Jagadeesh Krishnan psychologists and international Author

4 Flawsome Ways to Be Your True Self

Be your true self… I am sure you have heard it million times and maybe you already read some tips on how to embrace yourself. But the problem with all those tips is that they provide general information. I am going to share my own experience that will hopefully help you to ditch the crowd and finally welcome your own life’s flow.

I live in the society where everyone – literally – tries to teach me how to live my life. Oftentimes, I had to give up and follow their advice because of enormous pressure. I did it to please them, believing they would leave me alone as soon as I did what they wanted. But it never happened.

Whenever I meet my relatives, neighbors, or friends, everyone starts telling me what I am doing wrong in my life and what I must accomplish before my 30th birthday. I know I have my drawbacks, some body flaws, and life problems, but I am a human being who is not perfect and not striving to be the one.

If you are struggling with the society’s pressure, self-shaming, or you are feeling empty or depressed right now, read on to cheer yourself up and fall in love with your true self.

1. You have your own clock

You must receive a higher education before you hit 22 and find a well-paid job before 25. You must get married before you turn 27 and give birth to a baby before 30. You must travel around the world. You must buy a house and a car. You must pay off your debts.

There are too many musts and other people have more plans for your life than you do. I was raised this way. I knew I must do that and that before I hit my XXs. Each time I failed to meet that deadline, I felt horribly disappointed and depressed.

Does it sound familiar? Hold on for a minute. Why do you have to live according to someone elses’ instructions? It is your life and you have your own clock. Even if you don’t buy a car before your 40s or do not get married before your 50s, there is nothing wrong with you. It is your life. Have your own plans for it and let others know about them.

2. Love your body

I was born overweight, but quickly lost those pounds during my teen years. When I hit my early 20s, I lost more pounds due to stress, overthinking, hypersensitivity, and family issues. I have spent half my life worrying about my weight and even still hear, “You must put on pounds asap.” Okay, I know my genetics and everyone in my family was slim and trim till the 30s, so why should I body shame myself?

Body shaming is one of the biggest problems of the modern world. People seem to never be satisfied with anyone’s body. Just check your Facebook feed and read comments. “She is overweight.” “She is too thin.” “She has small breasts.” “Her breasts are too big.”

No matter your body shape, weight, and flaws, embrace your body and love it with your whole heart. Protect it from others and stay away from those who are trying to make you hate your body. It is okay to work on it, but avoid body shaming at all costs.

3. Embrace your traits

We all have positive and negative traits. Someone talks or swears too much while others stay silent. Some people can express their feelings openly while others prefer to show them in a hidden way.

Unless you are well aware of your negative traits, do not sweat too much about them. Again, no one is perfect. Work on your drawbacks but do not let others bring you down because of them. Most importantly, do not let yourself belittle you and prevent you from doing the things you love.

People will never stop talking or criticizing you, even if you become perfect. So, stay your true self and spend more time with those who accept you the way you are. If someone treats you badly, it is because you allow them to do it. You allow them to be in your life and slowly ruin it.

4. Do what makes you happy

Do you love dancing but think you are too old for starting a class? Do you want to live a child-free life until your 40s but dread that others will think you are infertile? Do you want to try a hobby that you are sure your family will not approve? Do you want to go vegan but you are afraid to experience the lack of understanding?

Honestly, I almost always do the things that neither my family nor my partner or friends like or approve. When I declared I am a vegetarian after trying to hide this fact for years, I had to deal with tons of negativity. Even now, they are still trying to convince me that a vegetarian diet is dangerous.

Apart from my eating habits, my family, partner, and friends dislike my job and my daily schedule. Everyone is trying to convince me to quit my job. Friends do not like the music I listen and my partner does not like my habit of feeding every bird in the garden. But you know what? I absolutely ignore them all and do everything that makes me smile and happy. It sounds selfish, but everyone wants to be happy and I spent too much time pleasing others and ruining my happiness.

If someone dislikes your hobby, job, lifestyle, whatever, it is their problem, not yours. Leave them with their problem and keep enjoying your life. All those things help you stay your true self.

It is so hard to realize that you can’t please everyone and people will keep criticizing you forever – no matter what you do. But staying your true self is important. You are a miracle and you are awesome. If someone thinks otherwise, kick them out of your life. That’s my major tip for you today
By
K. Jagadeesh
Psychologists and international Author

Jagadeesh Krishnan psychologists and international

5 Things You Need for a Successful Mindset

Change the game by changing the way you think.

