Tantric Alchemy – Finding the Philosopher's Stone

“While the Wise Man is happy even in Hell, the Fool suffers even in Heaven” The best-known goals of the alchemists were the transmutation of common metals into gold or silver; the creation of a "panacea", or the elixir of life, a remedy that supposedly would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely.  Starting with the Middle Ages, Arabic and European alchemists invested much effort in the search for the "Philosopher's Stone", a legendary substance that was believed to be an essential ingredient for either or both of those goals. Certain Hermetic schools argue that the transmutation of lead into gold is analogical for the transmutation of the physical body (Saturn or lead) into Solar energy (gold) with the goal of attaining immortality. This is described as Internal Alchemy. Thus, both the transmutation of common metals into gold and the universal panacea symbolized evolution from an imperfect, diseased, corruptible and ephemeral state towards a perfect, healthy, incorruptible and everlasting state; and the Philosopher's Stone then represented a mystic key that would make this evolution possible. Applied to the alchemist himself, the twin goal symbolized his evolution from ignorance to enlightenment, and the stone represented a hidden spiritual truth or power that would lead to that goal. Tantric alchemy is this inner alchemy. In tantric alchemy we transmute the energies of lower frequency (the common metals) into higher levels of vibration (gold).  The term tantric alchemy denotes this process of transmutation on different levels of the human being. This alchemical process is taking place on all the levels of our being. In the physical body it is experienced as the transmutation of the sexual fluids into energy that then can be sublimated by means of special yoga techniques. The retention and reusing of the sexual fluids generates wonderful effects on all levels of our being. The grosser biological part goes to the brain through spinal column where it supplies nourishment to the cells when the process of rejuvenation occurs. It keeps the physical body young, vital and healthy. The mysterious process of transmutation and sublimation also makes it possible to extract from the sexual fluids the OJAS, which is an enormously potent psychic energy that flows into the brain and its subtle structures in the form of ‘fluid light’, thereby nourishing the intense processes of transformation on all levels of that being. In the Astral body the alchemical process is experienced as the transformation of inferior heavy or tormenting states into sublime spiritual states. This transformation in the Astral body can be initiated from the process of transmutation and sublimation in the physical body, and the important key for this process to take place is sublimation. After we transmute the sexual potential into energy we need to ‘lift’ that energy to higher levels of our being by the process of sublimation, which as mentioned is helped by certain yoga techniques. This will change the frequency of our predominant resonance in that given moment and thereby our inner respective state. A process of transmutation and sublimation in the physical body echoes throughout our entire structure affecting all our bodies. We can also approach the inner alchemy directly in terms of our states. When we have an inferior state it must be clear that we resonate with the inferior, miserable and tormenting energies that “catch” us in a horizontal reality where we stay because there seemingly is no exit. We maintain ourselves into a certain resonance and do not find the switch to turn on the light to see the way out. Fearful we stay still in the dark wishing there was an escape. Tantric alchemy generates the miracle of such an escape exit, but not by running away from the problem. It is simply making available to us the vertical perspective. Just as we in tantra do not run away from the sexual energy but stay into it lucidly and learn to control it, in the same way we do not run away from our inferior and tormenting states. Instead we experience them courageously with lucidity and detachment. In this silent awareness we can transform even the most negative state into spiritual energy – and this is happening by the process of tantric alchemy. The miraculous transformation is in fact generated by the principle of polarity; that any manifestation contains its polar opposite. The detached and lucid awareness of a state is thus a process of polarisation of that respective state; we polarise the energy with awareness making it in this way possible to ‘flip’ the coin, turning an inferior state into a superior spiritual state. This is not a static state but the continuous dance of polarities, the ceaseless movement of the pendulum. Living a high spiritual state is not a one time achievement. It is a conscious choice taken every moment. According to the law of resonance we know that our inner states are reflected in our surroundings. Our inner state will determine how we see the world around us and will also decide what we attract into our life by the law of resonance. When we maintain a negative and tormenting resonance we are creating a hell for ourselves. When we transform such a low state into a superior spiritual state we bring light in the darkness and turn it into paradise. Therefore we can say that we are ourselves creating our personal heaven or hell according to the resonance we maintain and our attitude in general. We have every moment the possibility to choose paradise over suffering. In this light the tales of the search for the Philosopher’s Stone becomes tales of an inner search, of finding a Spiritual path that offers the key to transform your being into its highest potential setting you free from all limited perspectives that brings suffering and stagnation. It is a tale of continuous transformation and of bringing Heaven to Earth. We do not need to search for the Philosophers Stone outside of ourselves – we contain within us already that power to turn lead into gold and to grant us perfect health, long life and eternal bliss. Tantra reveals to us this power and teaches us how to use it. “The alchemy of love fusion implies a profound knowledge of the sexuality of oneself, a total control over the sexual energy and the existence of a pure and free love.”