for engendering worldly and spiritual prosperity blend perfectly within the tantric disciplines.

Tantric masters discovered long ago that success in both the outer world and the spiritual realm is possible only if we awaken our latent power, because any meaningful accomplishment, and especially the attainment of the ultimate spiritual goal, requires great strength and stamina. The key to success is shakti - the power of soul, the power of the divine force within. Everyone possesses an infinite (and indomitable) shakti, but for the most part it remains dormant. And those whose shakti is largely unawakened have neither the capacity to be successful in the world nor the capacity to enjoy worldly pleasures. Without access to our shakti, true spiritual illumination is not possible. Awakening and using shakti is the goal of tantra, and this is why tantra sadhana is also known as shakti sadhana. Tantra is widely misunderstood, however. Many enthusiasts in both the West and the East mistakenly believe it to be the yoga of sex, black magic, witchcraft, seduction, and influencing the minds of others, a confusion that has arisen partly because tantra is a science as well as a spiritual path. As a spiritual path it emphasizes purification of the mind and heart and the cultivation of a spiritually illuminating philosophy of life. As a science, however, it experiments with techniques whose effectiveness depends on the precise application of mantra The Living Science of Tantra 3 and yantra, ritual use of specific materials, performance of tantric mudras, and accompanying mental exercises. Such practices can be thought of as tantric formulas - they will yield a result if properly applied, regardless of the character, spiritual understanding, or intention of the practitioner. And when this scientific aspect of tantra falls into the hands of charlatans it is inevitably misused, giving tantra a bad name in the East and sensationalizing it in the West. It is not hard to find people who have learned to use a few tantric formulas to startling effect. It is far more difficult to find genuine tantric masters and authentic scriptures to undercut such distorted notions. Difficult, but fortunately not impossible: genuine masters and scriptures do exist, and by gaining access to them it becomes possible to cultivate an understanding of this complicated path in all its richness