Tantra, as you know, is divided into two branches – Vidyá and Avidyá. Shiva formulated all the Tantras, and thus all Tantrics regard Shiva as their supreme and final shelter. In all schools of Tantra there are certain rules, and these are compulsory for practitioners of both Vidyá and Avidyá Tantra. The difference between the two is that Avidyá Tantra invariably leads one towards crudification, and ultimately annihilation; whereas Vidyá Tantra leads one from crude to subtle, and invigorates the human life, mind and soul – in fact the whole existence – with exuberant joy.

At the initial stage of progress in spiritual sádhaná, the human mind becomes more subtle, enabling one to achieve a certain degree of control over the physical world as well as the mind. This realm of existence, in which psychic control can be exercised to some extent, is called the kámamaya jagat [of the Macrocosmic Mind]. Through such psychic control one can gain material wealth, or earn a certain degree of name and fame. Now, where do these things come from? They come from the cruder manifestation of the Cosmic Mind (this perceptible world is itself a cruder manifestation of the Cosmic Mind). Thus at this stage sádhakas may attain and establish supremacy over certain things in the crude world.

One may also strive to make the mind more subtle while endeavouring to exercise greater control over the mundane world. This is the path of Avidyá Tantra. In this endeavour the practitioners remain totally preoccupied with the attainment of name, fame, prosperity, and material enjoyments – these are their goals. The purpose of their spiritual practice is to make the mind increasingly subtle, in order to be able to exercise further control, not only over the physical world, but over the crude minds of other microcosms as well. Their goal is not noble, and will result in their ultimately being converted into inert matter. So the final result of Avidyá Tantra is extreme crudity. I have attempted to explain this in some of my ghost stories.⁽¹⁾ Try to find time to read them.

The second stage is artha. What is artha? Suppose a person has been struck with afflictions (they are of three types – crude, subtle and causal) and seeks to destroy them. The permanent cessation of these triple afflictions is named paramártha, and their temporary cessation, artha. At this second stage of sádhaná human beings also try to make their minds more subtle through spiritual elevation, but not to attain Parama Puruśa. Their goal is to develop the capacity to dominate the minds of others. Paradoxically, they are trying to make the mind subtle while attempting to establish supremacy over others. This stage is neither entirely Vidyá nor entirely Avidyá – it is an intermediate stage. Sádhakas who tread this path cannot attain the supreme fulfilment of existence, for they try to master the psychic occult powers of Parama Puruśa, and ignore Parama Puruśa Himself. Their fate is to move in the crude arena of the psychic sphere of Parama Puruśa until the day comes when they lose their psychic power and degenerate. Maharshi Jaimini formulated his philosophy, the Púrva Miimáḿsá Darshana, on the basis of this type of psychology. But in this world, such a philosophy does not stand the test of pragmatism, either physical or mental, or of spirituality.

Footnotes

(1) Vicitra Abhijiátá [Strange Experiences], circa 1960. –Eds.