ON THE CONCEPT OF SAHAJApetals of the sexual organ (guhya) (and their) permeation is the Joy of
Cessation. And (while the sukra is) in the navel it (i.e. the Joy of Cessa-
tion) is characterised by various delights such as close embraces, the
sudden drawing-in of breath and deep moanings (due to thrills of pleas-
ure), etc. However, as (the bliss arising when the sukra is) in the sexual
organ eludes concrete description, the Joy of Cessation, arising at the
end (of sexual union), is the mere perception of bliss, being charac-
terised by the thought "I am experiencing bliss".
But a delight which is gone is not bliss; therefore, the coming of the
drop which has the sixteen lunar digits from the lotus of the sexual
organ to the lotus with eight petals of the Vajra-Jewel which is hidden
therein (i.e. in the sexual organ) is the Simultaneously-arisen Joy. It is
permanent due to the absence of emission (of sukra) through the force
of retention.^107This extremely instructive passage, which, on the strength of the passage
from CMT just quoted, we may take to refer to the third Consecration, has
certain important implications. Firstly it distinguishes between actual bliss of
orgasm and the perception or reflection that such bliss has been experienced. It
is this perception, "coming at the end" (paryantaja), which properly speaking is
the Joy of Cessation. "Consummation (vimarda) is defined as the reflection
(alocana) that bliss has been experienced by oneself' (HVT II.iii.8). Thus the
Simultaneously-arisen Joy arises simultaneously-and hence its name-with the
orgasm, i.e. at the Moment of Consummation, but its nature is transcendent, for
that which enters the final cakra, that of the Vajra-Jewel, is the sixteenth digit of
the Moon^108 , in other words the Thought-of-Enlightenment in its absolute mode
of being. From the point of view of profane time this ultimate Joy is also tran-
sient, for while "arising simultaneously" with orgasm, it is almost immediately
replaced by the Joy of Cessation when grasped by the consciousness ("I have
enjoyed bliss"), thus replacing unity with duality.
Secondly the final line of this passage from ST shows that the transcendent
nature of the experience when the Thought-of-Enlightenment enters the Vajra-
Jewel depends on its non-emission. Bodhicittarp notsrjet - "the Thought-of-
Enlightenment must not be emitted", on this the texts insist^109 • We need not
doubt that this is to be taken in a literal sense. Techniques for retention or re-
absorbtion of the semen are well-known in Hatha-yoga and are still practised by
certain Indian yogins, thus prolonging beliefs and practices attested as early as
the Upanishads^110 •
Thus sexual union, if performed ignorantly and with profane intentions, will
not entail the experiencing of ultimate bliss; for the ultimate Joy, while 'arising
simultaneously' with orgasm, will not arise at all unless the neophyte has been
properly prepared, both yogically and sacramentally. It would be a fatal mistake
to confuse the essentially profane experience of orgasm with the Simultan-
eously-arisen Joy. Hence CMN (p. 33), to which we shall return, warns us that: