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[post_content] => After writing about
nondual philosophy a couple weeks ago, I received several requests from readers for more information on nondual Tantric philosophy. Tantra is a complicated subject; there are many forms, and it means different things to different people. In the West, the word “Tantric” is usually combined with the word “sex,” and this pair of words has been used to sell millions of books and workshops on mystical sexual practices that have almost nothing to do with Tantra. But Tantra doesn’t need that lascivious association to be significant; it was hugely influential on the development of yoga, which (in some circles) is almost as popular as sex.
Since I can’t possibly explain this entire system in a brief article, I’m going to focus today on just one of its concepts, called the Five Acts of Divine Consciousness. It is explained in the beginning of a work called Pratyabhijna Hrdayam, “The Heart of Recognition,” written by Rajanaka Kṣemaraja around 1000 A.D.
These five “acts” (pancha kritya) describe the Tantric view of how our reality is created. As Ksemaraja says, “Reverence to the Divine, who ceaselessly performs the Five Acts, and who, by so doing, reveals the ultimate reality of one’s own Self, brimming over with the bliss of Consciousness!” Regardless of where your philosophical and spiritual sensibilities lie, I think you’ll find it an intriguing perspective.
• Srsti. The first act, Srsti, means creation, emission, or the flowing forth of Self-expression. This is the process by which Divine Consciousness (use whatever word you like here – Love, Highest Self, God, Universe, Awareness, Goddess, Divine Light) expresses itself as something. It takes form. It emerges in the world as a person or a flower or a breeze.
• Sthiti. The second act, Sthiti, means holding, preservation, stasis, or maintenance. First Consciousness emerges in manifest form as something, then it holds this form – maybe for a moment, maybe for eons.
• Samhara. The third act, Samhara, means dissolution, resorption, or retraction. After emerging in the world as something and sustaining it for a while, the form dissolves – or is reabsorbed or retracted – back into Consciousness. This is why death of a body is not seen as the end of life in this system – because the body was just a temporary emergence of Consciousness into form, which is then reabsorbed into itself. Thus, none of the vulnerabilities of your body actually threaten what you really are. And consciousness never ends.
• Tirodhana. The fourth act, Tirodhana, means concealment, occlusion, or forgetting. An interesting property to ascribe to the Divine, no? Why would one of its five core acts be to conceal? Well, the explanation is that Undifferentiated Consciousness possesses all possible qualities; in order to manifest as one specific thing, it must conceal all the other qualities that don’t belong to that thing.
Additionally, it explains the limited awareness of sentient beings. When Consciousness emerges as, say, a human, as part of its Divine Play, it imparts itself with only a fraction of its unfathomable awareness. In the process, it forgets what it really is. In this way, rather than acting like its various creations, it immerses itself in them. It becomes them. It’s how you don’t realize you’re Divine Consciousness itself, instead believing you’re “only” a human, disconnected from your Source and all other humans. This also allows for each being to have the experience of free will.
• Anugraha. The fifth act, Anugraha, means revealing (revelation), remembering, or grace. Besides allowing for creative expression, the fourth act (Tirodhana) is also the reason why we suffer. We can’t see the truth of our reality and this is frightening and painful. But this is eventually resolved by Anugraha – when what was hidden is revealed and we remember. As author Christopher Wallis explains, it’s not meant to negate the act of concealment, but to bring it to fruition by revealing its deeper purpose: “Such reconciliation is thus also a reintegration; through it you experientially realize yourself as a complete and perfect expression of the deep pattern of the one Consciousness which moves and dances in all things.”
I’m curious to hear how this concept fits with your own worldview. How do you see things differently? Does this perspective feel more or less liberating than your own? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
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[post_content] => Several months ago,
Briana
(my wife) started feeling drawn to do a different kind of healing work. She began getting strong intuitive impressions about what was at the root of people's challenges - sometimes health related, sometimes whole-life related - and this came with a sense of how to "intervene" on their behalf on a subtle level.
I think we were both at a loss as to how she should proceed with it. I suggested that she try it out on some volunteers and ask them to be to
tally honest about their experiences. She sat with these folks, either in person, or over the phone, asked them what they were struggling with, and dove in - sometimes offering practical advice, other times making energetic adjustments on their behalf. I don't think either of us has better words for it than that.
Anyway, I know how this sounds. I think most people have a hard time accepting healing modalities that aren't really tangible - myself included. So I tried to prep her for some lukewarm responses, saying things like, "This is pretty esoteric stuff ... it’s not for everyone ... people find it hard to measure what exactly it's doing..." and so on.
Much to my surprise, the participants were all enthusiastic about their sessions. Everyone reported feeling some kind of alignment or affirmation - and that's nice - but what really surprised me was the number of people who felt like a longstanding block in their life had been removed, or that they felt notably better, or that an issue had resolved, or that their life had taken a turn for the better.
For some reason, I was one of the last people to experience it. I guess I didn't want to have to tell her it didn't do anything. I had a wrist pain that had been nagging me for a year (something called DeQuervain's tenosynovitis). I had received multiple massages, adjustments, and acupuncture treatments for it. I even wore a splint for a few months. Lots of things helped in the short term, but it kept coming back.
