After millions of years, people have attained human form. In the course of evolution, people have passed through various stages of animal life, and as such they have accumulated many animal propensities which become manifest in the unguarded moments of life. Humanity is a stage in the process of pratisaiṋcara, whereby people have developed a special will which they can direct either towards Parama Puruśa, or towards gross matter in the path of negative pratisaiṋcara.⁽¹⁾ Human beings, due to their prominent past animal experiences, are drawn easily towards such experiences, whereas they feel less attraction towards subtle spiritual experiences.

Tantra takes note of the basic human psychology, which closely resembles that of animals. Every individual has his or her own saḿskáras, or reactions in potentiality, or complexes and sentiments. Initially, humans are ordinary animals. That is why the human being has been called a rational animal.

What is pardonable in lower life is unthinkable and intolerable in the case of humans, who have progressed a great deal in the course of spiritual evolution.

Sarve ca pashavah santi talavad bhútale naráh;
Teśáḿ jiṋána prakásháya viirabhávah prakáshitah.
Viirabhávaḿ sadá prápya krameńa devatá bhavet.

[In the beginning everyone is a pashu, an animal. But when spiritual thirst develops, these people become viira, heroic. And when they are firmly established in viirabháva, they become devatás.]

In the crude state, everyone is an animal. In any case, the first lessons in spiritual practice are intended to elevate human from their animal tendencies, and those lessons are called pashvácára or pashubháva.

With continued spiritual practice according to the dictates of the master, the aspirant comes to [human status], or viirabháva. Animals need external pressure: in pashvácára sádhaná; one controls oneself to attain elevation to viirabháva. Those beyond the animal stage cannot get elevation through external control only. They need external pressure and internal urge. With the rise of a spiritual inspiration, the aspirant becomes a viira (noble) and when this viirabháva is fully assimilated, the person becomes godlike.

This practical truth is the basis of the science of Tantra. There is no conflict between Tantra and natural sciences. According to their mental stages, human beings can be classified into animalistic, noble and godly. The master initiates the disciple according to the person’s mental and spiritual stage.

In pashvácára sádhaná, aspirants think of themselves in terms of animals (pashu), and think of their Lord as “Pashupati”. They suffer from some sort of inferiority complex. They think themselves to be very ordinary persons and incompetent to follow higher spiritual practices.

In the viirácára stage, spiritual aspirants attain greater mental and moral force. They gradually start thinking that they are no longer ordinary persons. They overcome all their inferiority or fear complexes. They attain mental stability, also. They are viira (noble), and their Lord is “Viireshvara”.

In divyácára sádhaná, they attain still loftier states of mind and establish themselves in the realm of divinity. Here they are devas [gods] and their lord is “Mahádeva”.

Footnotes

(1) Pratisaiṋcara in the Cosmic Cycle is the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. So the path of pratisaiṋcara is the path of spiritual evolution. Negative pratisaiṋcara is a step backward in one’s spiritual evolution, caused by crude or selfish thinking. –Eds.