Tantra is the path of realizing things as they are and expressing this inner realization through infinite creative means. It is a method for going beyond confusion, delusion, separation, and suffering.

Tantra Definition
Though in the West, people use the word Tantra to mean many other things, Tantra is a Sanskrit word that is said to mean continuity, transformation, thread or science. Tantra also refers to a manual of Tantric teachings and instruction. In the MahaSiddha Tradition Tantra was a way of practicing spirituality in order transform one's who life into the path of realization.

Tantric Tradition
Tantra refers to a tradition of practices given from teacher to student since the beginning of the tradition, which arose during the time of the Indus Valley civilization in India in an unorganized indigenous form. Later it was matured and elaborated by the MahaSiddhas who then spread it to Nepal, Tibet and throughout India. In Tantric lineage, the practices are not just given to a student, a student trains in and masters these practices and then carries them on by a special kind of permission. Carriers of Tantric practices and teachings were always ordinary, extraordinary and mystical beings linked with visionary and revelationary experiences which continued to evolve the tradition, keeping the tradition living, current and continuous.

How the Tradition is Passed & Authenticated
The Tantric tradition is passed on by: 1) oral instructions from teacher student, 2) terma, or mystical instructions that were stored for later discovery by two pivotal Tantric figures, Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal, or 3) teachings are also received in Pure Vision; these are revalation-ary bringing through of the essence of the teachings in a new time, new language, new context and even new culture. Teachers of this tradition are usually empowered to teach by their teacher, and the tradition is particularly defined by this *guru (spiritual master, guide and teacher) to student transmission, and the devotion to one’s spiritual guide.

*Guru: teacher.
Though this word has come to be associated with fear, drama and cults in popular culture, it traditionally refers to the very sane, inspired, open and extraordinary role of the spiritual guide in the yogic traditions. Contrary to people’s fears and misconceptions about the term, and the people called after it, the true Guru is someone least likely to come with the usual power trips, neurosis, and conditioned “brain-washing” that most ordinary people carry, since they are ones who have gone through extensive purification, training and personal evolution. There are so many confusions and misconceptions on the subject that it deserves much more attention to understand than this article is intended for. Suffice it to say, the true meaning of the word it is probably not what you think. In the Tantric tradition, the Guru/Teacher is the dangerous friend who guides us beyond misconceptions into the greater perspective that enlightened awareness is.

Lineage in various Tantric traditions takes on different roles. The Hindu Tantrics seem to have a very open view of how lineal blessings are passed on emphasizing the “avatar” the descent of lineage blessings and divinity to a person through mystical occurrence. Subsequently there have arisen a few questionable lineages and teachers. Yet there has also been the recognition of great beings on their own terms, which has allowed a creativity and freshness to remain alive in the tradition. Whatever half-baked "masters" are out there still usually benefit their students who at early levels and up to a point can still benefit from just about anyone with altruistic intentions and authentic practices.

In general Tibetan Tantrics are severely concerned with legitimizing authority and with the purity of lineages and credentials. Subsequently many misguided practitioners have dogmatic ideas as to the “real” or “authentic,” way of practicing Tantra, which of course always corresponds to their own way of practicing. Since there are so many Tantric traditions with distinct ways of practicing, dogmatic attitudes can be unfortunately mistaken. But cultural tendencies towards sectarianism, elitism and bigotry, and the few confused people/groups have not obscured the brilliance and openness of many Tantric people and aspects of Tantra, an exquisite body of traditions that have intersected in time, people, initiation, lineage and teachings.

In the MahaSiddha tradition, lineal blessings were passed down directly from teacher to student or indirectly by virtue of the students realization and direct connection with the essence meaning of the teachings.

Survival of Tantra
The Tantric tradition has not existed as a cultural phenomenon since the time of the Mahasiddhas, the Tantric adepts who shaped and defined this style of practice and living. Their unique form of Tantra incorporated influence of or practice of Dzogchen, the fruit of Tantric path and an extraordinary tradition on its own. The MahaSiddha Tradition is Tantric practice, but Dzochen view. Dzogchen is the path of spontaneous realization.