What’s the biggest difference between those who succeed and those who don’t? Mindset. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference and is the primary catalyst driving your feelings of self-worth, competence and confidence.

Make no mistake, the most successful people have it. And if you intend to ascend to those coveted ranks, you’re going to need it, too. Are you willing to do the work and elevate your mindset to achieve uncommon success?

Consider the following five elements to help you develop a successful mindset:

1. Self-Talk

Ever think the only conversations that matter are the ones you have with someone else? Not quite. The conversations you have with yourself are the most important ones you will ever have. To be clear, we talk to ourselves all day, every day. Eventually, all that robust data adds up to create our individual self-concepts. Be careful what you say to yourself. Plant seeds of positivity and inspiration, rather than criticism and doubt.

2. Intentions

Your intentions set the tone for how skillfully you navigate personal and professional success. Have you set yours high enough to challenge the status quo? If not, think bigger and push past your comfort zone. Get comfortable being uncomfortable, because that’s where the real growth happens. Setting your sights high and believing in the most remarkable outcomes you can attain changes the way you show up in the world. Believe me, no one has ever regretted embracing the power to think big.

3. Grit

When it comes to success, world-renowned psychologist Angela Duckworth says, “Talent counts, but effort counts twice.” Got grit? If not, know this: Both passion and perseverance are vital to your long-term success. Experiencing initial excitement when deciding to pursue a New Year’s resolution is quite common. Less common and far more difficult is the sustained focus and drive—throughout long periods of time—needed to achieve it. Grit helps us push past the desire to give up, especially when things get rough. Fortunately, it can be learned and continually developed over time.

4. Strategy

Declaring a goal, without more, will do little to ensure its success. Only substance and structure will successfully ignite and move it forward. Begin by chunking your goal into smaller segments to organize it, making it more manageable. Then create a strategic plan with scheduled activities and outcomes that will help to assure its success. Notice what works and be proactive about tweaking key elements where necessary. Be open to feedback and embrace innovation along the way.

5. Execution

Creating a strategy is one thing, but executing it is another. Decide in advance that taking strong action will be the litmus test for your success. Sure, there will be days when you won’t feel like working or perhaps even be discouraged. No matter. Your goal is to take bite-sized pieces of the apple until it is finally consumed. Whether making a phone call, sending an email or physically maneuvering to achieve the next steps, dig deep and take action. Execution helps you build trust in yourself, as well as reflects successful past performance, bringing you one step closer to your desired outcome.
By
K. Jagadeesh Krishnan psychologists and international Author

Jagadeesh Krishnan psychologists and international Author

Master These 5 Attributes to Successfully Influence Others

Leveraging ‘executive presence’ to harness undeniable influence

Ever wonder what it takes to command a room, influence perception or get a seat at the table?

A striking personal appearance, excellent communication skills, extraordinary competence, clout and rapport are each compelling qualities that immediately come to mind.

However, no matter which individual variables you consider, they all point to the same thing: your ability to successfully wield influence through executive presence.

But what is executive presence, exactly?

Harrison Monarth, an expert in coaching high-level players in the art of perception management and author of Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO, describes it as the ability to:

Accurately “read” people and predict their behaviorInfluence the perceptions of othersPersuade those of opposing views to your sideCreate and maintain a personal “brand”Manage and control your online reputationPerform damage control when things go wrong

Harvard Business Review explains it this way: “Although executive presence is highly intuitive and difficult to pin down, it ultimately boils down to your ability to project mature self-confidence, a sense that you can take control of difficult, unpredictable situations; make tough decisions in a timely way and hold your own with other talented and strong-willed members of the executive team.”

No matter how you define “executive presence,” if you want to develop greater influence and in turn, greater personal and professional success, consider mastering the following key attributes:

1. Competence and Credibility

If you seek to wield influence, take a hard look at the man or woman in the mirror and get clear on the value you bring to the table. Do you dabble or have you developed unqualified competence in area of expertise? Are you actively leveraging your skill set and knowledge base for the benefit of others? If so, is that benefit recognized, respected and touted by your peers? It isn’t enough to reside in your own head; your contributions must be palpable and held in high regard by others.

