Page "Ramakrishna" Paragraph 17

The Bhairavi initiated Ramakrishna into Tantra.

Tantrism focuses on the worship of shakti and the object of Tantric training is to transcend the barriers between the holy and unholy as a means of achieving liberation and to see all aspects of the natural world as manifestations of the divine shakti.

Under her guidance, Ramakrishna went through sixty four major tantric sadhanas which were completed in 1863.

He began with mantra rituals such as japa and purascarana and many other rituals designed to purify the mind and establish self-control.

He later proceeded towards tantric sadhanas, which generally include a set of heterodox practices called vamachara ( left-hand path ), which utilize as a means of liberation, activities like eating of parched grain, fish and meat along with drinking of wine and sexual intercourse.

According to Ramakrishna and his biographers, Ramakrishna did not directly participate in the last two of those activities, all that he needed was a suggestion of them to produce the desired result.

Ramakrishna acknowledged the left-hand tantric path, though it had " undesirable features ", as one of the " valid roads to God-realization ", he consistently cautioned his devotees and disciples against associating with it.

The Bhairavi also taught Ramakrishna the kumari-puja, a form of ritual in which the Virgin Goddess is worshiped symbolically in the form of a young girl.

Under the tutelage of the Bhairavi, Ramakrishna also learnt Kundalini Yoga.

The Bhairavi, with the yogic techniques and the tantra played an important part in the initial spiritual development of Ramakrishna.