THE TAN T RA CHRONI C LES Original Teachings from Devi, Shiva, Jesus, Mary, Moon Received by Ruth Frankenberg and Lata Mani THE TAN T RA CHRONI C LES Original Teachings from Devi, Shiva, Jesus, Mary, Moon Received by Ruth Frankenberg and Lata Mani © 2013 Lata Mani Cover image: Shanthamani M. Book design by Jackfruit Research & Design www.jackfruitresearchdesign.com Printed and bound in India by The entire work may be used, communicated and reproduced for non-commercial purposes including research and educational uses. For any other uses including commercial reproduction of either the whole work or part thereof please contact Lata Mani, the exclusive owner of the copyright in the work. Email: [email protected] CON T EN T S Introduction: Devi Amma 1 January 8, 2007 Devi Amma On Isness 12 April 14, 2006 The Inevitability of Doubt to Post-Aboriginal Humanness 19 August 31, 1997 Holism, Discipline and Creativity 23 June 28, 2006 The Four Spiritual Paths: Then and Now 30 April 13, 2006 The Purpose of Incarnation 44 September 4, 1997 On the Concept of Maya 47 January 31, 2005 Tantra 51 July 1, 2006 On Miasma 58 July 24, 2006 vi Love 69 September 9, 2006 Passionate Detachment 76 April 16, 2005 Dharma, Karma, and Tantric Dispassion 78 May 12, 2006 Restoring Specificity, Repairing Human Consciousness: 89 A Tantric Critique of Identity August 22, 2006 Gender, Divinity and Isness 100 September 21, 2006 The Thin Line between Dharma and Adharma 109 September 10, 2006 The Tantra of the Miraculous 118 September 20, 2006 Advaita and Tantra 126 September 22, 2006 ۞۞۞۞ Lord Shiva The Source of Wisdom 136 October 16, 2001 Weaving and Archaeology 141 October 7, 2002 Contents vii Humans and Other Beings 145 October 15, 2004 The Yogi/ni Path 149 October 13, 2002 Doubt 157 October 8, 2003 Faith 163 October 9, 2002 Ma Kali’s Grace 171 September 28, 2003 Witnessing Suffering 177 August 4, 2002 ۞۞۞۞ Lord Jesus The Tantra of Lord Jesus 188 June 21, 2006 Divine Mother, Divine Father and I 193 July 10, 2006 Holy Trinity, Holy Plurality, Holy Unity 198 July 9, 2006 Lord Mary: The Origin Story 206 July 15, 2006 viii Lord Mary and the Mission of Jesus 217 July 16, 2006 The Crucifixion 226 July 11, 2006 Love 235 June 18, 2006 The Tantra of Embodiment 241 August 18, 2006 The Meaning of Nature 252 August 20, 2006 ۞۞۞۞ Lord Mary The Many Marys 262 December 3, 2006 Christianity and the Jesus Way 272 December 4, 2006 The Tantra of Lord Mary 281 November 29, 2006 After the Death of Jesus: The Tantra of Grieving 288 December 4, 2006 Betwixt and Between: on Isness and Healing 297 December 6, 2006 Contents ix Looking Down from the Sky, Looking Up from the Rock: 303 Searching for a Cosmic Purview October 10, 2006 ۞۞۞۞ Mamma Moon The Tantra of Moon 312 January 6, 2007 On Karma, Science and Superstition 319 January 7, 2007 On Tipping Point 328 April 26, 2006 Glossary 336 THE TAN T RA CHRONI C LES Original Teachings from Devi, Shiva, Jesus, Mary, Moon ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ ۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞ The Tantra Chronicles: Introduction Devi Amma January 8, 2007 hy this book and why now? The Tantra Chronicles is directed Wto members of the human subdivision because tantra is in urgent need of being restored to human consciousness. Tantra itself is not in need of restoration for its existence is entirely untouched. However, the truth of tantra needs to be chronicled from the purview of some of its major participants. When I speak of restoring tantra to human consciousness, then, I am speaking of restoring humans. I am asking you to listen closely, and to contemplate as we tell you who you are. This reintroduction to tantra for the sake of my human children is being undertaken at a time when it is frequently said that the world is spinning faster than ever before. While this description is not literally true, it is metaphorically potent. The continuing rearticulation of humans into an array of always diverse actions and consequences is moving quite quickly. Indeed, it is at times moving so quickly that it becomes well nigh impossible for humans to grasp what they are doing and what its consequences might be, until it is too late to constrain or contain the problematic outcomes of particular developments. Having said this let me also state the reality that there is always a way to revise and restore, and this is equally true of human understanding of tantra. The rest of the planet is already living in accordance with tantra. This book is manifest