The period of the MahaSiddha's lives was from approximately 500-1200 c.e., yet their way of being and practicing spirituality continued to exist on a smaller scale as distinct individuals who have continued to appear up to the present times. However these practices were adapted to and incorporated into a cultural expression of Sutric-Tantric Tibetan Buddhism (see below, the types of spiritual paths), which was practiced as a cultural tradition from the time of 1200-1950’s. Within this cultural rendition of Tantra there were MahaSiddhas who manifested and practiced according to the original style. However, these kinds of practitioners are unorthodox and rare. Without the Tibetan version of the Tantric teachings, much would not have survived to be read about to this day. The Tantra of the MahaSiddhas was always and still is on the fringe of social and religiously normative ways of practicing dharma (spirituality) in a spiritual culture that is still dominated by renunciate and conservative tendencies. For more information see the lineage history pages of this website.

Tantric View & Dzogchen
"Awareness is the main point of the path and is emphasized above all else." -Kali Ma
The Tantric practice is a radically different way of looking at the world, relating to “self” and to other. It is also a series of exercises for transforming one’s experience, one’s state of mind and one’s relationship to things. The practices are inner and outer meditations, subtle exercises and rituals, which involve techniques and symbols. They are esoteric in that they indicate level of awareness below the threshold of ordinary cognition, and operate deeply at all levels of being. There are exoteric dimensions as well, which are outer manifestations of the inner secrets of Tantric realizations. For example, having a non-dual view allows one to relate in conflict without separating from other, without polarizing and instead remaining connected and open. Another example is being able to work well with others in one’s career because of an ability to deal with tensions and stress peacefully due to the practice of seeing obstacles as opportunities for the "transformation" that is Tantra. The exoteric and esoteric, outer and inner expressions of sadhana (spiritual practice) are valued equally in the Tantric path, placing spiritual work related to one’s job, relationships, and family life at the same level of priority as silent, sitting, “inner” practices.

Tantra is transformation; yet what is transformed is one's view. The Dzogchen or great perfection view is that everything, permeated with awareness, is already complete as it is. Only when we lose awareness do we fall into confusion and misperceive things as other than they are. This misperception is the basis of mistaken relationship to things and subsequently, mistaken conduct (this is how the wheel of karma is set in motion). The transformation or Tantra to take place is to transform one's view in order to see things as they are.

Tantra Yoga & Sutric-Tantra
Yoga is a way of referring to a Tantric tradition. It is a term that implies discipline and training. The Tantric Siddhas and Yogis were usually practitioners of the original version of Tantra, which is practiced within all aspects of ordinary life, including family, marriage and material responsibilities, or practiced in a nomadic style, or where one wanders in the wilderness, has a consort (a partner), and devotes one’s life to applying or sharing these practices. Later in history, as the outer practices of Tantra were forced into rarity by the political events in India and Tibet, a more internalized version of the Tantric work developed, focusing on the esoteric practices visualized inwardly, but a renunciate lifestyle outwardly. This is the version of Tantra practiced by monastics, which is the most common form of these teachings available today, and I refer to as Sutric-Tantra. Sutra means thread, and it refers to Eastern Spiritual Traditions, especially Buddhist, that rely on renunciation as a method and SUTRAS, the written down teachings as the primary authority, like other traditions of sacred books. Though it is not the style of practice taught within the MahaSiddha Dharma, nor was it the style of practice lived and taught by the MahaSiddhas who originated the teachings that became Vajrayana, Trika Tantra and Tibetan Buddhism, it is still a body of brilliant spiritual teachings and there have been many magnificent beings who have upheld it. For thepeople whose method is the Sutra-Tantra there has been much richness and purity. The Yogic style of Buddhism, the Yogic Style of the MahaSiddhas, is not a renunciate practice, nor is it accessed through Sutra the way that the Sutra-Tantra that has dominated Tibetan Spirituality is. Instead it is a direct path known through engagement with the world rather than renunciation of it. Though "Yogi" is used liberally in the US, it is actually a title that one earns and receives. In Tibet the word "Ngakpa/ma" is used and in Bhutan, "Gomchen." The Yogis of the Mahasiddha Tantra tradition were the initiated and often ordained students who achieved a high level of realization of the teachings through non-monastic, though disciplined practice. They wore white cotton cloth and had long hair as opposed to the monastic variety who shaved their heads and wore the maroon/red robes.

