THE 7 'ACHAR'

Tantra has developed in India as a separate cult. A person desirous to obtain this knowledge has to live in a Tantric Math or monasteries, which are located at some forlorn, deserted place usually a ‘Shamshan Ghat’ or the funeral place, which is usually a place on the banks of a river where Hindus offer the dead to fire.

The first reference to Tantra in ancient Hindu texts is available in Atharva Veda’s Narsimhata Upanishad. Tantra has been graded under seven main ‘Achar’ or disciplines.

They are

• Vedachar
• Vaishnavachar
• Shaivachar
• Dakshinachar
• Vamachar
• Siddhantachar
• Kaulachar

in order of their graded superiority, Kaulachar being superior to all. There is nothing above Kaulachar. It is most secret and subtle and this only is the Sakshat Param tatwa which travelling from ear to ear remains always".

The aforesaid first four are paths of Pravrithi and the rest from Vamachar onwards lead to Nivritti. In the first four the practitioner is in Pashubhava and from Vamachar and onwards he assumes the Veerabhava. In Vamachar worship the five makars are used viz meat, wine, fish, fried cereal and communion between man and woman. It is the use of the five makars by the shakta sadhaks which has been subjected to criticism since long as has been mentioned by Sir John Woodraffe. The shakta practioners have never shown any anxiety to meet ignorant criticism because they were always anxious to keep their highly powerful mode of worship a close secret. The veerabhava is not meant for all. It is Raj Vidya, princely knowledge Guhya Vidya, secret knowledge which is meant only for the elite, the select few. It is full of dangers and pitfalls and even Yogins cannot easily be admitted into its secrets.

Only that person is admitted in Veerachar who has sufficient self-discipline and control over his body and senses and who would not be tempted to misuse his powers. Such misuse leads to the cultivation of Siddhis and black magic and hinders spiritual progress. The person who is qualified to handle this highly potent sadhana should be free from avarice and blind to the wealth of others, impotent for women other than his wife, dumb in talking ill of others, and should have mastery over his senses. Only such a person can safely handle the stages of Sadhna from Vamachar to Kaulachar.

The great physicist and Noble prizewinner Nelsborn had a horseshoe hanging outside his door. Once a friend of his remarked, “Do you believe in such superstitions?” He replied back, "It doesn’t matter whether I believe in it or not, but it has been extremely lucky for me."