Concentrate on the Breasts, or on the Root of the Penis

1. What the Method Is

While the precise sutra for “Concentrate on the breasts, or on the root of the penis” is not detailed in the provided sources, it appears as a meditation technique within a collection of 112 methods discussed by Osho. Generally, Tantra focuses on technique and method rather than philosophy, aiming to provide “how” rather than “why” truth can be attained. These methods are designed to transform the mind and achieve self-actualization by leveraging human potentiality.

2. How It Is Done

Given the broader context of Tantric practices described in the sources, this meditation would likely involve focusing one’s awareness or attention on the specified body parts. Tantra teaches that the mind can be focused anywhere in the body, and changing this focus can lead to a transformation of one’s qualities. Many Tantric techniques involve directing consciousness to specific centers or points in the body.

Based on other body-centered techniques discussed:

  • Preparation: It would likely involve sitting comfortably, possibly with eyes closed, and maintaining a motionless body to avoid distraction and allow for deeper focus.
  • Conceptualization: One might begin by imagining oneself as light or as being composed of light rays, as Tantra suggests everything, including oneself, fundamentally consists of light particles or energy.
  • Directing Awareness: The core instruction would involve placing one’s total attention on the breasts or the root of the penis. The goal would be to concentrate intensely on this specific area, allowing consciousness to gather there.
  • Feeling the Energy: The practice would likely involve feeling the energy or sensations within that area. For instance, the sex center is considered a very natural center towards which consciousness naturally flows biologically. Tantra is deeply interested in sex as the source of life and consciousness, suggesting this focus would be on tapping into the fundamental life energy present there.
  • Experiential Focus: Rather than intellectual analysis, the emphasis would be on direct experience and sensation. One would aim to “feel” rather than just “think” about the area.
3. Commentaries and Insights
  • Body as a Vehicle for Transformation: Tantra deeply believes in the body as the starting point for spiritual transformation, recognizing that physiological processes are intimately linked with psychological and spiritual states. The body is seen as a sacred and holy vehicle that can lead to that which is beyond the body. Fighting against the body or its natural energies is considered counterproductive.
  • Acceptance and Non-Suppression: Tantra emphasizes total acceptance of oneself, including all energies and instincts, without judgment or suppression. This means working with one’s energies, like sex, rather than against them. When everything is accepted, inner division dissolves, and one becomes whole.
  • Transformation of Sex Energy: Sex is identified as the basic life energy. While its biological utility is reproduction, Tantra teaches that this same energy can be used for other creative acts and can become a spiritual force when moved to higher centers. The goal is to transcend sex through deep experience and awareness, not through repression or fighting it.
  • Centering and Energy Flow: Many Tantric techniques aim to return consciousness to one’s original center, often the navel (hara). While the navel is considered the basic center, any point in the body can be used for centering. Focusing on a specific bodily point like the sex center (root of the penis) can serve as a device to gather scattered energy. By concentrating on the sex center, Tantra suggests that sexuality will disappear, and the center will become “illumined, full of energy, dynamic”. This gathered and vitalized energy can then flow all over the body and beyond into the cosmos, ultimately leading to the basic root at the navel.
  • Role of Imagination and Feeling: Imagination is crucial in Tantric practices, particularly when focused at energy centers. When attention is concentrated at a point, imagination can become potent and create phenomena. In the context of sex energy, imagination can even change its direction, potentially moving it upwards. However, this imagination must be rooted in feeling, as mere intellectualization without genuine sensation is considered impotent and futile. Developing sensitivity to one’s own body and its sensations is therefore essential.
  • Rising “Livingness”: As energy (potentially sex energy) is guided upwards through concentration and imagination, practitioners may experience a rising warmth and an inward light, accompanied by a new sense of “livingness”. This upward movement of psychic energy is linked to the awakening of Kundalini.
  • Caution: Osho repeatedly warns about the power of these meditations, especially those directly raising Kundalini. It is crucial not to leave the energy “in the middle” of the spine or body, as it can be harmful. The energy must be brought fully to the highest center (Sahasrara chakra at the peak of the head) and released into the cosmos. This requires absolute privacy and no disturbance. Unexpected physical sensations like erections or dizziness might occur, but should not cause fear, as they are signs of energy moving.
  • Goal: The ultimate goal of such practices is liberation and inner rebirth, leading to a state of oneness with the cosmos where the individual center dissolves. It is about changing the quality of consciousness from a sleepy, unaware state to one of complete alertness.