When Briana asked me what I wanted to work on, I said, “Well, we might as well go for my wrist.” I actually felt kind of guilty in choosing it because I thought it was a *structural* issue and that nothing in the realm of “energy work” was going to touch it. Sure enough, the next day I kept testing it out and it still hurt. Oh well, didn’t hurt to try. I decided not to report the bad news to Briana though. I’d wait until she asked me about it.
A week later, I noticed I’d been doing lots of manual labor with it – hammering, lifting, sawing, drilling – and it wasn’t bothering me. That was weird. I poked it and prodded it. I couldn’t get it to hurt. Now it’s been a month and it hasn’t come back. I honestly don’t know what to say. Other than… maybe you should work with her if you feel called to.
Learn more about Briana's energy work
[post_title] => Pretty Esoteric Stuff...
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Don't deprive the world of your warmth and light!
How can you share your acceptance and love with the world? Leave a comment below and let us know.
[post_title] => Talking Wellness with Peter: The Fire Element (video)
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[post_content] => After writing about
nondual philosophy a couple weeks ago, I received several requests from readers for more information on nondual Tantric philosophy. Tantra is a complicated subject; there are many forms, and it means different things to different people. In the West, the word “Tantric” is usually combined with the word “sex,” and this pair of words has been used to sell millions of books and workshops on mystical sexual practices that have almost nothing to do with Tantra. But Tantra doesn’t need that lascivious association to be significant; it was hugely influential on the development of yoga, which (in some circles) is almost as popular as sex.
Since I can’t possibly explain this entire system in a brief article, I’m going to focus today on just one of its concepts, called the Five Acts of Divine Consciousness. It is explained in the beginning of a work called Pratyabhijna Hrdayam, “The Heart of Recognition,” written by Rajanaka Kṣemaraja around 1000 A.D.
These five “acts” (pancha kritya) describe the Tantric view of how our reality is created. As Ksemaraja says, “Reverence to the Divine, who ceaselessly performs the Five Acts, and who, by so doing, reveals the ultimate reality of one’s own Self, brimming over with the bliss of Consciousness!” Regardless of where your philosophical and spiritual sensibilities lie, I think you’ll find it an intriguing perspective.
• Srsti. The first act, Srsti, means creation, emission, or the flowing forth of Self-expression. This is the process by which Divine Consciousness (use whatever word you like here – Love, Highest Self, God, Universe, Awareness, Goddess, Divine Light) expresses itself as something. It takes form. It emerges in the world as a person or a flower or a breeze.
• Sthiti. The second act, Sthiti, means holding, preservation, stasis, or maintenance. First Consciousness emerges in manifest form as something, then it holds this form – maybe for a moment, maybe for eons.
• Samhara. The third act, Samhara, means dissolution, resorption, or retraction. After emerging in the world as something and sustaining it for a while, the form dissolves – or is reabsorbed or retracted – back into Consciousness. This is why death of a body is not seen as the end of life in this system – because the body was just a temporary emergence of Consciousness into form, which is then reabsorbed into itself. Thus, none of the vulnerabilities of your body actually threaten what you really are. And consciousness never ends.
• Tirodhana. The fourth act, Tirodhana, means concealment, occlusion, or forgetting. An interesting property to ascribe to the Divine, no? Why would one of its five core acts be to conceal? Well, the explanation is that Undifferentiated Consciousness possesses all possible qualities; in order to manifest as one specific thing, it must conceal all the other qualities that don’t belong to that thing.
Additionally, it explains the limited awareness of sentient beings. When Consciousness emerges as, say, a human, as part of its Divine Play, it imparts itself with only a fraction of its unfathomable awareness. In the process, it forgets what it really is. In this way, rather than acting like its various creations, it immerses itself in them. It becomes them. It’s how you don’t realize you’re Divine Consciousness itself, instead believing you’re “only” a human, disconnected from your Source and all other humans. This also allows for each being to have the experience of free will.
• Anugraha. The fifth act, Anugraha, means revealing (revelation), remembering, or grace. Besides allowing for creative expression, the fourth act (Tirodhana) is also the reason why we suffer. We can’t see the truth of our reality and this is frightening and painful. But this is eventually resolved by Anugraha – when what was hidden is revealed and we remember. As author Christopher Wallis explains, it’s not meant to negate the act of concealment, but to bring it to fruition by revealing its deeper purpose: “Such reconciliation is thus also a reintegration; through it you experientially realize yourself as a complete and perfect expression of the deep pattern of the one Consciousness which moves and dances in all things.”
I’m curious to hear how this concept fits with your own worldview. How do you see things differently? Does this perspective feel more or less liberating than your own? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
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Cart
My biggest challenge as an adult, isn’t failing to respond from lack of willingness, it’s a failure to respond from not knowing WHICH ONE to respond to. Especially right now, with all the chaos in Washington, and the craziness daily, there are so MANY needs and persons in need that it is a selective act of the will to screen out and select the one (or ones) most important in that moment. I find that it often requires careful thought in order to reach a decision~which can look a lot like inaction in the moment to others. Knowing that inaction only spurs on those who would make the situation worse, I struggle to comprehend how my choice will make a significant difference. But then I see a former student, who excitedly tells me how they are growing and becoming better in English, or help a neighbor, or have a student help me willingly, and I realize that actions often are taken without my forethought, and are just as valid. When laying aside the will, I can shift into the intention of my action, and it will open up which path to choose.