Where Tantra Came From
The tradition of Tantra began in India and matured in Oddiyana. Oddiyana was the region that encompassed North-Western India, including Kashmir and the Swat Valley, passing through Zhang-Zhung, the ancient Western Tibet, and the Indus Valley, where the earliest civilization of India began. Because of the spiritual activities and sharing in these regions, Persian concepts were integrated into the Bon, the early roots of Kashmir-Shaiva teachings were mingled Buddhism, and the Mahayana Buddhist Teachings were mixed with aspects of Tantra and folk-religion. Subsequently, the Tantric Siddhas arose in this environment of experiment, exchange and spiritual revolution. Later their work became known as Vajrayana Tantra of Tibet in the Nyingma or "old school," translation of the dharma teachings originating from India. The Kagyu School of Buddhist teachings are similar to the Nyingma school, even though they are a later translation. There have been major MahaSiddhas of the Kagyu school who have left incredible insight and inspiration for us to draw on; for example Milarepa, Marpa, Niguma, Naropa.Tantra and the teachings of the MahaSiddhas traveled throughout the Himalayan kingdoms, most notably to the whole of Tibet, where it continued to mature and develop until the time of Chinese genocide of Tibetan people, religion and culture, which begin in the 1950’s and continues today. The teachings were also spread through Nepal, Sikkim and also Bhutan which currently has a Tantra (a sutric-tantra in that it is culturally oriented towards sutra) as it’s national religion. In the last thirty years the Tantric tradition has come to the West.

THAT place is now in Beings
Once another student asked my teacher if I should go to India that summer, he said, “Kali IS India.” I understand what this means so much now. It is about where Dharma is. Many times I meet students and people who seek exotic travel to the home of these original Tantrics, or Yogis in general, searching for that esoteric experience as if it can be found in a place or plane ticket. However the place where naïve people with good intentions are looking for on a map no longer exists. India, Nepal and sadly Tibet have become another place, though still with great spiritual richness. The current political situations, globalization of Western consumer culture, change and time itself have affected these places. The India, Tibet and Nepal of the Yogis and the Tantrics does not exist in a place anymore, it exists in beings, and they are rare. More emphatically it exist in being-ness itself and the people who exhibit it. The mixed blessing in this is that such beings could possibly found in all cultures, places and languages as these styles spirituality becomes more and more widely available in this age of global culture and global communication.

Western Wisdom and Confusion
There has been widespread confusion of what Tantra is by westerns who took some of the Tantric practices related to sexuality out of context, blended them with confusion and propagated these as the whole of the Tantric teachings by calling them “Tantra.” Even today, many misguided people hear the word Tantra and then think of sexuality. However, some good has come of this movement. It has been beneficial to beings by unraveling the puritanical hang-ups that so many Westerners have about this very primal aspect of their being that is sexuality. It has been helpful by introducing the notion of spirituality and sexuality being some how related. It has been harmful when it promotes attachment to pleasure and building up of identities, which can only lead to more confusion. It has been harmful when promoting attachment, and identity as Tantra, rather than more accurately saying that such teachings were inspired by aspects of Tantra. There are many different levels of spirituality that are appropriate for different people at different stages of their journey. MahaSiddha Dharma is focused on the level of dharma concerned with awakening; with realization. In traditional Tantra, sexuality is one part of the work, since it is one part of life, and Tantra is all about the whole of life. It is a potent, essential, root aspect of one’s life and spirituality. However, it is not the whole path, or one's whole life. In authentic Tantric Traditions sexuality is not used for grasping onto pleasure, control, attachment and identities the way some have confusingly mistaken Tantra to be. In the MahaSiddha Dharma work and other traditional Tantras, the emphasis of sexual practices is the same as the emphasis of all the practices; the emphasis is realization, the freedom from all suffering, delusion and confusion, going beyond attachment and identity. Because of this emphasis on realization, sexuality is approached in a very specific way, different than what is presented in the "neo" tantras that promote sexual self-help as the Tantric path. At the end of the day, no matter how great of sex one is capable of, there is still the matter of relating with one's mind, emotions, reality, and with these the inevitability of confronting illness, aging, and death interwoven with the fabric of all things. True dharma holds up in the face of the intensities of life as well as the pleasures. It is not fixated in one area but empowers beings in all areas of their existence.

