¹ The Sanskrit term Shaktt (literally * [Divine] Power’) refers to the female.

or negative, phase of that divine force or power concentrated in or personified by the consort of a god, the god representing the positive phase; the Tantric worshipper of Shakii (Power), or divine universal forces, personified as a Mother—Goddess, being called a shākta. The Tantrics—like the ancient Egyptians—exalt right knowledge of the reproductive processes, as no doubt it should be exalted, to the level of a religious science ; and in this science, as illustrated in the Bardo Thödol’ the union of the male and female principles of nature, in what is called in Tibetan the yah (Skt. deva) —yum (Skt. shakti) attitude, symbolizes completeness, or at—one—ment. Power, symbolized by the male (yab or deva), and Wisdom, symbolized by the female {yum or shakti), arc said, esoterically, to be ever in union.

It is much to be regretted that actual abuse of Tantric doctrine, due cither to wilful perversion or, as is commonly the case, to misunderstanding, resulting in practices (like those of certain decadent sects or individuals in India) improperly called Tantric, by non—initiates in America and in Europe, in some instances under the aegis of organized societies, has brought upon Tantricism undeserved odium. Such unfortunate outcome of lack of guidance under properly trained gurus tends to justify the high initiate of Oriental occultism in his stern refusal to divulge the inner teachings of his cult to any save carefully prepared pupils who have been long on probation and found worthy ; this was the view both of the late LāMa Kazi Dawa—Samdup and of his late guru in Bhutan.