Thanks, Meg, for your insights on this. Yes, there are SO many areas you could direct your loving attention and service. I think you can weigh their merits in an analytical way, or you can just serve in the way you feel naturally guided or inspired. As long as you’re bringing your presence and sharing your gifts, to the degree that you’re capable, you’re doing enough.
This is a timely piece. The fires that are breaking out in the Columbia Gorge were started by minors lighting fireworks during a burn ban.
I think if the mistakes I made when I was a kid and even today those thoughts that someone else is responsible for…fill in the blank.
I don’t have any powerful insights to make here, just noticing.
Thanks, Kristin!
Yes, those kids must feel terrible. A lifetime of guilt won’t help anyone, and sure won’t bring back what burned. But with the right guidance and support, they could end up being champions for wildlife preservation, or forest management, or fire mitigation, etc.
I hope you’ve been well.
Peter
A wise mentor taught me to ask, “Does this have MY name on it?” This helps for big choices of where to put my energies. And sometimes answering that question takes time and you hold the space until the answer is clear.
Other in the moment choices seem to flow from core beliefs and values and can be very revealing about those beliefs. Especially when we are under stress. It is quite possible to have conscious beliefs that conflict with subconscious for beliefs.
Thanks for this article. It expresses well what it means to be an adult!
Thanks, Melody.
Knowing what’s for you to invest your energy into and what isn’t – that’s a great power.
I just do things that “need to be done.” All of the time. Everyday. The problem is that I oftentimes do them instead of caring for myself.
Well, I’m glad you’re getting them done, and hopefully you’re honest with yourself about “need.” The only thing is that caring for yourself should be in the “need” list. Just because you can’t immediately see the consequences of neglect doesn’t mean it’s optional. Care for yourself and the qualities of efficiency and presence you’re able to bring to those other tasks will be much greater.
This spoke right to me. The mindset we each have determines so much!
Thanks, Christa!
I agree that things are not black and white- at all. Raising my children and having to explain in the best way possible, about whatever topic, in an attempt to avoid those burning questions like, “but I thought you said that wasn’t appropriate? Why are they doing it if it’s not appropriate?” Ugh. Raising children in a world of perpetual protests and hate is scary, as is raising them into kind, understanding, non labeling , giving, healthy little members of the community. I think if we are open, we will never cease to grow.
Thanks, Kristen. Yes, it’s one thing to guide your own life, but a very different sense of responsibility and importance to guide another’s.
I was that person you speak of. And, sometime I still can be that person. You know…that one…the one that walks by the garbage so I don’t get my hands dirty. The one that walks by the person with a hand out for fear they may jump me if they see I have more than a dollar in my wallet.
My husband is quite the opposite. He will go into a restaurant. He observes. We eat and chat. Then he politely gets up and comes back. The first time I never even questioned what he was doing. I assumed the rest room. The second and third time, with the rest room in view I followed him with my eyes. He finds someone that is alone, an older couple or single parent and pays for their meal without them knowing. This is how he doesn’t allow the world to steal his joy. He watches their face or slips out of the restaurant before them.
I love that phrase: “Don’t let the world (or anyone) steal your joy”. Rick Murphy
Whatever it may be, and at times I spin in circles looking, find your joy.
I love your RfT and have been reading your work. It calms me. It opens my mind.
It helps me become a better adult. I’ve already acquired bad habits as I grew and now it is time I change them. But, I also know that as slowly as I acquired them it will take time to rid of them…hence Dragontree 🙂
I’m trying to lower my expectations for others and myself.
I’m doing a better job at setting boundaries with others asking more than I am able to give (but usually give anyway – most of the time to my own and my families demise).
I am meditating more.
I am learning to take more time to appreciate the now.
My challenges with being an adult are my issue with germs – picking up random garbage may not be my thing but I do try. My fear of the unknown. Reading and doing the work not to overcome but trying to understand them has helped (again, props to RtF…it came into my life at a great time). My aging body and it’s medical restrictions are my biggest issue and challenge. My mind is also accepting a bit more daily. We could go on but I know others “share my pain” 😉
Thank you for giving us the opportunity not only to read and digest but to respond and think a bit more about what and how we are doing.
Thanks, Kimberly, for all your insights.
It sounds like, despite your challenges, you’re really engaging with a new degree of participation and personal responsibility.
I’m so glad to hear our works have been helpful for you along the way!
Keep up the good work.
Peter
Thank you, Peter. This is very helpful. I, too, feel overwhelmed by all the issues I could address to make the world better. I also tend to want to help others who have problems I can’t “fix.” How can I best be of service to them?
I will remember to start with the plastic bag…the things that I can do right now.
Thanks, Lyn. Yes, the things you can do right now. And often even the small acts, when directed by a clear purpose, when fortified by the offering of your well-recognized gifts, and when magnified by your total presence, can be monumental.