When American business magnate, investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett enters a room, there is zero question about his ability to deliver on the promise of results. He knows his stuff and prides himself on being a consummate learner. His track record? Exemplary. Well-known for an unmatched ability to advise on and disrupt complex market trends, his competence and credibility each speak volumes.

2. Confidence

Even if you are competent and credible, when you don’t believe in yourself, it will always be difficult to convince anyone else that they should. But do not confuse arrogance with confidence. Confidence is an innate beacon of light that draws others to you, inspired by your competence and credibility.  Arrogance, on the other hand, is distinguished by blatant pretense and quickly turns people off. When you are certain of the value that you bring, there is no need to overcompensate.

When former President Barack Obama enters a room, he embodies unmistakable, unshakable confidence.  His compelling demeanor, marked by a powerful sense of certainty, is magnetic. Widely acknowledged for his standout ability to influence others by leveraging the perfect trifecta of competence, credibility and confidence, he has become an irresistible icon the world over.

3. Compassion

Having all of the above qualities does not exempt you from being compassionate. To effectively influence anyone, they must also know that you care. We’ve all heard the familiar adage coined by Theodore Roosevelt, “People don’t care how much you know until they how much you care.” This sentiment especially rings true when it comes to influence.

It’s one of the main reasons that Oprah Winfrey, for example, has become such a beloved celebrity. While she has contributed a great deal of thought leadership over the years, people have come to love and admire her even more because of her compassion for others, vividly demonstrated through philanthropy. She really cares about people, and her compassion has made raving fans of the masses as a result.

 4. Charisma

Charismatic leaders are often the most influential. Rapport is a powerful tool that can be leveraged to connect with virtually anyone. As humans, we have an innate, almost primal desire to connect with one another. That desire, however, does not always translate in everyday interactions. Sometimes we're successful. Other times not so much. Developing charisma requires being intentional and focusing on others rather than yourself. When people feel connected to you and your vision, they are far more likely to get on board and offer their support.

Lee Iacocca used his charisma to work many a room and influence others through the gift of gab. One famous instance was his ability to persuade Congress to guarantee a sizable loan to Chrysler that saved it from a crippling bankruptcy.

5. Consistency

If you are spotty in how you show up, your personal brand will lack credibility and you will lack the ability to garner influence. Consistency is key to building executive presence because it provides the best “evidence” of your deliverables. If you bring your A game every now and again but your C game most of the time, you’ll be known as an average player. People need to know they can count on you to do what you say you will, at a level that reflects excellence. If not, your efforts will all be for naught.

Floyd Mayweather has developed an impeccable reputation for excellence in the boxing world, not only because of his remarkable skill, but also because of his consistency. He trains consistently with an enviable work ethic and expends tremendous mental and physical effort to capture every win. His opponents, as well as his fans, have come to know this truth quite well.

Are you ready to wield influence? If so, work to master these critical attributes to maximize your personal and professional success
By
K. jagadeeshkri@gmail.com

jagadeeshkri@gmail.com

The way of the world is to find fault with others. The world is dominated by mind, which is motivated by ego. The nature of mind is to entwine us in ego. We think we are superior to all others. This egoistical thinking leads us to criticise others. Throughout the day it is hard to escape criticism of others. Whether at home, during one’s commute, at work, at social gatherings, during leisure activity or while playing sports, or even shopping, someone is bound to come along and criticise us.

 There may be a mild sarcastic comment, a put-down, someone commenting that what we are doing is wrong and there is a way to do something better or an outright verbal fight. Even if we try to stay alone for an entire day, our thoughts are besieged by memories of words spoken by others who criticise us. These thoughts may replay in our heads over and over again. And we react. We may accept what others may say and then feel bad about it.   At times we become critical of our own self. Then, we take steps to change what we are doing even if we are right.

These critical remarks may upset us and lower our self-esteem. Or, we may try to prove them wrong. We may fly into a rage and then think of ways to take revenge on them. The anger may escalate into verbal abuse or physical violence. If we do so, we are not only wasting our life’s breaths, but we are creating more karma for which we have to pay. We will also face health problems. Worse, we may become angry and want to take it out on others. There is no good ending for retaliation and revenge.

