T H E   B O D Y' S   H I D D E N   S T R U C T U R E

"Here, in this body, there are sacred rivers. Here lie the sun and the moon and also all the holy pilgrimage places. I have never met another temple filled with more happiness than my own body."

Saraha Doha

The physical body represents the temple of the spirit, a true micro cosmos, the copy of the entire Universe. Inside this temple all the cosmic principles can be identified. Tantra teaches us that there is no temple more sacred than the "Temple of the Body".

Inside the body there are five elements: ether, air, water, fire and earth, along with their properties. This 'temple' has its own "gardens", "rivers", "sanctuaries" and "gates". By definition the temple of the body represents a place of adoration, dedicated to God.

However according to Tantric teachings, God represents our Supreme Self that has to be known and adored within temple of the body.

Tantra also teaches us that there are nine "gates" to the temple of the body. They lie in the upper and in the lower parts of the body. "The lower gates" are the anal orifice and the sexual organs.

"The upper gates" are the mouth, nose, eyes, ears and the opening from the top of the head (fontanel). The fontanel is clearly visible at the moment of birth as a tiny hole, but it closes up gradually during the first year of life.

The esoteric Oriental tradition says that this hole under the scalp, also called "Brahma's Gate", is the place where the Spirit goes in and out from the Temple of the Body. Though the spirit in its successive subtle journeys can use other gates, the one that lies on top of the head always leads to high spiritual levels.

The Temple of the Subtle Body contains three main "rivers". The Great River or the "psychical channel" starts from the inferior gate region, the perineum. It goes up the spine to the high gate situated on top of the head. This channel is also called the Great Axe, Meru Sacred Mountain or the Great Way. It connects the human to the universe.

On each side of the Great River there are two other "rivers" that spring from the same source and go to the superior gates. They are associated with solar energies and lunar energies; on the right side of the Central Channel is the channel through which the solar energies flow and on the left side of the Central Channel is the channel through which the lunar energies flow.

They are represented as lines spiraling around the Great River just like two snakes surround a tree trunk. This symbol is known as the caduceus, or the "Mercury Scepter". It has been used as a symbol by modern medicine.

Adoring of the Body Temple consists of focusing the attention in order to guide the sexual energy along the spine towards the crown. This evolutionary process is experienced as an ecstatic thrill. It goes up from the sexual region and lights up the solar plexus.

The fire of love floods the three rivers and the solar and lunar energies come together and, in this way, enlighten the entire temple. This psychic and cosmic process also looks like an ecstatic emotion that words cannot describe.

By understanding the psychic methods, sexual experiences can become a real force. By practicing Tantric techniques the human can consciously experience an orgasm and transcendental bliss. Therefore, it is extremely important to see the body exactly as a temple.

The temple of the body must be kept clean, healthy and harmonious. Thus showing respect to the God inside. Do not be afraid to go as far as you can to visualize your body as a temple. Sincere adoration represents, first of all, a spontaneous and total act of love.

Such an act of adoring, during intercourse, will make all your desires become real. One of the cardinal principles of Tantra is that love is an act of great magical and spiritual potency.

"When my lover comes back home I will turn my body into a Temple of Joy. I will give him this body as an altar of happiness and I will clean him totally with my long hair. Then my lover will dedicate this temple to divine love."

Vaishnav Baul's Song