magic.

[00:02:55]But that is that is not how Tantra works. That is not what it is ever meant. Because all the Tantras, Mantras come from Agamas.

[00:03:08]And then we have to therefore go back to the Agamas and see whether they are actually telling the way I'm saying, like the primacy of Jnana.

[00:03:19]And Mantra Diksha comes much later in the third section after teaching philosophy and after teaching yogic practices, only then students are given initiation into Mantra. But in the practice, in the market, what if that is not happening? They are doing random things. We really cannot control how people do violate the tradition.

[00:03:43]>> Okay.

[00:03:43]>> So, one more two very important questions. One is, uh, the when we say Tantra, you know, like I asked many like Indian uh average people, not scholars, average people ask them, what is tantra?

[00:04:02]They understood is like black magic.

[00:04:04]Uh If you you ask a Tibetans what is tantra, they they don't know, you know, the average people. They don't know, but something very respect, something very high, very respect. They they don't know, no heart, no idea what it is, but something very high.

[00:04:21]But then average people in India I when ask they always oh, black magic, like that kind of. So, that I I just wonder why. And also dakini when we say dakini in Tibetan something oh, very enlightened female, respect like this, but Indians say, oh, that's scary.

[00:04:40]Uh, so I wonder why.

[00:04:42]>> [laughter] >> Um So, Lhamaji's depiction is astutely ap- ab- absolutely accurate. And in this case, I need support and help from uh Lhamaji and all the other Dharma practitioners because there have been a grave injustice of this misunderstanding.

[00:05:07]Honestly, the only reason I am walking out of my duty, a full-time job, to be an advocate of the lineages is by observing the depravity of social awareness of what it is. Like a dakini.

[00:05:25]Lhamaji mentioned very clearly, people are really scared of dakini. In every single Shiva tantra, if you go, dakini is the yogini situated in the muladhara chakra. And only upon the awakening of dakini that you even have a chance to worship Guhya Kali.

[00:05:46]So, Dakini is a deity, the foundation, not just Dakini, we have Rakini, Lakini, Kakini, all these Yogini Kula, and we both came, actually Buddhist Tantra and Shaiva Tantra are the children of the same mother, Yogini Kula.

[00:06:07]But what happened, one brother continued to be understood in a correct way. Another brother got misunderstood.

[00:06:18]He was not a thief, but the public accused him of thievery. So, then it comes to all of us, Dharma-minded and truth-minded people, to support and to explore first, not because I said so, but go and examine on your own, and if you find that this is actual uh uh injustice, then it comes to us as our responsibility to speak the truth, that this is very wrong, and we should not misrepresent Tantra in this derogatory way. You say Tantra, people get it scared. I mean, I have told people people have come to me, "You practice Tantra." And I'm like, "I'm going to turn you into a cat." They run away. Honestly, there is so much superstition, and and then um as a as a scholar, I could be happy writing some footnotes, but you know, I live in this society. Another 10 footnotes does not make a difference in the world, and that is why I am out here, and I need your help.

[00:07:31]Thank you.

[00:07:32]>> Thank