We just add fuel to fire. Instead, we want to put out the fire. One way to do this is to ignore the criticism of others. At first, we can politely listen and ask,” Is there any truth to what they are saying? If i listen to their remarks can i improve?” If so, we can take a good hard look at ourselves and make necessary changes so we can become better. However, if we find that there is no truth in what is being said, we can graciously thank them and ignore their remarks. It is not worth getting upset over the comments of others when they have no validity.

The key to ignore the invalid criticism of others is to forgive. If there is no truth in what people say, we should forgive them for being  ignorant of the true situation, and move on with our lives. When life is so short and the journey back to God must be completed within our lifetime for us to have spiritual success, we do not want to waste time dealing with the criticism of others. When we face criticism we can meditate to calm our minds from the reactions we may otherwise face. If we want to reunite our soul with God, we need to calm our mind to meditate.

Meditation puts our attention on the bliss and intoxication inside. We are focused on the spiritual divinity within and not on the outer world. We are so intoxicated that we do not notice other people along the way
By
K. jagadeeshkri@gmail.com

Jagadeesh Krishnan psychologists and international Author

3 Mental Upgrades That Will Propel You to Achievement

Evolution has provided humans with a number of incredible algorithms that have turned us into the most dominant lifeform this planet has ever seen. But evolution has also snuck in some programming that makes us act like idiots. Our job is to figure out which is which, and turn up our reliance on the ones that help and entirely mute the ones that hold us balance

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The trick is knowing how to assess what’s helping and what’s hurting. For me, the answer is very simple: Do and believe that which moves you toward your goals. Everything emanates from there.

Once you know which algorithms to run and which to terminate, the question becomes how to actually stop the original program from running. The answer is… you don’t. Nature is far too clever to let her algorithms be turned on and off so easily. They’re buried deep in our hardwiring. But although you can’t turn them off (at least not quickly), you can use them as the trigger to run the new, more useful one that you want to take its place.

Without knowing what your specific goals are, I’ll stick to some of the universal ones. What follows are three mental upgrades that will work for anyone, regardless of your specific goals.

1. Replace criticism with compliments.

We’re geared to see the things that are wrong. You don’t avoid getting eaten by a lion by noticing all of the things that are right. And although this may be a tremendous strategy to avoid large predators, it’s a pretty terrible way to manage your interpersonal relationships.

According to the Harvard Business Review, high-performing teams have a 5.6-to-1 positive-to-negative comment ratio. People give more weight to negative comments than they do positive ones. This, combined with the fact that people often lead with what’s wrong, and you’ve got a recipe for a default communication style that makes people feel like they’re constantly under attack—even when that’s not the intention.

To combat this problem, when the impulse to criticize someone important in your life arises, instead of letting that become actual speech, turn it into a trigger to find an authentic compliment. This is a powerful strategy for two reasons:

You get what you focus on. If you dwell in the negative thoughts that come to mind, the relationship will be tinged with negative associations. If, on the other hand, you force yourself to migrate your thoughts to positive elements of the other person’s behavior, you will reinforce those ideas.By externalizing your authentic feelings of appreciation, not only do you ensure that your communication as a whole will be balanced to the positive, the people who are most important to you will know exactly what you value in them.

When you communicate what it is that you value in others, you’ll be amazed by how much their defenses lower and their self-esteem builds. Also, once your aggregate interactions are balanced toward the positive, you’ll be able to address any conflicts or issues that need to be addressed without putting people on the defensive. Think of it like a bank: You can only make withdrawals once you’ve made sufficient deposits.

2. Use the pressure to perform as a reminder that all of life is but practice.

Whether in business or life, we all have moments where the pressure is on. A little pressure can improve our performance, but too much and your performance begins to degrade. That’s why when the stakes are legitimately at their highest, you have to force yourself to reframe the situation and see it as practice rather than performance.

When I was a kid, I hated getting nervous and anxious so much that I promised myself that when I’m an adult, I’ll never again do anything that makes me uncomfortable. Needless to say, when that promise collided with my ambition, something had to give. What gave was my fear of discomfort. I made myself a new promise: I’ll always do the things that scare me most.

To that end, I now host a weekly show called Impact Theory where I interview the world’s top thinkers, many of whom are my personal heroes. And I do it all in front of a live audience. There was one episode where I was crashing and burning, misstating facts, flubbing words and losing my train of thought. In the middle of my tailspin, I felt the algorithm for pressure kicking in. I became hyper-aware of the audience, how many eyes were on me, and the fact that I only had one chance to get this right and currently I was embarrassing myself.