Tantric *Siddhas
There are different strands of Tantra. The non-dual Tantra of the *Tantric Siddhas refers to the Himalayan Yogis, Yoginis, Siddhas and practitioners who drew elements of their spirituality from Kaishmir Shaivism, Bon, Buddhism and the local traditions around Odiyana (North West India and beyond) to generate the Mahasiddha style of dharma practgice. The MahaSiddha tradition reached its highest historical point so far during the 3rd to 13th century c.e. in Odiyana/North West India. These practices were synthesized and spread by two MahaSiddhas, and Yogic Buddhists, Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. Their teachings and practices were absorbed into Tibetan Buddhism and became Vajrayana, in the Nyingma School of Tantric Buddhism, which was later largely amalgamated with Tibetan culture, renunciate practices and values, though not completely. Many other versions of Tantric Tradition and Vajrayana have developed since then out of the translations and elaborations of each lineage and school. Specifically the MahaSiddhas are a description of Kali Ma’s lineage stream, a small lineage of Crazy Wisdom Siddhas and Yogis.

The Tantric Siddha Dharma comes through my own life, Kali Ma, according to my own embodiment of the lineage stream I received from my own first root teacher who was a MahaSiddha lineage holder, and his teachers; who held the lineage from the Buddha, who received a terma from Padmasambhava and who were a reincarnation of Padmasambhavas student. It is most importantly also according to the Maha Siddhas lives, the MahaSiddha Dharma Style and especially from the MahaSiddha Yeshe Tsogyals’ life; according to what I have received directly in Pure Vision, and according to what my students need.

The MahaSiddhas represent a way of practicing Tantra with emphasis on non-duality, personal experience of the practices and teachings, the teacher-student relationship, and incorporation of women throughout its entire history (unlike the other yogic, Buddhist and monastic traditions of past and current times). The MahaSiddhas represent a way of practicing Dharma without being: overly intellectual, sexist, dualistic, bigoted, sectarian, racist, preoccupied with form at the cost of essence, tediously involved in lengthy, hollow rituals, and without being pre-occupied with concepts, status, cultural norms, identity, rigid rules of conduct, religious norms, credentials, beliefs and rigid beliefs about right and wrong.

Since the emphasis of the MahaSiddha Path is actual realization and transformation of ones own view and inner life, the practices and teachings are engaged with in that intention. This has the specific effect of making it a non-elaborate path, very direct, to the point and accessible. For example, since one can be a scholastic master of spiritual teachings, but have no realization, it is the realization itself and what will actually invoke that realization which is important. Therefore scholasticism is not emphasized, though it may arise out of one’s own personal style of expressing the delight of the path. Another example, since many people can speak Sanskrit, Tibetan and many other languages without become realized, the MahaSiddha teachings are spoken directly in our own language, in this instance, English. Foreign words are only used when there is no English equivalent. English has Buddha nature as much as any other language. However the knowledge of Sanskrit and Tibetan can be helpful in important ways and especially interesting for certain people in the path, and so for such people, the study of such languages might arise out of one’s own spontaneous expression of the path. The emphasis of the MahaSiddha Path is realization, therefore it is a very non-elaborate spirituality, compared to very elaborate spiritual works that require long memorization of texts in foreign languages, lengthy rituals and complex visualization processes. The emphasis is on what actually produces realization for the practitioner at hand, in their moment, in their language, in their world, in their culture.

