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