THE TANTRIC YAMAS & NIYAMAS: KSHAMA

KSHAMA (FORGIVENESS)

Whilst Patanjali's Yamas and Niyamas tend to be the most commonly known, The Tantric tradition also practices a set of Yamas and Niyamas which are slightly different. Patanjali’s version is more about a code of conduct, or right living, whereas the Tantric version leans towards energy and power, and an additional set were created as a safeguard against empowering the ego. As the next few weeks go by we’ll look at one per week. This week is Kshama, Forgiveness. The outcomes of embracing the Tantic Yamas and Niyamas are:

• Purification of the body

• Internalising of the mind

• Spiritual passion is stoked

• Prana is balanced and fortified

• The lower mind (manas) stops being reactive

• Memories (chitta) no longer have any power over you

• Ego (amhamkara) dissolve

• Discernment (buddhi) is sharpened

What this looks like in a practical sense, is that we simultaneously become more sensitive to prana and experience less suffering. 

The Yamyas and Niyamas of Tantra have been put in place to soften the ego and diminish any sense of specialness that we might be carrying around with us, lurking in the shadows. Practice most definitely can empower the ego, particularly as the practices get more powerful. Humility is key.

Therefore it is important that we honour the Tantric tradition, including its three schools and two distinct parts, by aligning ourself to what is genuinely true for us (and not what is popular or enticing). There are no shortcuts to Samadhi.