*Siddha: One who has accomplished *Sadhana with extraordinary mastery. They are called Tantric Siddhas or Maha Siddhas, Maha meaning, really great beings who have demonstrated siddhis, irrefutable signs of their accomplishment. MahaSiddhas has come to be associated with atraditional set of remembered male practitioners and does not usually include their female Gurus (teachers), or consorts. This is because the orthodox Sutric tradition considers females to be unable to take enlightenment unless they are born male, thus the sutric scholarship did not keep track of those female adepts, therefore depicting the heritage in an incomplete way. For this reason, the lineage page of this website is being constructed in order to include the whole story of the tradition, inclusive of the female masters. Siddhas are recognized in Hinduism and Buddhism and the MahaSiddhas straddled both traditions, though as their work develped it was articulated in most detail in the Yogic Buddhist teachings. The term MahaSiddha Dharma helps to encompass the complexity of my own lineage stream the decisive Trika Tantric Siddha influence that intersected with it at various points in history even though it is truly an Yogic Buddhist path (unorthodox).

*Sadhana: Spiritual technology for changing ones relationship to reality into a more authentic one, also means spiritual discipline.

Tantra: Transformation, continuity. The Tantric path is one of transformation of ones relationship to all things in life. For example: transformation of our view of and relationship to obstacles can transform obstacles into opportunities. The path is inclusive of body, relationship, sexuality, family life, work, creativity, and all aspects of modern living.Tantra is the path of realization, compassion, enjoyment and infinite skillful means.

Tantra: Theistic or Non-Theistic
Yes! The Nature of the Universe According to the MahaSiddhas...
The Tantric Siddhas recognize that God, or Deity are the creative forces of existence. They are an expression of the ultimate reality, which is the basis of all things. In its fundamental form, absolute realitymanifests as shunyata, often translated as emptiness. The absolute reality is a vivid, luminous emptiness or openness. It is shunya, luminous emptiness. It is inseparable from space itself, beyond form, logic, rationale and definition. It is un-definable, impermanent, insubstantial, inseparable, and discontinuous, though within it everything arises. This open space is the nature of all things. Even though things appear solid, they really are not. We live in a powerful time, when this view has also been repeated widely by the God of American culture- Science; specifically in the voice modern Physics. When seen in its fullness, we realize that everything in the phenomenal world is full of this open potentiality, everything is based on space. The traditional term for this is emptiness, which is a powerful term since it easily brings up peoples fear of losing ground. From this view of the universe, there is no ultimate ground except the ground of groundless-ness. The impermanence of life easily reveals this empty open groundless ground of existence. Near deaths’ edge we feel how our short fleeting lives are lived on the precipice of infinite void. But it is not the void in the sense of absence, it is the void in the sense of presence. Many traditions have had different views on this basic luminous potentiality of all space. The non-dual Trikas call this aspect of reality Parama-Shiva, undivided absolute reality. Allah actually means "the nothingness," which the Sufis become lovers of. The Tibetan Tantrics call this Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri, the sphere of unconditioned potentiality. In Buddhism it is also known as the Dharmakaya. By whatever name we call it, it is the primordial experience beyond name or conception, and it is open, clear and vivid in nature.

