Shakti and Shâkta : essays and addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra

SHAKTI AND SHAKTA

Strictly however the first three can only be thus included in the sense that they are preparatory to Dakshinachara proper and are all in the Pravritti Marga and are not Vamachara). It is thus said that men are born into Dakshinachara but are received by initiation into Vamachara. As Dakshinachara does not mean “right-hand worship” so Vamachara does not mean, as is vulgarly supposed, “left-hand worship.” ‘‘ Left-hand” in English has a bad sense and it is not sense to suppose that the Shastra, which prescribes this Achara, itself gives it a bad name. VAma is variously interpreted. Some say it is the worship in which woman (Vama) enters that is Latasadhana. Vama, this author says, means “ adverse” that is the stage adverse to the Pravritti, which governs in varying degrees the previous Acharas. For entry is here made on the Nivritti path of return to the Source of outgoing. (In this Achara also there is worship of the Vama Devi.) In Vamachara the Sadhaka commences to directly destroy Pravritti and, with the help of the Guru, to cultivate Nivritti. The help of the Guru throughout is necessary. It is comparatively easy to lay down rules for the Pravritti Marga but nothing can be achieved in V4machara without the Guru’s help. Some of the disciplines are admittedly dangerous and, if entered upon without authority and discretion, will probably lead to abuse. The method of the Guru at this stage is to use the forces of Pravritti in such a way as to render them self-destructive. The passions which bind (notably the fundamental instincts for food, drink, and sexual satisfaction) may be soemployed as to act as forces whereby the particular life, of which they are the strongest physical manifestation, is raised to the universal life. Passion which has hitherto run downward and outwards (often to waste) is directed inwards and upwards and transformed to power. But it is not only the lower physical desires of eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse which must be subjugated. The Sadhaka must at this stage 83