Article | January 25, 1989
Sadhguru: Suffering is an inevitable part of the human experience. From the earliest moments of life, we encounter pain, loss, and longing. Yet, suffering is often seen as something to escape or avoid. We turn to distractions, engage in denial, or attempt to numb our minds to the pain we carry. But what if suffering, rather than being a curse, is an opportunity? What if, instead of escaping from suffering, we could use it as a doorway to deeper awareness and transformation? This is where the spiritual teachings of Nigam Tantra offer profound insight.
Understanding Suffering
To become conscious of your suffering is the first step towards liberation. Consciousness and awareness lie at the heart of many spiritual traditions, but Nigam Tantra offers a unique path that directly confronts suffering, transforming it from a source of pain into a means of spiritual awakening. According to the ancient teachings of Nigam Tantra, suffering is not a random occurrence but a necessary catalyst for growth and enlightenment.
In Tantric philosophy, suffering is understood as both karmic and existential. It is karmic because it often results from the consequences of past actions, both in this lifetime and previous ones. It is existential because the nature of existence itself is intertwined with suffering—ageing, death, loss, and change are inevitable. These experiences create suffering that is often beyond our control. But suffering also provides a mirror, reflecting our inner world and showing us where we are disconnected from our true nature.
The Illusion of Separation
In Nigam Tantra, the root of suffering is seen as the illusion of separation, or "maya." This illusion makes us believe that we are distinct, isolated beings, separate from the divine consciousness that permeates the universe. As long as we identify with the ego—our sense of individuality, our desires, our attachments—we experience suffering because the ego is inherently fragile and temporary. It constantly craves security and fulfilment, but such desires can never be fully satisfied in the world of form. The awareness of this brings existential suffering.
Nigam Tantra teaches that the illusion of separation creates dualities: pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, love and hate. When we become attached to one side of these dualities, we automatically set ourselves up for suffering when the opposite inevitably manifests. The more we identify with our desires, aversions, and attachments, the more we experience suffering. The teachings of Tantra do not suggest that we avoid pleasure or suppress our desires, but rather that we engage with them consciously, without attachment.
Nigam Tantra: Becoming Conscious of Suffering
Nigam Tantra, a spiritual path rooted in ancient scriptures, offers a path of transcendence through deepening awareness. The term "Nigam" refers to the Vedic tradition, while "Tantra" is often interpreted as the expansion of consciousness. Together, Nigam Tantra serves as a bridge between ancient wisdom and experiential practices that bring one to a state of expanded awareness and union with the divine.
1. Awakening through Suffering
Tantra is not about escape but about embracing the totality of existence, including suffering. The Tantric path encourages practitioners to turn toward their suffering with full awareness. Rather than pushing suffering away, Tantra asks us to bring it closer, to examine it, to fully experience it. Only by facing suffering directly can we transform it.
Nigam Tantra holds that the suffering we experience is a reflection of our state of consciousness. When we are unconscious or unaware, we become victims of our circumstances. We react to pain with anger, sadness, frustration, or fear. This reaction perpetuates a cycle of suffering, as our unconscious responses lead to more karmic consequences and more pain. But as we become more conscious, we begin to see suffering for what it is—a temporary state that arises from our disconnection from our true nature.
Conscious suffering is different from unconscious suffering. Conscious suffering involves being fully present with the experience of pain without judgment, without trying to escape or numb it. This does not mean passively accepting suffering but rather using it as a tool for awakening. The Tantric yogi learn to observe their suffering with detachment, seeing it as an opportunity to deepen their awareness of the present moment.
2. The Role of Kundalini Energy
In Nigam Tantra, Kundalini is seen as the primordial energy that lies dormant within each of us. This energy, when awakened, can transform all aspects of our being—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The awakening of Kundalini often comes through intense spiritual practices, and in many cases, through suffering itself.
When Kundalini energy rises through the spine, it pierces the chakras (energy centres) and illuminates areas of unconsciousness. This process can be accompanied by physical and emotional pain as old patterns of conditioning and karmic blockages are released. However, this suffering is seen as a purification process. The Tantric practitioner uses awareness to allow this energy to move freely, dissolving the ego and bringing the individual into a state of unity with the divine.
Through the awakening of Kundalini, suffering is no longer seen as something to fear or avoid but as a necessary step in the path toward enlightenment. The pain experienced in this process is the burning away of old illusions, attachments, and karmic residues. As Kundalini rises and the practitioner becomes more conscious, they begin to see the divine play in all aspects of life, including suffering.
3. The Importance of Guru in Nigam Tantra
In the Nigam Tantric tradition, the guidance of a guru is essential for the proper understanding and navigation of suffering. A guru, who has traversed the path of awakening, serves as a mirror and guide, helping the disciple become conscious of their karmic patterns and guiding them through the transformative process of suffering.
A guru helps the disciple see that suffering is not an enemy but a friend. The guru’s teachings often focus on breaking the attachment to the ego and its endless desires, which are the root of suffering. Through devotion to the guru and the practice of sadhana (spiritual discipline), the disciple gradually becomes more conscious of their inner world, their thoughts, emotions, and karmic tendencies.