 

By choosing to view it as practice, the situation become an opportunity rather than a test.

 

Then I remembered that the very feeling of mounting pressure was my trigger to run the mantra that all of life is but practice. This wasn’t a moment to perform, but rather to practice. I didn’t need to do this perfectly, I just needed to have the guts to sit there in front of everyone and practice so I could improve. As long as I walked off set better than I’d come on, I could consider it a win. Instantly the pressure dropped. By choosing to view it as practice, the situation become an opportunity rather than a test. I now had the rare and exciting chance to practice crawling my way out of a hole and rebuilding trust with my audience. Something I had never had a chance to do before.

When pressure builds, remember that every aspect of your life is just practice. Whether you’re starting a business, raising kids or establishing a morning routine, you’re in the process of learning. If you look at any one moment as the finish line or the sum total of who you are, then every moment becomes final and the pressure overwhelms. Instead, consider every day as an opportunity to grow and improve yourself. This will help you transform a moment of panic into one of empowerment.

3. Substitute feelings of insecurity with the excitement of skill acquisition.

Here’s the hard truth: We all suck at some of the things we want to be good at. If you’re like most people (and statistically speaking, you are), you’re not the best in the world—even at your chosen profession. There might even be someone in close proximity to you who makes you feel insecure about your skill set. Maybe it’s a co-worker, a family member or someone on Instagram, but chances are, there’s someone who seems to do effortlessly what takes you a tremendous amount of effort just to get lesser results. That bet is easy to make, because such is the nature of the human mind—it’s riddled with insecurities. That’s why it’s essential to take Carol Dweck’s advice. She’s the Stanford researcher and professor who wrote the book Mindset and introduced the world to the transformative power of the word yet. You’re not good enough. Yet.

 

People have an easy time believing that winning isn’t forever, but somehow fail to recognize that loss and failure are equally temporary.

 

The next time insecurity rears its ugly head, instead of being paralyzed by it, use that very feeling as the trigger to tack on the word yet. That word will make all the difference in your life. It takes things from the world of the perpetual and permanent to the world of temporary and transient. People have an easy time believing that winning isn’t forever, but somehow fail to recognize that loss and failure are equally temporary. Once you realize that you can get good at anything that you’re willing to put the time into, insecurity loses its power. By remembering that you’re simply not good at something yet, you remember that you’re in control. You can decide to get good whenever you want.

The key to making this work for you is in truly believing the intoxicating idea that you can acquire any skill you set your mind to. Believing the opposite—that today’s version of yourself is the sum total of who you will ever be—confines you to insecurity. So don’t focus on what you’re not good at today. Focus on what you need to do to get good at mastering the skill you’re missing. This moves your mind from the self-defeating loop of not being good enough, to the empowered mindset of the learner.

How to start installing these new algorithms

Undoing innate, or even learned, brain patterns sadly isn’t as easy as downloading the latest driver for your computer, but it actually is startlingly simple. It’s a process called brain plasticity, and it’s how we learn new skills and habits. Although the science of myelination is outside the scope of this article, it remains the backbone of learning a new skill and it happens largely through repetition—neurons that fire together wire together, as they say.

So if you’re to put any of the above to use in your life, the key is repetition. Don’t be discouraged when you make some progress only to slide back. Stick at it, and any new mental habit or skill can be yours. Although you might never be able to silence the negative voices or counterproductive impulses, with enough practice, their mere presence will act as a reminder to run your new algorithms. Over time, you will find the time gap between unproductive thought and the running of your new, upgraded algorithm will get so short that only you will know that your virtuous cycle started with something outdated
By
K. Jagadeesh

Jagadeesh Krishnan psychologists and international Author

Tantrik history

Many people see David White's Kiss of the Yoginī as a definitive book on Tantra in its original South Asian context (as its subtitle claims), so here I'm presenting a section from the conclusion of my PhD dissertation (Berkeley, 2014), which argues both that White's book is mistaken on key points, and, perhaps more importantly, presents a definition of Tantra that premodern South Asian tāntrikas themselves would not have agreed with.