by my desire and that of my co-authors to help you understand who you are to me as the Creator of the cosmos, who some of the most significant teachers of wisdom are to you, and who you 2 Devi Amma are to one another and to your fellow molecular isnesses on planet Earth. Who are you? Where are you? Where have you been? Where are you going? How might you achieve a corrective change of direction, were you interested in doing so? As far as we five authors are concerned the most meaningful way to take corrective action is to return to the notion of tantra as theory, as method, as a means of living, and as recognition of who you are. You are members of the tantric universe - all of you - and this is because I made you this way. You will learn more about this if you read the rest of this text or listen to the rest of these lectures. I invite you to join me as I speak to these questions, and I invite you to join me as I listen in awe and with respect and love to the other four teachers who are part of this book. Let me introduce the five of us. I am Devi Amma, Divine Mother. Devi translates as Goddess and Amma as Mother. I am, as you will learn, and as many already know, the Creator of the entire cosmos. You will also be learning from my consort and ally, Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was created by me, and is well known to those raised in the religious tradition known today as Hinduism. The third speaker is our beloved Lord Jesus, perhaps one of the more famous teachers and guides of planet Earth. Lord Mary is the fourth teacher. She is best known as the mother of Jesus, but as you will learn, she was also a wonderful teacher in his mission. Lord Mary is also loved in other religious traditions and rightly so. You are no doubt wondering about the use of “Lord” as an honorific especially for a female teacher. As Lord Mary herself explains in this text, there is no adequate way at this time to honor a female deserving of recognition and respect outside of the circumference of her relationship to spouse and religious institution. The use of “Lord” as an honorific is not without problems: it signals aristocratic as also religious hierarchy. Although we are well aware of these connotations, we will use the term in this text as a way to honor beings worthy of deep respect. We will thus speak of Lord Shiva, Lord Jesus and Lord Mary. The Tantra Chronicles: Introduction 3 Our fifth speaker whose presence here may have surprised some is Mamma Moon. Not Lord Moon but Mamma Moon, a beloved, cuddly, round, tender, always present and, as you will learn, always wise being who has a crucial role in this cosmos. Mamma Moon has a significant place in the symbolic systems of an array of cultures in the human world. As you will learn she is also a brilliant scientist and philosopher. She is somebody who has her finger on the pulse. In fact, she would laughingly say, she is part of what enables the pulse of the cosmos to remain steady. Why do we call her Mamma? This is because the sound Mamma is universal as a call from one being to another who might provide support, counsel and nurturance. When we say Mamma Moon, we invoke an ever present source of loving wisdom. Here we are, a group of five speakers: Devi Amma, Lord Shiva, Lord Jesus, Lord Mary and Mamma Moon. Each of us is famous to some and not to others. Nonetheless, all of us are very involved with planet Earth, in my case as Creator, and in all other cases as thinkers, analysts, teachers, guides and providers of wisdom, comfort, support and direction to those willing to take up the invitation to walk with us. I am the Creator of the other four. This does not mean that they are robots; it means that I manifested the essence and idea of all four and then requested them to dance with, and work for, the cosmos with my blessings and my gratitude. Each of us is placed in somewhat divergent histories, and all of us have a rich set of symbols associated with us. We will be articulating – and when needed criticizing and correcting – some of the symbolic structure and content that surrounds each of us. While there is great beauty residing in the symbols of each religion, we will comment on the ways in which some of these have gone awry leading to problematic consequences. By this I mean the way humans have been led or urged to craft their lives in relation to our iconic or symbolic statuses. As icons we have become cultural reference points which humans have been encouraged to emulate, dispute, dismiss or destroy.