The guru-disciple relationship in Nigam Tantra is not based on blind faith but on the understanding that the guru serves as a conduit for divine wisdom. Through this relationship, the disciple can confront their deepest fears and suffer with the support and guidance of someone who has already transcended such challenges.
The Process of Becoming Conscious
4. Mindfulness and Meditation: Tools for Awareness
Nigam Tantra places a strong emphasis on mindfulness and meditation as essential tools for becoming conscious of suffering. Mindfulness involves being fully present in each moment, without judgment or attachment. It is the practice of bringing awareness to every experience—whether pleasant or painful.
Meditation, particularly in Nigam Tantra, is seen as a way to dive deep into the nature of the mind and body. It is not about escaping suffering but about observing it from a place of detachment. The mind’s natural tendency is to avoid pain, but meditation teaches us to stay with our suffering, explore it, and understand its true nature.
Through mindfulness and meditation, we become aware of the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that arise in response to suffering. This awareness helps us break the automatic reaction patterns that perpetuate suffering. Instead of reacting with fear or anger, we learn to observe our suffering with curiosity and compassion.
5. Cultivating Inner Silence
One of the core teachings of Nigam Tantra is the importance of inner silence. The mind is constantly busy, filled with thoughts, emotions, desires, and fears. This mental activity keeps us trapped in the cycle of suffering. But when we cultivate inner silence through meditation and mindfulness, we create space for deeper awareness to arise.
In this inner silence, we begin to see the truth of our existence beyond the dualities of pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow. We realize that suffering is a temporary state, a wave on the surface of consciousness. By cultivating inner silence, we create the conditions for deeper self-awareness and spiritual growth.
The Tantric practitioner learns to rest in this silence, allowing it to pervade every aspect of their life. In this state of inner stillness, suffering loses its power. We see it as a passing experience rather than something that defines us. This shift in perspective allows us to face suffering with equanimity, knowing that it is part of the larger process of spiritual awakening.
6. The Alchemy of Suffering: Turning Pain into Wisdom
In Nigam Tantra, suffering is not merely something to be endured; it is a powerful teacher. The conscious experience of suffering has the potential to turn pain into wisdom. When we face suffering with awareness, we gain insight into the nature of the ego, attachment, and impermanence. We begin to see how our own mental patterns and beliefs contribute to our suffering.
This process of transformation is often referred to as alchemy—the turning of base metals into gold. In spiritual terms, the alchemy of suffering involves turning the base experience of pain into the gold of wisdom and awakening. This is not an intellectual understanding but a deep, embodied realization that comes through direct experience.
Nigam Tantra teaches that every experience, including suffering, is an opportunity for growth. When we stop resisting suffering and start engaging with it consciously, we unlock its hidden potential. Suffering becomes a doorway to deeper self-awareness, compassion, and wisdom.
7. Breaking the Cycle of Suffering
One of the key insights of Nigam Tantra is that suffering is perpetuated by unconscious patterns of thought and behaviour. These patterns are often the result of past karma, deeply ingrained in the mind and body. As long as we remain unconscious of these patterns, we are doomed to repeat them, creating more suffering for ourselves and others.
However, when we become conscious of these patterns, we gain the ability to break the cycle of suffering. Nigam Tantra offers specific practices for identifying and dissolving karmic patterns, such as mantra repetition, breath control (pranayama), and visualization. These practices help to clear the mind and body of accumulated karmic residues, allowing the practitioner to experience life from a place of clarity and freedom.
The more we practice awareness, the more we become conscious of the subtle ways in which suffering arises. We begin to catch ourselves in the act of creating suffering—whether through negative thoughts, reactive emotions, or unhealthy behaviours. With awareness, we can choose a different response, one that leads to peace and liberation rather than suffering.
Consciousness as the Path to Freedom
Becoming conscious of your suffering is not an easy path, but it is a profoundly transformative one. Nigam Tantra teaches that suffering is not something to be feared or avoided but embraced with awareness. Through the practices of mindfulness, meditation, and devotion to a guru, we learn to face suffering with openness and curiosity.
As we become more conscious of our suffering, we begin to see the deeper patterns that underlie it. We realize that suffering is not an external force acting upon us but a reflection of our own unconsciousness. By bringing awareness to our suffering, we dissolve the illusions of the ego and reconnect with our true nature—the divine consciousness that is beyond all suffering.
In the end, Nigam Tantra shows us that suffering is not an obstacle to enlightenment but a gateway to it. Through conscious engagement with our suffering, we transform it into a source of wisdom and awakening. This is the alchemy of Tantra—the turning of suffering into spiritual gold.
In this process, we realize that suffering is not something to be overcome or escaped but a profound teacher that leads us to the deepest truth of who we are. By becoming conscious of our suffering, we transcend it, discovering the boundless freedom and joy that lies at the heart of existence.
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