Extract
Foreword
The
Tamil Siddhas cannot be regarded as one homogenous 'movement'
or ‘school of thought’ manifesting a unified, well-defined,
uniform ideology. A great number of elements have entered into
their thinking, some of them pan-Indian, some of them apparently
specifically South Indian or Tamil. On the other hand, their
overall ideology has, of course, several basic doctrinal tenets
in common. As we shall see, some of these tenets are in amazing
correspondence with the most recent developments in modern physics
of post-relativity and quantum theory era. The schema of dense
and subtle matter is one of those tenets: according to ultimate
Siddha thought, subtle matter constitutes the inner body of man;
matter is nothing but crystallized energy, and a manifestation
of infinite and universal mind ('subtle matter' reappears in
the theories of physicists of our day). An accomplished Siddha
is someone who has learned to harmonize his awareness with this
subtle (sub-atomic?) matter of which he is composed. The Siddha
alchemist can live in the mode of constant appearance and disappearance,
manifestation and dissolution, of subtle matter and energy; and
all matter forms a continuum. Neither matter nor consciousness
are ultimate, for both have their source in something still 'beyond',
in Civam which can not really become object of knowledge. Hence
the Siddha poet speaks often of ‘silence’: Silence,
unmoved and rising,
Silence, unmoved and sheltering,
Silence, unmoved and permanent,
Silence, unmoved and brilliant,
Silence, broad and immense like the Ganga,
Silence, unmoved and increasing,
Silence, white and shining like the Moon,
Silence, the Essence of Siva.
The
only possible predication of the ‘something’in which
both matter and consciousness have their source is Void, Emptiness.
Hence, again, one of the key-terms appearing in Siddha poetry: vettaveli,
cuniyam ‘utter emptiness, void’, veliyirveli (liter.) ‘void
in emptiness’ i.e. supreme, absolute Emptiness; or, simply, veli (liter ‘open
space; space; openness’) ‘emptiness’:
Gods
made out of wood
Gods made out of stone
Gods made out of palmyra fronds
Gods made out of bone
Gods made out of rags
Gods made out of dung
Gods made out of saffron bags
There are no other gods
but
VOID
(Civavakkiyam 503/510)
must
be stressed, however, that by this emptiness is not meant a substantive
emptiness like ‘an empty box’. It is emptiness which
is a plenum (more about all this will be said in subsequent chapters).
And man can come into contact with this Void. How, that is precisely
what the Siddhas tell us.
These,
then, are, in very simplified words, some of the ultimate and basic
doctrinal points common to all those thinkers, poets, alchemists
and physicians designated as cittar (Siddhar, Siddhas) in Tamil
India. Now, to speak of less lofty matters, the reader must be
made aware that, nowadays, when it comes to Siddha medicine and
medical practice, there even exist, in Madras, a government Siddha
dispensary, and a government Siddha medical college. Also, let
us return to what divides the Siddhas from one another; let us
mention at least one of their important ‘inhomogeneities’ -
the Siddha attitude to sex.
The
Siddha attitude to sex often manifests features which are in mutual
contrast, and thus represents a good illustration of the heterogeneous
character of the Siddha 'movement'. On the one hand there are Siddha
poets who express utter disgust and revulsion towards women and
any sexual activity (e. g. Pattinattar who in Potu 14 speaks of
men who 'for the sake of a cunt / perish day and night', and in
31 mentions ‘women / who smell of their / sensuality', whose
'limbs stink of their discharge’). Pattinattar is not the
only one, although he probably represents the most vigorous manifestation
of the ascetic, stern, misogynist trend of Siddha thought. On the
other hand, in drastic contrast - so at least it seems - there
is an entire group of Siddha alchemist-medicine men who are obviously
raised in the Tantrik tradition, and who in fact take part in rituals
based on the Tantrik cakrapuja. This stream of Siddha thought
and practice will be dealt with in some detail in chapter 12 of
this book, but here I wish to indicate very briefly the most salient
features of such Tantrik-Siddha ritual.
In
the centre of a ritual circle (cakkiram) sits a chosen woman,
completely naked, who symbolizes Devi, i. e. Sakti, the Primeval
Energy of the Cosmos, the Goddess, and it is characteristic of
the Siddha views that caste or community is of absolutely no importance
either in the selection of this woman (she can be a virgin as well
as a prostitute, a young Brahmin girl as well as a ripe low- caste
lady), or in the gathering of the participants. This Sakti, thoroughly
washed and perfumed all over her body with various perfumes (according
to an exact prescription; for details cf. chapter 12), sits on
a sort of pedestal with widely spread legs so that her yoni (vulva)
is well visible. The leading Siddha will kiss the yoni,
and bless various non-vegetarian foodstuffs through the contact
with the yoni by touching and rubbing with them the vulva
of the Sakti. Then these offerings are distributed among the participants
and consumed. The participating men, who for five days preceding
the puja had been eating meat, drinking alcoholic beverages
and using aphrodisiacs according to Siddha pharmacopoeia, will
naturally be in a state of high sexual arousal which must however
be strictly controlled, until ritual cohabitation follows with
their chosen female partners which - and this is a basic and most
important requirement - must never end in ejaculation of the sperm.
The Siddha tenet underlying all this holds that the enormous force
which is released by controlled sexual tension must be translated
from the gross physical level to the 'subtle' body and ultimately
to the psychic level whereby one attains various siddhis or
supranormal powers and ‘immortality’.
This
book consists of some sixteen sections. The introductory chapter
describes in broad outlines general features of Siddha medicine
(since this is what the book is mostly concerned with), and in
the following chapter are spelled out ideological tenets of the
specific Siddha quest of immortality. Next chapter deals with basic
principles and beliefs of Siddha physicians. The following section
gives first a rather detailed account of Siddha materia medica and
its use, and moves on to the cure prescribed for a number of various
diseases. Three very brief sections follow: on Siddha yoga, daily
regime, and alchemy. The following chapter is concerned with the
specific Siddha techniques for the attainment of longevity and
'immortality'. Then follows a description of some doctrinal aspects
of Siddhism as reflected in contemporary medical practice, and
of a visit in a Siddha dispensary in Madras. Tantrik Siddha school
and Siddha attitudes to sex are dealt with next. After the conclusions,
a short anthology of selected Siddha poetic texts is offered to
the reader. Index of terms in precise transliteration and select
bibliography close the book.
Cunnilingus
according to Tantrik Siddhas
[from a late medieval text in Tamil entitled Treatise
on the Arrow of Lust
First
Stage
Like a cow which licks tenderly its calf
spread out your tongue broad
and lick her yoni
lapping up the juices oozing out
like a thirsty dog which laps cool water
(continues)
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