| Tantra and the Kama Sutra are often lumped | | | | Vatsyayana's time. It wasn't until several |
| together by sex writers today. But as you'll | | | | centuries later that the Tantras were turned |
| find out below, the two, very worthy subjects | | | | into scripture (The tantras were written down |
| are only distantly related!Modern sexual | | | | beginning in the 5th century, and continuing |
| marketing has ensured that the first things | | | | through the 19th century...)To someone who |
| most people envision when they hear "Kama | | | | has bought "Tantra for Dummies," or any |
| Sutra" are images of statues with entwined | | | | similar books written by a marketing-savy |
| limbs and bodies in exotic sexual positions. | | | | western sexologists with no Tantric |
| These images are the frequently re-printed | | | | background, the lack of "tantric" material in |
| photographs of explicitly sensual statues in | | | | the Kama Sutra may be quite a surprise. |
| the Dakini temples of Southern India. These | | | | Vatsyayana, like his peers, kept the tantric |
| are tantric temples - but the only | | | | secrets secret - as oral tradition.So don't |
| relationship between the pictures and the | | | | look to Kama Sutra to spiritualize your |
| Kama Sutra is the 30 or so love positions | | | | lovemaking, but do look to it to understand |
| mentioned in that Text...Many illustrated | | | | sensuality and human nature.Look to the Kama |
| books and websites about the Kama Sutra | | | | Sutra for exactly the purpose for which it |
| contain only these few chapters - the ones on | | | | was written: As a manual for satisfying, |
| sexual positions, methods of embrace, | | | | balancing and enjoying the realm of the |
| kissing, scratching, biting, touching...But | | | | senses.The Kama Sutra is simultaneously a |
| only getting these excerpts is to limit | | | | manual of matchmaking, flirting, sensuality |
| yourself as a sensualist. The Kama Sutra is | | | | in life and in sex, romantic love, human |
| much more. But it's not, strictly speaking, | | | | nature, attracting a man, turning on a woman, |
| tantric...Any good lover can tell you that | | | | how to seduce a man, how to captivate a |
| arousal and captivation are more than just | | | | woman, how to get a man or woman to marry |
| sexual techniques, that knowing 30 sexual | | | | you, arranged marriages, affairs, |
| positions isn't enough to keep a lover | | | | gold-digging, the economics of love, affairs |
| thinking about your naked body, even years | | | | with courtesans, keeping the affections of a |
| later... Understanding the mind and senses of | | | | lover or spouse, love potions, charms, and |
| your lover fosters an eroticism far more | | | | everything in between...Mallanaga was |
| ecstatic and profound than just learning | | | | brilliant in his insight that sexuality |
| techniques... Tantra takes that one step | | | | begins before the bedroom -- in the realm of |
| further and couples spiritual ecstasy with | | | | the senses and in the imagination. He |
| this sensual and sexual bliss. This step is | | | | expresses that attitude, bearing, and mystery |
| what's missing from the Kama Sutra..."Kama | | | | are as important in love as technique. That |
| Sutra" is frequently mistranslated as "the | | | | simply knowing positions and techniques |
| arts of love," but really, Kama means "love, | | | | doesn't captivate a lover. You must first |
| pleasure, and the life of the senses" and a | | | | capture their sensual experience through |
| Sutra is a group of aphorisms - short, pithy | | | | suggestive conversation, smell, and brief |
| sayings.The Kama Sutra was written by | | | | touches...This understanding of the |
| Mallanaga of the clan or sept called | | | | importance of mental and emotional attitude, |
| Vatsyayana. Mallanaga was a holy man, a seer, | | | | and of bodily focus, is distinctive of a |
| and a sage, and in all of the spiritual | | | | tantric. But it is applied only in its |
| senses of the word, a tantric. He worshipped | | | | worldly form in the Kama Sutra.In his own |
| the Divine as both feminine and masculine, | | | | spiritual pursuits, Vatsyayana applied the |
| and lived primarily a religious life.He wrote | | | | same understanding to the pursuit of |
| the Kama Sutra for the ruling class, which at | | | | Realization and Liberation. He was an |
| that time in India's history was the | | | | acknowledged spiritual master of his time. It |
| Kshatriya, or Warrior caste. Based on | | | | also seems quite certain from his knowledge |
| mentions of 1st Century historical figures in | | | | of women and their pleasures that his |
| the Kama Sutra, and on mentions of the Kama | | | | spirituality was sensual, and not celibate.So |
| Sutra in early 5th Century works, we know | | | | why did Mallanaga Vatsyayana *not* include |
| that Mallanaga Vatsyayana wrote the Sutra | | | | tantric sexual practices in his most famous |
| sometime between the 1st and 4th Centuries | | | | work?Because he knew that sexuality is only |
| A.D.In writing his treatise, Mallanaga | | | | an appropriate spiritual tool for some. He |
| Vatsyayana wrote:"...an intelligent person, | | | | wrote the Kama Sutra for the ruling class - |
| attending to Dharma (the spiritual life and | | | | so they could balance and enjoy their sensual |
| obligations) and Artha (worldly welfare and | | | | appetites with their social and spiritual |
| the obligations of society), and attending to | | | | obligations as rulers. Not to pass on secrets |
| Kama also, without becoming the slave of his | | | | he knew would be lost on many of these |
| passions, obtains success in everything he | | | | students.So feel free read the real Kama |
| may undertake"Kama Sutra begins with a | | | | Sutra, exploring the power of your |
| salutation to the Divine balance of these | | | | sensuality, just as you explore your worldly |
| three principles, Dharma, Artha, and | | | | and spiritual life. And if you want something |
| Kama.There are no tantric sexual or spiritual | | | | deeper, if you feel drawn to Divine |
| practices (puja) in the Kama Sutra. There | | | | expression within everything - including your |
| are, however, a few examples of simple | | | | sensuality - you won't find it in "Tantra for |
| magical tantra - the making of charms, | | | | Dummies." You'll find it by learning from |
| potions, and amulets - in the final chapters | | | | real Tantrics!For every student, there is a |
| titled "On Attracting Others".In fact, most | | | | teacher.Keep in touch, smile, breathe right, |
| of the spiritual and sexual Tantras (tantric | | | | and keep your tongue up! |
| teachings) were only oral tradition in | | | | |