Within this back-drop of emptiness, also moves energy or power, the elemental activity of phenomenon, and all the qualities of existence that the elements create. This activity is the domain of the deities. The deities, or wisdom beings are the articulation, or essences of this dimension of energy, this dimension of experience. These deities are creative wisdom beings, which are aspects of our own enlightened nature, and the enlightened forces of existence. They are simultaneously inner and outer; which are not separate at the level of energy. They are Shiva, Kali, Ganesha, Kurukulla, VajraYogini, VajraPani, and others. The purity of existence in its raw nature manifests its powers in infinite expressions, and is perceived in different ways by different religious traditions. They are BEING-ness in a pure expression that appears symbolically to spiritual seekers until this reality is accessed directly. Then it is no longer a symbol of the Being-ness, it is the Being-ness. This is a more complex version of God, but a more open one, beyond conception, pictures, monism and fixed reality, yet engaged with what we can conceive, envision and relate to. It is SambhogaKaya, the dimension through which we enjoy and experience all qualities which are in their purest most heightened form, the deities. This energy of the deities arises as emotional energy, even though in most people it is distorted and therefore is misperceived, becoming neurosis. The deities are aspects of existence in its pure form, they are the faces of our own realized mind and they are the voice of the universe speaking to itself as it relates to our individual energies, minds and forms. They exist both on the inner and other dimension and yet, like all things, their existence is basically shunya, transparent open space.

Out of space, and the energy that arises in it as all qualities, arises the material world of manifest forms, distinctions and individuals. These forms are enlivened by the energy qualities and feel because of them. These forms are based on the shunya, open potential space, which makes them highly impermanent, changable and remarkable.

There are three dimensions of existence, they are:
the empty open ground of all existence, space
the elements and all qualities of experience, energy
the manifestation dimension, form

The three dimensions are the inseparable dynamics within all existence. The energetic dimension is the feeling, or “enjoyment” dimension of existence through which all the infinite combinations of the elemental energies interplay and manifest as various experiences. This energetic dimension is the aspect that is not completely intangible, yet also not concrete and definite in the way form appears to be. In the form dimension of existence, human beings and the whole world of form manifests and un-manifests, continuously recycling itself back into emptiness. Though form is temporary, it temporarily appears separate, permanent, solid, continuous and definite.

The Three Kinds of Spiritual Paths

In general there are three kinds of spiritual paths. To understand the Tantra of the MahaSiddhas it is helpful to consider how it relates to these three kinds of path. This also brings to light the nature of the other Eastern paths and spiritual paths in general making it clear what is their view, path and the goal of the path.

Renunciate- Sutric- Exoteric Teachings

The first kind of path is called Sutra. It is based on sutras, written teachings focused on disciplined renunciation of all potential distractions to spiritual practice. Sutric paths, like Christianity, are religions of the book, they rely on the written teachings as laws of spiritual life. Sutra is concerned with renouncing form in order to know shunya, the emptiness dimension of existence. Therefore all forms are renounced. This includes the renouncing of family, partnership, sexuality, emotions, money, work, body, status, home etc… These are renounced in order to focus oneself one-pointedly on one’s personal enlightenment. From the MahaSiddha Tradition's view, renunciation is not done because such things are “bad,” as many times confused and dualistic view will portray. Instead they are renounced as a method of aiding concentration on the path because they could easily be distractions to the path. It is easier to concentrate when there is nothing in your life but meditation. It is not the only kind of method, but for some people it is the method that brings forth the most realization. At a certain stage of growth, this is crucial.

The Sutric paths are scholastic, intellectual and institutional. They have traditionally been exclusively male, with the belief that women cannot attain in enlightenment, as in Hinayana Buddhism. Another variation of this path is found in Mahayana Buddhism, which shares the Sutric values but includes women and other traditionally marginalized individuals, and holds the ideal of enlightenment not only for ones own individual self but also for the all beings.

This is the easiest path to attain and more people are able to follow it, because it very definite, form and rule oriented. It is also safe, slower paced and very peaceful. It is well organized, supported by large institutions and historically was also supported by the primary culture in India and Tibet. Rules of behavior cultivate discipline and eventually a realization of the emptiness within form and rule. Such a realization becomes the foundation of the Tantric path.

