Comments on “Tantra, sex, and romance novels”

Prompted by a hazy semi-memory from a long-ago English lit class, I just looked up ‘romance’ in the dictionary. The memory was that before there was ‘the novel’ [which has its own interesting etymology] there was ‘the romance’, which lacking a nuance or two, was pretty much the same thing. So, from Mr. Webster: “romance 1)(a)- A medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural; b) a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place…; c) a love story…”

I got started down this particular rabbit-trail of thought when I was thinking how interesting– and a bit unusual– it is, for you to have set out to write something you’ve called a romance novel. I mean, over and above the highly unusual subject matter. I am enjoying your success at keeping a balance of information, humor, narrative action, and the inherent poetry of the human heart– even a fictional one, if the fiction is going to interest me.

Keep ‘em coming!

There are several ancient definitions of, “Tantra”.
In Vedic scriptures it was a celestial romance of the gods.
Many years ago, in the 1980’s I walked into Vigeland park.
I was not a Shin Buddhist at the time or Buddhist at all.
However, I was into the occult.
The meaning crowning glory of “final attainment”, the Wreath Of the Caesar hit me full in the face.
Up is down. Out is in.
The yidam of the heart is the union yab yum. Lowest on the altar and closest the heart.
If you cannot love with gratitude your lovers, your family your friends, your neighbors like Avolakita saved from despair by Amitabha to make him her guru, how can you be compassion?
Awakened devotional gratitude fulfills the Vow and we are one of many Amitabha Buddhas.

“Now, I, Vairocana Buddha am sitting atop a lotus pedestal; On a thousand flowers surrounding me are a thousand Sakyamuni Buddhas. Each flower supports a hundred million worlds; in each world a Sakyamuni Buddha appears. All are seated beneath a Bodhi-tree, all simultaneously attain Buddhahood. All these innumerable Buddhas have Vairocana as their original body”.

In love, all are one

“If anyone still practices it, I haven’t heard about it.”

I believe some members of the (fragmented) OTO probably still do.

Also, a Gnostic cult called the Borborites had the same practice.

I’d provide links but I’m being marked as spam. Look for “The Eucharist” by Clément de Saint-Marcq and “PARSIFAL AND THE SECRET OF THE GRAAL UNVEILED” by Theodor Reuss.

Awhile back you recommended The Shape of Ancient Thought to me. The chapter “Plato and Kundalini” makes reference to this Borborite practice, and has more details on beliefs about sperm, East and West.

Like I said above, I believe members of the occult group O.T.O. still practice this. As Crowley (an advocate of this practice) was instrumental to the O.T.O. and Gardner was appointed a high degree in the O.T.O. by Crowley, I wouldn’t be surprised if the practice is also found today among some Pagan circles.