Look Who it Was Random video

Tantra for the West (Marc Allen)

4,405 views · Published 30 May 2015 · 52:24 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: CJ Liu · 2015 · Howto & Style

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What does tantra have to do with your relationships, work, money, etc?  Marc Allen, internationally renowned author and speaker, shares his thirty years experience  studying tantra and how it's more than just about great sex.  

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0:23 What is tantra? In the West people think of Tantra as sex with a little mysticism.  However, Eastern practitioners (Buddhists) talk about Tantra as a direct path to enlightenment.  Tantra for the West was Mark's experience of integrating Tantric concepts into a Western life. 
1:44 Mark wrote his original book in his early 30's and has rewritten the book due to requests for reprints of the book.  What he found was in the writing the revision of the book that with his age came the wisdom to state things more simply.  He shares a quote that epitomizes his experience writing this book "The higher the truth, the simpler it is" Abraham Isaac Kook.
6:18 What was Marc's experience leaving the monastery and how he was able to apply those teachings into his "real" life as a householder? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Householder_%28Buddhism%29)
8:10 What is the direct path to enlightenment that Tantra promises? 

9:11 Marc describes the 3 paths that the Lama said were the paths to be on a spiritual path: 1) the path of renunciation, 2) the path through poison (negative emotions -anger, jealousy, greed, etc), 3) the tantric sees the poison and goes into the center of the poison even though it may take them off the path. It's about going into the center of what is happening at that moment. 

11:06 Marc steps us through a Tantric exercise you can use if you are feeling doubt/confusion. Name that part and shine the light of  conscious awareness onto that part and have  a dialogue with that part. What is going on "confused part"?  A Course In Miracles (ACIM) describes that there are 2 parts (love, fear).  It's about loving those parts that are in fear. 
14:28  Marc shares Eckert Tolle's experience of surrendering into his dark moments. 
15:34 What spiritual practices have influenced Marc on his path? Marc talks about all the techniques yoga, meditation, and zen meditation that have influenced his life. 
18:37 What does sex have to do with Tantra? Tantra is the spiritual practice of every moment.  As such, it includes sex, politics, eating, watching tv, going to the bathroom, etc. It's about changing your perspective during these moments. He shares  wisdom from a recent lecture he heard from Alan Watts, who talks about having an experimental attitude towards our lives without a preconceived ideas. It's about letting go of our preconceived notions and to see life as an experiment in spiritual growth.  
22:13 Marc shares how we would use tantra if someone cuts off in traffic.
23:26 Why do Westerners focus on sex? Some forms of Tantra refer to combine female and male energies and feel a sense of wholeness.  Marc talks about how Kabbalah helped him integrate the female and male aspects of himself by focusing on the parts of our body where male/female parts intersect in our body (3rd eye, heart). He talks about having a focus thought and merging it with heart. 
31:13 Marc talks about the power of our subconscious mind and how we learn from the imagery how we are relating to our present situation and use the same imagery to create a more helpful image. 
34:39 Meditation: Imagine your crown chakra being showered by light and releasing any tightness and travelling down your 7 chakras. 
36:55 What is Kundalini in Tantra? Kundalini is about life energy moving through our bodies.  
40:43 Marc, a millionaire, describes how his relationship to money changed over the course of life.  How can we merge the spiritual with making money? March describes a beautiful meditation that helped him truly understand about money. 
44:34 What does it look and feel like when you master money or time? The path of making money (or time) can be just as powerful as any other path.  It's about mastering these concepts so they don't interfere with your spiritual life. 
49:17 What were the affirmations Marc used to master money?  I am sensible and control of my finances. I"m creating total financial success in an easy and relaxed way.

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