Chapter Three: The Madhura Disposition in India's Inner (Esoteric) Religious Disciplines
—disciplines connected with raising the seed, including Kapalika practice, Soma-doctrine practice, the woman of the skull, the image of joined union, Nilambari practice, the Raseshvara doctrine, and Sahajiya Vaishnava practice; and (5) disciplines grounded in Kundalini Yoga.
Sahaja practice in the Kaula doctrine
Innate practice entered Buddhism through the Kaula doctrine. According to the Kaula-jñāna-nirṇaya, Matsyendranath was the first promulgator of Kaula knowledge. A commentary upon the Tantrāloka calls him the one who brought down the Sakula Kula scripture.
The Kaula knowledge of the first age became known as Mahatkaula in the second, the Treta age; as Siddhamrita in the third, the Dvapara age; and in the present Kali age appeared as Matsyodara Kaula. Legends state that Matsyendranath abandoned his original doctrine and became caught in the enchantment of the women of the Kadali country. These women were yoginis. The scripture existed in every house of the yoginis of Kamarupa,1 and Matsyendranath visited their homes and compiled the essence of this effortlessly acquired teaching. Legend also says that Gorakshanath rescued him from the magical net of Kamarupa's yoginis.
The Siddha doctrine rested upon perfect celibacy. The Goddess, or Shakti, was its adversary, and association with women was entirely forbidden. After rescuing Matsyendranath from Kamarupa, Gorakshanath re-established him in that doctrine.
Kaula knowledge is a discipline directed toward accomplishment. Although the scripture discusses nonduality, it was written principally for practitioners unable to forget the distinction between Kula and Akula—Shakti and Shiva. By contrast, the qualified reader of the Akulavīra Tantra is one who has attained nondual knowledge and fully understood that there is no distinction between Kula and Akula, and that Shakti and Shiva abide inseparably. The practice taught in the Akulavīra Tantra is certainly genuine innate practice. It is variously called the Avadhuta path, the Siddha path, and the Sahaja path.
Several features of the Kaula-jñāna-nirṇaya resemble those of the Buddhist Siddhas: (1) emphasis upon the innate; (2) opposition to external rites; (3) descriptions of Kula fields and sacred seats; (4) use of Vajroli; and (5) technical expressions such as the Five Sacred Things.2 The old Siddha path was principally yogic and always interpreted the Five Ms or Five Sacred Things metaphorically. The ancient Kaula path discussed by Matsyendranath was therefore certainly Shakta, not Buddhist. The Akulavīra Tantra explicitly calls Buddhists adherents of false doctrine and unfit for liberation—