neti neti Posted July 3, 2017 This is from "Demons of the Flesh", by Nikolas Schreck. Not quite Hindu per se, but a "Left-Hand" Tantric perspective nonetheless: Quote "It is a keystone of our understanding of magic's underlying identity with maya that magic is not a comfortable niche to be settled into forever. Instead, it is a transitional vehicle, a means to an end. Magic can be the awakening agent that frees its practitioner from certain illusions, allowing the flash of insight that transcends all philosophical inquiry. Through magic, the mind can learn that there is not one indisputable reality. There is an endless multiplicity of realities, none of them ultimately subject to categorization or label. The direct confrontation with maya that sorcery allows might be said to be magic's primary objective. It is this confrontation that permits the sorcerer to viscerally understand how deeply his or her own shifting subjective overlays influence that which he or she perceives - an understanding that may hasten the transformation of human sentience to divine consciousness. Just as likely, it must be said, magic can become a self-delusive trap of its own, an addictive activity binding the magician ever more deeply to the maya mirages he or she projects. This is the double nature of Maya, who blinds and reveals with each alternating step of her sinuous movement through time." 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiverSnake Posted July 3, 2017 (edited) Yes, there is something very tricksterish yet fun about physical reality. Most people are always chest deep in suffering. Yet once you take a few steps out of the pond and gain some clarity it can be a lot of fun to dance with Maya and consciously play the role of creator god ensouled in the flesh....if you have the spittle for it. Edited July 3, 2017 by OldSaint 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pessimystic Posted July 10, 2017 On 2017-7-3 at 5:38 AM, neti neti said: Not quite Hindu per se, but a "Left-Hand" Tantric perspective nonetheless: What exactly is so Tantric about it? I'm not meaning to be rude and pick on the details, but I've read many tantras and consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Hindu Tantra and AFAIK the only difference between Tantric concept of Maya and, say, Advaitic version is that Tantra doesn't consider Maya as "an illusion", it is as real as anything else is and has it's place in the 36 tattwa system of Kashmir Shaivism. Moreover, the distinction into Vamachara and Dakshinachara is based solely on whether the particular sect embraced the rites of 5 Ms, so it's not really a LHP perspective either IMHO. Maybe you are thinking more along the lines of Shankara-influenced Shaktism? Cheers! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwai Posted July 10, 2017 On 7/2/2017 at 10:38 PM, neti neti said: This is from "Demons of the Flesh", by Nikolas Schreck. Not quite Hindu per se, but a "Left-Hand" Tantric perspective nonetheless: I woke up at 3:30 AM this morning with a song playing in my head - "Maya maya" 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neti neti Posted July 10, 2017 (edited) 12 hours ago, pessimystic said: What exactly is so Tantric about it? I'm not meaning to be rude and pick on the details, but I've read many tantras and consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Hindu Tantra and AFAIK the only difference between Tantric concept of Maya and, say, Advaitic version is that Tantra doesn't consider Maya as "an illusion", it is as real as anything else is and has it's place in the 36 tattwa system of Kashmir Shaivism. Moreover, the distinction into Vamachara and Dakshinachara is based solely on whether the particular sect embraced the rites of 5 Ms, so it's not really a LHP perspective either IMHO. Maybe you are thinking more along the lines of Shankara-influenced Shaktism? Cheers! No worries. I only intended to highlight the text's source, as its surrounding context would reveal. That is all. Perhaps it would have been clearer if I'd written "not quite Hinduism proper", as the Tantric "left-hand" current is generally considered taboo or apostasy. The focus of what I've extracted and shared is that regardless of sect-specific practices, or whether or not one accepts what is seen to be "real", the manipulation of Maya should be considered a tool of sorts, a stepping stone... not the end goal(as if there were one). Regards. Edited July 10, 2017 by neti neti 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