I would have the reader note that this is not just my opinion, but rather the result of careful research in the primary sources and consultation with other scholars. On the latter point, I want to acknowledge the pioneering work of Shaman Hatley, who agrees with my criticism of White and who is doing excellent scholarly work that will both correct and supplant White's (e.g., on sexual rituals in original Tantra). Hatley is preparing a new edition and translation of the Kaula-jñāna-nirṇaya, the Sanskrit work that White wrongly reads sexual rites into. May it soon see the light of day!  And now, on with this week's post . . . 

THE REAL NATURE OF TANTRA

What distinguishes Tantra from other streams of Asian religion? I use the term Tantra to denote the teachings and practices taught in the Śaiva (and Śākta-Śaiva) tantras and āgamas and their commentaries—teachings and practices that were available only to those who had taken Tantric initiation as taught in those scriptures. In a wider sense, we can take Tantra to denote the esoteric traditions of all the South Asian religions that were influenced by these innovations within Śaivism: thus Tantra collectively can denote Tantric Śaivism, Tantric Buddhism, Tantric Vaiṣṇavism, and Tantric Jainism. What gave Tantra (so defined) its specificity in the medieval period was:

a) the liberative initiation ritual (called nirvāṇa-dīkṣa in Śaivism) that utilized an innovative technology featuring the entrainment of mantra, breath, ritual gesture (mudrā), and visualization in elaborate sequences that operated in terms of both theologically defined micro-macrocosmic correlations and in terms of complex cosmologies that were mapped onto initiatory diagrams called maṇḍalas;

b) yogic practices for daily sādhanathat utilized the same ritual technologies and recapitulated the actions of the initiation rite, gradually displacing the socio-culturally constructed self in favor of identity with the Deity; and

c) specific yogic and charismatic techniques that triggered altered states of consciousness in initiates, including but not limited to experiences construed as being the penetration of the layers of one’s being by the energy of the Deity and/or the dissolution of limited selfhood into the Deity itself.

These are the central features that define Tantra and that distinguish it from other forms of Indian religion, in sum: a) liberating initiation, b) innovative yogic technologies, and c) samāveśa. It is simply not that case that, as David White has it, “sexualized ritual practice is the sole truly distinctive feature of South Asian Tantric traditions” (2003: 13). The above three features are distinctive, especially if one realizes that these specific technologies (maṇḍalas, mudrās, uccāra, bīja-mantras, etc.) are only found in non-tantric religious spheres due to Tantric influence. White does state that sexual practices “never constituted the mainstream of Tantric or Kaula practice,” but he contends that the mainstream practice in question was “satisfying multiple and petulant divinities by feeding them” (2003: 14). Certainly gratifying one’s mantra-deity with offerings was central to daily Tantric practice, but the idea of gratifying “multiple petulant divinities” can only apply to the Kaula Yoginī cult, which was not in fact part of the mainstream of the tradition (Sanderson’s distinction of the Kulamārga from the Mantramārga is relevant here). But there are deeper misunderstandings at work here, for White effectively takes this Yoginī cult to be the whole of the tradition. He posits a distinction between “hard-core” Tantra (which is original, in his view) and “soft-core” Tantra (which is a bowdlerized, aestheticized, and “semanticized” version of the “hard core”) and then asserts that:

In both cases, the female Yoginī ‘seizes’ or ‘possesses’ her counterpart. However, whereas in the former case [the “soft core” of the Tantric mainstream], she simply preys upon her human victim (paśu), in the latter [the Kaula “hard core”], the male partner takes an active role, inducing a sort of ‘mutual possession’ (samāveśa) in a sexual mode. (2003: 14).

