In several tantric texts practitioners are advised to discover their true nature or act in accordance with their nature. For some, this might seem like a libertine invitation to pursue their pleasures. For others, perhaps conscious of the non-dualistic teaching that we are all emanations of the single universal soul, it could be interpreted as a direction towards monastic conformity. But as with most concepts in Tantra, knowing your nature is not as straight forward as it first appears.
Whilst we may all be emanations of the same universal Self this does not mean that we are all identical. That is not the purpose of our existence at all. Let’s use an analogy; imagine you are a playwright, and as a writer you want to compose a piece of art that not only explores a range of existential themes, but also serves as a form of self-expression. But to achieve these goals the play needs a cast of characters. Each character will have their own unique complexities, but they will all still be crafted by the same author, and as the playwright, no doubt you will draw upon aspects of your own personality and emotions to develop the characters and to explore these traits in detail. Within this analogy divinity is clearly the playwright, and we are the diverse cast of characters on stage.
Now let’s stretch the analogy a little further. Imagine that the play is largely unscripted. There is a well-developed cast of characters with their own personalities, overriding emotions and motivations, and there are a series of situational set pieces and scenes, but the actors don’t have a script – the play is one large piece of improvisation. Now, if the actors playing these complex characters have a deep understanding of them – if they can feel their individual natures – then such a play could be quite successful. But what would happen if the actors were distracted by off stage concerns, such as personal debt, their off-stage relationships or how the critics might react to their performance. No doubt they would still muddle their way through the play, but it might not be as smooth or as successful as the ambitious playwright had hoped. And this is why the tantras tell us to find our nature; we need to understand our own individual characteristics and react to the scenes we are presented with as naturally and as authentically as possible, in accordance with those characteristics, and without distraction, so that our own inner divinity can fully express itself. So how do we do this?
Well, within Tantra the only valid reality is the present moment in time – the scene being acted out on stage. Any concepts or constructs from our past and any concerns for the future are distractions, preventing us from identifying our true nature, compromising our authenticity and hindering our performance. Broadly speaking, these damaging constructs can be thought of as subjectification and objectification. Subjectification would be our concept of self – the stories we tell about our self to our self, the burden of expectations and obligations that we carry with us. Objectification would involve all the preconceptions and stereotypes that flood our mind when faced with external objects or individuals and that affect how we behave towards them. The key then, is to identify these thought constructs when they arise, to recognise them for what they are and to habitually dismantle them. What is left when they are gone is your true nature – your divinity.
Of course, this sounds deceptively simple; de-constructing a lifetime of constructed concepts is a difficult and consuming task, the result of long hours of mindful meditation, contemplation and self-grounding. But this does not mean that it’s unobtainable. One of the Buddhist Tantras describes your natural state in terms of the base, the path and the fruit. The base is your divine nature, always present within us all; the path is the process you follow to access your divine nature; and the fruit is the benefits you experience once you recognise your divine nature. However, as a non-dualist text, the Tantra recognises that there is no actual separation between each of these states, consequently, the process of realising your true nature is as divine as experiencing your nature. This means that realising or experiencing your true nature isn’t merely something that happens to you – it’s something you do!
So, if you want to access your true nature in any given reality, simply take a moment to meditate, or practice your breathing exercises. Practicing yoga will improve awareness of your own subtle body, and may even awaken your Kundalini Shakti. This can act as a kind of subtle barometer, highlighting your connection to your inner divinity. For me, if I ever feel a stirring in my energy centres, or Kundalini creeping along my spine, I focus on the sensation and use this to guide me through whichever situation I’m confronted with. In those moments I know that I have dismantled all preconceptions and thought constructs and am experiencing reality in my natural state, as I was intended.
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