Archives: Glossary Terms

The word tantra means “continuum” or “stream.” Para is “beyond.” So, the mode of perception called Paratantra is where we learn to start seeing beyond the stream, beyond the continuum. To see beyond what is apparent, and to see what is.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. We need to learn a new mode of perception. This is called non-identification. But this non-identification comes in stages, it comes in levels. In the first form, Parakalpita, we are identified with the illusions that are projected by our own mind, illusions that are self-produced, that are part of our karmic inheritance. This is the illusion of the “I”, our false “I”. To go beyond that, we have to learn to start seeing things as they truly are, and this is called Paratantra. The word tantra means “continuum” or “stream.” Para is “beyond.” So, the mode of perception called Paratantra is where we learn to start seeing beyond the stream, beyond the continuum. To see beyond what is apparent, and to see what is.

Now, let me explain once more: this mode of perception is beyond Parakalpita. It is beyond identification. In this level, we are trying to move into perceiving nature or reality or any phenomenon as it truly is. The term for that in Sanskrit is Paratantra.

Paratantra is a way of seeing that has two aspects. Paratantra has two modes, or two levels. Once we have started to break our identification with the ego, we start learning how to really self-observe, to really Self-remember, to really be present, to really awaken consciousness. Then we start to see objects as they are. As we are now, we do not. We see things through our projected illusion. But someone who is beginning to awaken consciousness begins to start seeing things in a new way, and first is impure: impure perception related with Paratantra. It is impure because they are still only seeing things in terms of the Wheel of Samsara, the wheel of illusion, the wheel of life.

So, as an example: When we are identified with the ego, we would see a rope and we would think it was a snake, and we would become afraid. There is no snake there, and if we really awaken the consciousness and look, we see, “Oh, it is not a snake, it is a rope.” That would be the Samsaric view. We penetrated past the illusion projected by the mind and we see the thing as it appears to be in this level of life. But if we awaken the consciousness more, then we can see it in its pure form, in the Nirvanic way, and we would then penetrate and see that rope as it exists in other dimensions. This requires more consciousness to be awakened, and in this context we would see, for example, the atoms of the rope. We would know how many atoms were there, we would know the constitution of those atoms, the construction. We would know the history of that rope, where it came from, who made it, where it has been, what it has done. This is the type of information that emerges spontaneously to the enlightened eye of a saint or a buddha. That information is simply visible, it is known. But that is not the ultimate view. There is a third, which is called Paranishpanna.

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