Expert: Laurie McLauglin - 5/23/2010

Question
QUESTION: I want to know about kamamudra. I have searched the internet but without success. All i know is that it is sort of tantric tradition. Does it involve actual sex or it is just a way of visualization? wikipedia says it is usually sex with minors, but I couldn't verify it elsewhere. Your explanation is highly appreciated
Best regards
Saba

ANSWER: Hello Saba -

Very sorry it took so long for me to answers. I got suddenly very busy at work.

I believe the term you are looking for is "karmamudra". And it has nothing to do with sex with minors

Karmamudra is the third level of the tantric practice.

From what I understand, tantra in general has three levels, you can practice by yourself, that is the lowest level, practice with another practioner, that is the middle level and the highest level is to practice with visualization of a tantric deity.

From what I understand, karmamudra involves the later, practice with a visualized tantric deity.

From my limited understand, contrary to popular belief, none of true Buddhist tantric practice involves actual sexual acts. The purpose of the karmamudra is not sex. It is to gain high realizations of your mind through the bliss associated with sexual intimacy.

If you are really interested in tantra for the sake of using it to reach Enlightenment and not just for sex, then there is a wonderful book I recommend. It is called "Dakini's Warm Breath - The Feminine Principal in Tibetan Buddhism" by Judith Simmer-Brown.  

If you are interested in tantra just for mundane sexual pleasure, don't waste your time with this book. This is for those who want to use it to really reach spiritual enlightenment.

If you have any follow up questions don't hesitate to ask although I am still just a beginner when it comes to understanding Buddhist tantric practice.

Take care - Laurie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Laurie
Thank you very much for your answer.
You know, my problem began when came across a site:
The Shadow of the Dalai Lama – Part I we 3. The tantric female sacrifice
(http://www.iivs.de/~iivs01311/SDLE/Part-1-03.htm)
There I read about karmamudra.

These are some excerpts:

-The “real woman” (karma mudra). She is a real human partner. According to tantric doctrine she belongs to the “realm of desire”.

-More concretely, the Maha Siddha Naropa refers to the fact that a tantric partner, in contrast to a normal woman, assists the guru in blocking his ejaculation during the sexual act, and as it were “seals” this, which is of major importance for the performance of the ritual.

-Youth is a further requirement which the mudra has to meet. The Maha Siddha Saraha distinguishes five different wisdom consorts on the basis of age: the eight-year-old virgin (kumari); the twelve-year-old salika; the sixteen-year-old siddha, who already bleeds monthly; the twenty-year-old balika, and the twenty-five-year-old bhadrakapalini, who he describes as the “burned fat of prajna” (Wayman, 1973, p. 196). The “modern” tantric already mentioned, Lama Gedün Chöpel, explicitly warns that children can become injured during the sexual act: “Forcingly doing it with a young girl produces severe pains and wounds her genitalia. ... If it is not the time and if copulating would be dangerous for her, churn about between her thighs, and it [the female seed] will come out” (Chöpel, 1992, p. 135). In addition he recommends feeding a twelve-year-old honey and sweets before ritual sexual intercourse (Chöpel, 1992, p. 177).

-On a numerological basis twelve- or sixteen-year-old girls are preferred. Only when none can be found does Tsongkhapa recommend the use of a twenty-year-old

-How does the yogi find a real, human mudra? Normally, she is delivered by his pupil. This is also true for the Kalachakra Tantra. “If one gives the enlightened teacher the prajna [mudra] as a gift,” proclaims Naropa, “the yoga is bliss” (Grünwedel, 1933, p. 117). If a 12- or 16-year-old girl cannot be found, a 20-year-old will suffice, advises another text, and continues, “One should offer his sister, daughter or wife to the ‘guru’”, then the more valuable the mudra is to the pupil, the more she serves as a gift for his master (Wayman, 1977, p. 320).


Frankly speaking, all these seemed very disgusting and shocking to me. I had the feeling that all these scriptures and rituals are made up as a disguise for the lamas to take care of their own sexual desires (actually , this is what the clergymen of many religions do. Taking advantage of the people's faith to their own benefit). When I read the site, I thought to myself how the nice, wise and humanistic teachings Buddha could turn into this.

I am so sorry that the question got too long, but I'd really be grateful if you tell me what you think about the contents of this site.
Regards
Saba

Answer
Thank you for letting me answer your question again -

The website "The Shadow of the Dalai Lama" is an intense site.

As with all things, everyone approaches things from their own place, based on their own karma.  

Tantric practice is a difficult subject and the reason that it is called a secret practice.  It is called that because it can become so misunderstood and misused.

There is a whole tantric college in Buddhism where tantra is studied and it can take years to master. So unfortunately, it is easy to pull something out of context and have it appear as negative like the comment about Naropa.  But when put into context that statement makes perfect sense because it part of the tantric practice which helps bring the practitioner to a place where they can use their sexual energy to help them reach enlightenment.

My guess is that when they are talking about a "wisdom consort" it is not a corporeal person.

Lama Gedün Chöpel wrote a book in Tibean on the Karma Sutra and that might be where the quote comes from.  From what I have learned, there is a state called "clear light" in Buddhism.  It is the state in which one can abide and learn the all important concept of emptiness. "Clear light" is a natural state that comes during the process of falling asleep, when we sneeze, when we have orgasm and when we die.  

It is taught that if we can recognize the "clear light mind" when we die, we can actually abide in this most subtle level of our own mind which can be seen as the basis or the source from which eventual experience or realisation of Buddhahood can occur, and not die for a while but stay there and learn about the all important concept of emptiness. So I suspect that part of the karma sutra is to learn to recognize that state while engaging in the sexual act.

As far as offering one's sister or daughter to the guru, that probably happened. Remember, Buddhism is a 2500 year old religion so customs have evolved as we have evolved.

Monks, lamas and rinpoches are human - they can have human needs and therefore misuse the tantra for their own pleasure.

However, if one studies Buddhism and read the words of the Buddha, if one reads the books of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and sees him live, if one goes to a legitmate Buddhist center and studies the sutras and tantras, one will see that tantric practice was not meant for purely sexual enjoyment or exploitation, instead it was meant to be a tool to help a practitioner reach the true state of Enlightenment.

If one is correctly practicing Buddhism, one will have no desire to harm another sentient being and eventually, once one is far enough on the path, one will be incapable of harming ourselves or another sentient being.

So from my side, the article you quote is written by someone who does not understand true Buddhist practice.  They are writing out of ignorance and a desire for exploitation. They are breaking one of the five precepts as well as one of the Eight Mahayana Precepts about which both warn against negative or derisive speech. But as I mentioned at the beginning, everyone approaches things from their own experience and based on their own karma.

Tantra is a huge subject - I recommend if you are really interested in what tantra is supposed to be you look on legitimate Buddhists sites like Snowlion Publications and get a book on basic tantra.

I hope I helped to answer your question at least a little. If there is anything else I can help you with don't hesitate to let me know.

Namaste - Laurie