Since the Sutric style of spirituality has been the dominant force in India and Tibet for the last 1000 years, the Mahasiddha Tradition has been rare and nearly invisible, and also most people assume that the Sutric way is THE way, rather than seeing it as one of several methods of approaching realization. The Sutric bias on spiritual teachings and views has led to much confusion about what non-Sutric paths are and has given rise to some extreme confusions. It is important to find out what your own path and tradition are in the terms and context of that path and tradition. This can be done through attending teachings, receiving trainings and asking questions.

Tantric- Transformation- Esoteric Teachings

The second kind of path engages with the world instead of renouncing it. In the Tantric work we understand that the reason that family, partnership, sexuality, money, work, and home can be distractions to the path is because of a distracted mind. So one’s own mind, one’s own view is transformed so that one can enjoy an enlightened relationship with all things. In this way we discover the inherent purity and initiatory quality in all of life. It is not a path to be taken lightly as it requires tremendous discipline and inner work. However it is more vivid, colorful, artistic and complex than the sutric work and appeals to those who are passionate, active in the world and who intuitively connect with the vivid opportunities for awakening which lie in ordinary life. It is considered a faster path because of the tremendous growth and change that lies within it; yet it is also considered a dangerous path as it is easy to misunderstand and become distracted.

Spontaneous Realization- No Path Path

This is the path of spontaneous, inherent realization. In the Tantric work it is called Dzogchen, or Great Perfection, the path of spontaneous self-realization. It is the highest stage of Tantra and shares much in common with the Shaiva Tantric tradition of Kashmir which intersected with it at is inception. It is the state of awareness of innate, inborn consciousness. It is the stage of spiritual practice where the teachings come alive in and one spontaneous lives the meaning of the teachings, even expressing their ultimate truth in ways never expressed before. In one sense, it is not a path, but a way of being that cannot be practiced or contrived in any way, the state of pure and total presence. Practices and teachings can only point to it.

Zen is a tradition that has some similarities to this type of teaching, but with a Sutric flavor.

Because the MahaSiddha Dharma is a way of practicing Tantra with a Dzogchen view, we recognize that there is no thing to actually attain that is not already innate. Instead it is that one must remove the confusion and obstacles to ones view. These confusions and obstacles are empty in nature and yet also carry the seeds of tremendous wisdom so they can be viewed and related to in such a way that they dissolve and reveal awareness. The delusion of *marigpa, unenlightened-dualistic-vision must be released so that spontaneous natural awareness springs forth uninhibited. Therefore, the TRANSFORMATION in Tantra, is to transform one’s view so that one can see things as they are. This is a gradual purification process, and yet it is also instant.

Some Terms Used in this Article

Guru: Tantric Master/Teacher/Spiritual Guide
Marigpa: Un-awareness-dualism-mind, also called the ego, the mechanism through which delusion, neurosis and dualism are maintained.
Sadhana: spiritual technologies, spiritual practice or discipline
Siddha: One who has extraordinary accomplishment of Sadhana
Sutra: Renunciate, Form oriented, conduct oriented traditions based on the written teachings or sutras version of what spiritual practice is. The most common Eastern spirituality for the last 1000 years has been Sutric, including Hinayana and Theraveda. Tantra: continuum
Terma: a discovered teaching that has been stored by past masters to be discovered at the right time by the right person who can reveal the teachings in the a new or updated way.
Yoga: Experience of non-duality, or technologies for that experience
Renunciate: spirituality that renounces the world, including renouncing relationships, work, money, family, home, status, and culture.
Yogi/Yogini: One who is initiated, and/or ordained in their lineage and has a high degree of realization and mastery of the path which is recognized in by this title. Ngakpa or Gomchen are the Tibetan and Bhutanese titles for the same role of non-monastic practitioner.
Vajra Master: same as Guru
Vajrayana: the Tibetan Tantric tradition derived from the Tantric Siddhas practiced either in the sutric-tantric version, which is the renunciate version of Tantra, or it is practiced in a more direct Tantric style. The former is the most common.