Dear Yoga Journal

Trite, historically inaccurate and embarrassing for your publication and your readers. Articles like this are exactly why I cancelled my subscription 5 years ago. Sad to see things have not changed.

I am disappointed that the author would imply that there is truth to these accusations against Swami Satchidananda.

Fascinating article, thank you

Some leading scholars on Tantra: Paul Mueller Ortega, Douglas Brooks, Hareesh Wallis

Dr Feuerstein is the most highly respected authority on Tantra in the West, and as he points out, it is NOT true that Tantra is about sex. You could just as well say that Catholicism is about cannibalism and torturing people to death, based on Communion and the images of Jesus nailed to the cross. It's a gross distortion of the role and function of sex in Tantra. Sex lowers ego barriers and can help some ADVANCED Tantric students expand consciousness. But it is not a necessary element of Tantra, and sexual rituals are not for those who cannot control their tendency to focus on the sex per se or to try to use the sexual rituals learned to bond with their partners, rejuvenate their sex lives, or any other egocentric goals. In point of fact, Tantric sacred sex has nothing to do with sexual techniques or positions or anything else related to sex therapy or marital therapy. The focus is on stimulating the consciousness to expand and on heightening awareness. How it feels as sex per se is irrelevant, except as one more thing to be aware of. But since sex is a fundamental driver of human behavior, it is very hard to reach a stage where someone can engage in a sexual ritual simply as a ritual, without wanting more of it, without the "lizard brain" taking over and without getting all wrapped up in themselves, their partner, and their personal goals. That's why the teacher decides which advanced students should engage in sexual rituals, which should rather use other techniques, and it's why sexual rituals play a minor role in Tantric spiritual development no matter what level of development the practitioner has reached.

Whatever so-call "sacred sex" or "Neotantric" schools are teaching, it's not Tantra. It is extremely offensive that Yoga Journal would print such a piece of rubbish as this article. Clearly the author has not bothered to do even the most basic research into Tantra as a spiritual path. Dr Feuerstein's books on Tantra are widely available, as are the writings of the Dalai Lama (a celibate Tantric) or (for those who prefer a more "what do I get out of this" approach) Daniel Odier. See for example http://www.danielodier.com/ENGLISH/entree_e.html Notice that not a word is said about sex, even though Mr Odier was in fact initiated into a sexual ritual by his teacher towards the end of his training, as you may read in his book Tantric Quest. Why? BECAUSE TANTRA IS NOT ABOUT SEX.

If Yoga Journal cannot bring itself to ask the author to rewrite this article, it should at least change the title. This article certainly does not contain the "Truth about Tantra".