TIRUMANTIRAM

An Ancient Mystical Experience

The Yoga Tradition of Saint Citter Tirumular

 

The Tirumantiram, a gold mine of ancient Tamil literature, until recently it has been bypassed by scholars outside of Tamil culture and Tamil civilisation. While the Sanskrit literature has been mined and studied by Western scholars, the ancient Tamil language literature has been largely ignored.

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For those who know of the Tirumantiram it is for the lovers of Yoga.

The Tirumantiram as an expression of the highest mystical states of consciousness accessible to the Yogin, or monistic theism.

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Tirumular’s teachings are an incredibly enlightening path. The scriptures written by Tirumular are contained in the Tirumantiram, - the greatest adepts of Yogam from its roots. It is an encyclopedia of philosophical and spiritual wisdom rendered in verse form. It holds the secrets of Yoga, tantra, alchemy, mysticism, mantra, mandala and philosophy.

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Many of you do not know of the ancient Tamil civilisation. This civilisation is probably the oldest civilisation in the world that still exists today. It is pre-Vedic, from the sub-continent of India and now confined now within the state of Tamil Nadu a union of India. This culture and tradition are exclusively been with the Tamils and articulated in the Tamil language. The Citter System is the heritage of the Tamils and familiar only to Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia etc, where the Tamils have been connected with, through ancient times. The Citter teachings have also gone to China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan and are practiced in a different form even today.

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The Tirumantiram is more than philosophy. It is, in short, the plenary mystical experience. The Tirumantiram contains an ocean of experience, that is, spiritual and mystical; it cannot be confirmed to anyone special system of philosophy. Though it presents a package of all forms of Yoga and mysticism, Tamil aiva tradition treats it mainly as an aiva Cittanta work.

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Tiru + mantiram is yogic teaching given by Citter Tirumular many 1000’s of years ago. It is a root teaching and practice, where Civa Yogam is a part. It deals with the treatment of Pathi (Lord Civa), Pasu (individual soul), and Pasam (attachment).

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The Tirumantiram is a spiritual, monumental work of philosophical and spiritual wisdom rendered in verse form.  It is one of Tamil’s greatest texts, a spiritual treasure-trove, containing astonishing insight. It deals with different aspects of Yoga and Tantra. The poems of Tirumular in the Tirumantiram abound in technical terms conveying mystical experience. It is conveyed in precision, concentration, secrecy, mystery, and esoteric significance in that the symbols, at the hands of the Citter become a form of artistic expression of the inexpressible. In essence, profoundly mystical in nature and contains a “numinous aura” and existential revelations for the man who deciphers his message. The essential difficulty is that to understand the twilight language requires a total hermeneutic of reading and practicing, an awareness, in fact, of the total philosophical structures that infuse it. It also requires one to enter deep states of meditation wherein the verse serves as a key that reveals a higher meaning to the initiate as you dive into it.

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The Tirumantiram is a work, which deals with how one may live a divine life in the midst of the worldly one.  It fulfils the meaning of the word “Tantra” a “web” which joins the spiritual and the material dimensions of life.  It expresses the thread of unity, which exists behind the many differences in the process of life.  It deals with all the aspects of life, which makes life worth-living by dealing with the art of breathing, mantra, tantra, yantra, cakras, meditation, medicine, etc.

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Tirumular’s Tirumanthiram is strong, well-established teaching of ancient Yogic science.

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Today in the name of ‘Tantra’ there are many distortions and deviations.  Many people do not even know that the roots of Tantra lie within the system of spiritual development given by Citter Tirumular in his scriptures as the Tirumantiram.

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Tantra means 'to expand' and it is the entire consciousness of the human being that is expanded into divine awareness by the methods of this ancient tradition, system and practices. In the Citter teachings lies the subtle yet powerful core of Tantra.

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Kundalini Yogam practiced by Citters is a technique for transforming ordinary consciousness into supreme consciousness. Control of the breath and mastery of the life force facilitates the rising of the Kundalini.

The teachings give a mystical experience in a state of transcendental awareness, a state of oneness. Tirumular explains the various states of consciousness that the yogin passes through by use of these practices.

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Tirumular’s teaching states that the human body is a living temple, awaiting the realization and awakening of divine consciousness within it. Tirumular describes the tempering of the physical body using yogic techniques. Tirumular describes Civa as pure sound vibration, and light that ultimately dissolves into unified consciousness. To realize Civa is to realize oneself. Citters serve as links in a chain, connecting practitioners to the immortal Citter masters and to Civa – the divine consciousness.

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Citter teachings and practices are the root of all mysticism, yogam, alchemy and metaphysics. It transcends religion, culture and society.  The teachings are inspiring, and opens a door into another world that one does not know exists.

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The Tirumantiram provides you a journey as a seeker, to experience for yourself.

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