This dissertation has surveyed virtually all the relevant Śaiva literature for the first five centuries of the documented existence of Tantra and did not turn up a single piece of evidence that corresponds to what White describes here. First, we never saw any mutual possession involving Yoginīs, let alone “mutual possession in a sexual mode.”[1]Second, samāveśa almost never involved sexual intercourse of any kind in our sources. Third, samāveśameans (lit.) thorough or complete entry (samyag āveśana), not mutual entry. Fourth, possession forms no part of the daily practice of the non-Kaula Tantrics (= White’s “soft core”). Fifth, we never saw the use of the term graha(ṇa) (“seize”) in connection with salutary possession. Sixth and seventh (the most egregious errors), Yoginīs are not invoked by non-Kaulas, nor do they “prey on” the Tantric practitioner, who by definition is not a paśu, since that term can only refer to non-initiates. In the latter assertation, White is confusing Tantric propitiation of Yoginīs with occasional assertions in the literature that Yoginīs suck the vital essences from paśus (non-tāntrikas) (e.g., Netratantra ch. 20), an extraction said to be ritually imitated by certain extreme worshippers of Bhairava and Kālī described in the far-left scriptures (e.g., the Jayadratha-yāmala and the Brahma-yāmala),[2] accounts which he seems to conflate with fictional fantasy stories of Yoginīs such as those in the Kathāsaritsāgara and Mālatī-mādhava.Furthermore, even White’s categories of “hard core” and “soft core” are confused, for he associates Abhinavagupta’s lineage with the latter category (2003: 14-15), even though Abhinavagupta himself strove mightily to defend and endorse the Kaula sexual practices, and did not bowdlerize them in the slightest, as can be seen in the rather explicit account at Tantrāloka 29, which is the only Śaiva exegetical source to teach the sexual rite or kulayāga. Thus Abhinava’s practices did not “shade into those of orthoprax brahmanic ritual” (2003: 15) in any way. Finally, White claims that the “soft-core” practice of the “high-caste Hindu practitioners” is greatly outnumbered by the “Tantric mainstream” (Ibid.), a statement based on the erroneous (and completely unsupported) notion that the “cults of (predominantly female) village deities whose worship was often conducted by the socially and culturally marginalized” were, by that very definition, Tantric cults (2003: 5). This obviously neglects the central feature of the Tantric tradition, that of initiation without regard to caste into specifically circumscribed communities of spiritual elites who performed a rigorous daily ritual and yogic practice intended to bring about their spiritual liberation. Conflating Tantra with the worship of village deities not taught in Tantric texts allows one to say virtually anything one likes about “Tantra,” including that it was the “predominant religious paradigm . . . of the great majority of the inhabitants” of India (2003: 3), which it was not. There are countless other errors in White’s book that we could unpack, but suffice to say that we agree with Hugh Urban in his characterization of White’s view of Tantra as “Kaulo-centric” and his view of Kaulism as “sexo-centric” (2006: 283).[3]

Criticizing other scholars’ misunderstandings is not something I take any pleasure in. The purpose of it here is to point out how far the discipline of Religious Studies has to go in understanding Tantra (for White is considered a foremost scholar of the Hindu Tantra by many in that discipline, at least in the American academy), and how well served they would be by putting aside their assumption about what Tantra is and examining the careful philological work being done on Tantric texts and inscriptions. Such work, while painstaking, slowly builds up a picture of things that constitutes a significantly closer approach to whatever degree of historical truth can be determined from textual materials.

(Feel free to email me for a copy of my dissertation if you want to learn more!)

NOTES:

[1] The closest approach to this might be the Vijñāna-bhairava verse (69) in which śaktyāveśa denotes sexual intercourse with a consort, but this is with a human woman not identified as a Yoginī in the text or its commentary.

[2] See Sanderson 1985: n89.

[3] However, we should also note that White gave a much more salient and historically grounded account of Tantra in 2000, when he defined it as “that body of beliefs and practices which, working from the principle that the material universe is nothing other than the concrete manifestation of the divine energy of the godhead that creates and maintains that universe, seeks to appropriate and channel that energy, within the human microcosm, in creative and emancipatory ways” (2000: xxiii). The main problem with this definition, however, is that the key clause beginning “the material universe” excludes the Śaiva Siddhānta, which as noted is not only Tantric, but constitutes the broad base of the tradition (sāmānya-śāstra), establishing the ritual forms, yogas, and even doctrines which other lineage-groupings nuance or deviate from in varying degrees.
By
K. Jagadeesh

Jagadeesh Krishnan psychologists and international Author

நல்ல தகவல், இது இன்றைய தலைமுறையினர் அறிந்து கொள்ள.

இது பெண்களுக்கு எதிரானதுமல்ல.. ஆண்களுக்கு வக்காலத்து வாங்கவும் அல்ல.....

உலகில் உள்ள எத்தனையோ நாடுகள் நாகரீகம் என்கின்ற பெயரில் தங்கள் கலாச்சாரங்களை சீரழித்து கொண்டிருக்கும் போது இந்தியர்கள் மட்டுமே கலாச்சாரம், பண்பாடு, என்று பழைமை மாறாமல் மேற்கத்திய நாகரீகத்தோடு போராடிக்கொண்டு இருக்கிறார்கள், பெண்களை தெய்வங்களாகவும் தேவதைகளாகவும் வணங்குவது இந்தியாவில் மட்டும்தான் !

பலநூறு ஆண்டுகளாக சேலை உடுத்திவந்த நம் பெண்கள் உடுத்துவதற்கு எளிதாக இருப்பதாலும், கொஞ்சம் மாடர்னாக இருப்பதாலும் நிறைய பாதுகாப்பாக இருப்பதாலும் சுடிதார் அணிய ஆரம்பித்தார்கள், பின் இரவில் மட்டுமே அணியவேண்டிய nighty யை பகலெல்லாம் அணிந்து அகதிகளை போலவும், அரை பைத்தியங்கள் போலவும் தெருக்கள் தோறும் திரிய ஆரம்பித்தார்கள், இப்போது புதிதாக ஒன்று
வந்திருக்கின்றது.

' #லெக்கின்ஸ் '!

இடுப்பில் இருந்து ஒரு பெண்ணின் கால் எந்த அளவில் எந்த வடிவத்தில் இருக்கிறது என்பதை தெளிவாக காட்டுகிறது, சுடிதாருக்கு மாற ஒரு காரணம் இருந்தது, இது போன்ற தனது அங்கங்களின் அளவை எடுத்துக்காட்டும் உடைகளை அணிய என்ன காரணம்?

ஒரு பெண் தன்னுடைய அறிவாலும், திறமையாலும் ஒழுக்கத்தாலும், பிறரை கவர நினைக்காமல் இதுபோன்ற ஆடைகளாலும், அலங்கரிப்புகளாலும்
ஆண்களின் கவனத்தை ஈர்ப்பது அவர்களுக்கே ஆபத்தாக முடிகிறது, இதற்கு பெரும்பாலான பெண்கள் சொல்லும் முட்டாள்தனமான பதில் ''ஆண்களின் பார்வை தான் தப்பாக இருக்கிறது, அதற்கு நாங்கள் பொறுப்பல்ல! ''

இந்தியா என்பது ஏழைகளையும், நடுத்தர வர்க்கத்தினரையும் அதிகம் கொண்ட நாடு, இந்த சூழ்நிலையில் வளர்கின்ற ஒருவன் தனது தாயையோ, தங்கையையோ இது போன்ற ஆடைகளில் பார்க்காமல் வெளி உலகுக்கு வரும்போது அவனுக்கு இந்த உடைகள் எல்லாம் அநாகரீகமாகவும் ஆபாசமாகவும் தான் தெரியும்,

வெளிநாட்டினரை போல் ஒட்டுமொத்த பெண்களும் உங்களைப்போல் உடை அணிய ஆரம்பித்தால் உங்களை யாரும் eve teasing செய்யமாட்டார்கள் துன்புறுத்தமாட்டார்கள், அதுவரை அடுத்தவர் கவனத்தை ஈர்க்கும்படியான, உடலழகையும், அளவையும் காட்டும் விதமான ஆபாச உடைகளை அணிவதை குறைத்துக்கொள்ளுங்கள்.

குழந்தை பருவங்களில் முறையாக, ஒழுக்கமாக, அன்போடும் ஆதரவோடும் வளர்க்கப்படாத கோடிக்கணக்கான குழந்தைகள் நம் நாட்டில் ரௌடிகளாகவும், பொறுக்கிகளாகவும், சைக்கோக்களாகவும் அலைந்துகொண்டு இருக்கிறார்கள்.. அவர்கள் கண்ணில் நீங்கள் ஆபாசமாக தெரிந்தால் சீரழித்துவிடுவார்கள், முதலில் இந்த சமுதாயம் உங்களை எப்படி பார்க்கவேண்டும் என்று முடிவு செய்யுங்கள்.

கண்ணியமான பெண்ணாக நிலைநிறுத்தினால் கையெடுத்து கும்பிடுவார்கள்,

ஒரு போகப்பொருளைப்போல் காட்சிதந்தால் கைதட்டிதான் கூப்பிடுவார்கள்!

ஒவ்வொரு பெண்ணும் முதலில் தன்னை கண்ணியமாக பார்க்க பழகினால் பின் இந்த உலகமே அவ்வாறு பார்க்கத்தொடங்கும்!

' #சிந்திப்பார்களா!
By
K. Jagadeesh