I’ll never forget the first time I encountered the Soundarya Lahari.

I was browsing through a small bookshop in Varanasi when an elderly Sanskrit scholar noticed my interest in tantric texts. He handed me a worn copy and said, “If you want to understand divine beauty, start here.”

The verses seemed impossible at first. How could descriptions of a goddess’s physical beauty lead to spiritual realization?

But as I studied deeper, something extraordinary began to unfold. The text wasn’t just describing external beauty but revealing beauty as a fundamental principle of existence itself.

This was my introduction to Tripura Sundari, the third Mahavidya and perhaps the most aesthetically oriented of all Hindu goddesses.

Over the years, her teachings have transformed not just my spiritual practice but my entire relationship with beauty, art, and the sensory world.

Today I want to share what I’ve learned about this remarkable goddess who shows us that the path to the divine can be paved with beauty itself.

If you’ve ever wondered whether aesthetic experience can be spiritual practice, or if you’ve felt drawn to the beautiful as a gateway to the sacred, Tripura Sundari’s teachings may resonate deeply with you.

Who is Tripura Sundari? The Supreme Beauty

Tripura Sundari’s name carries layers of profound meaning that have taken me years to begin to appreciate.

“Tripura” refers to the three cities or the three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. She is the one who rules over all three domains of experience.

“Sundari” simply means “beautiful,” but in her case, it refers to the ultimate beauty that underlies all manifestation.

She is also known as Shodashi, meaning “the sixteen-year-old,” representing eternal youth and the perfection of beauty at its peak.

In the Sri Vidya tradition, she is called Lalita, meaning “the playful one,” emphasizing the joyful, creative aspect of divine consciousness.

The Lalita Sahasranama, a hymn containing her thousand names, describes her as “the beauty of the three worlds” and “the one whose form is made of pure consciousness and bliss.”

What makes Tripura Sundari unique among the Mahavidyas is her emphasis on beauty as a spiritual path.

While Kali destroys illusion through fierce compassion and Tara guides us through difficulties, Tripura Sundari reveals truth through the experience of divine beauty.

She teaches us that the aesthetic experience, when properly understood, can be a direct path to realizing our true nature.

This doesn’t mean superficial or sensual indulgence, but rather the recognition that consciousness itself has an inherently beautiful quality that manifests through all genuine aesthetic experience.

The Iconography of Tripura Sundari: Beauty as Sacred Symbolism

Every aspect of Tripura Sundari’s traditional depiction carries profound symbolic meaning.

Her Youthful Appearance

Tripura Sundari appears as a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl with perfect proportions and radiant skin.

The age sixteen represents the peak of youthful beauty and vitality. But more than this, it symbolizes the eternal freshness of consciousness itself.

No matter how long we’ve been practicing or how many experiences we’ve had, our essential nature remains eternally fresh and beautiful.

This has been a deeply comforting teaching during times when spiritual practice felt stale or routine.

Her Red Complexion

She is typically depicted with a red or rose-colored complexion, the color of dawn, passion, and life force.

Red represents rajas, the active, creative principle that brings the world into manifestation.

Unlike the transcendent white of pure consciousness or the transformative black of Kali, Tripura Sundari’s red celebrates the divine’s active engagement with creation.

This has helped me understand that spiritual practice doesn’t require rejecting the creative, passionate aspects of life but rather seeing them as expressions of divine energy.

Her Four Arms and Sacred Objects

Tripura Sundari typically has four arms, each holding significant objects.

She often holds a noose and a goad, representing her power to bind us with love and guide us toward truth.

A sugarcane bow and arrows made of flowers symbolize her use of sweetness and beauty to pierce the heart and awaken love.

These aren’t weapons of war but instruments of attraction that draw us toward the divine through beauty and joy rather than fear or obligation.

Her Throne and Setting

She sits on a throne made from the bodies of four male deities: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Rudra, with Sadashiva as the seat.

This doesn’t represent dominance but rather shows that she is the Shakti, the power that animates all divine functions.

She’s often depicted in a pavilion of precious gems on the island of gems (Mani Dwipa) in an ocean of nectar.

This celestial setting represents the realm of pure aesthetic experience where beauty and consciousness are one.

The Sri Yantra Connection

Tripura Sundari is intimately connected with the Sri Yantra, considered the most beautiful and powerful of all yantras.

This geometric form, composed of interlocking triangles, represents the cosmos in its most perfect, harmonious state.

Meditating on the Sri Yantra while contemplating Tripura Sundari is said to reveal the mathematical precision underlying all beauty.

I’ve found that even looking at well-made representations of the Sri Yantra can evoke a sense of profound harmony and aesthetic satisfaction.

The Philosophy of Beauty in Spiritual Practice

Tripura Sundari represents a sophisticated understanding of how aesthetic experience can lead to spiritual realization.

Beauty as a Fundamental Quality of Consciousness

In the tradition associated with Tripura Sundari, beauty (sundaram) is considered one of the three fundamental qualities of ultimate reality, along with truth (satyam) and goodness (shivam).

This means that consciousness itself is inherently beautiful, and all genuine experiences of beauty are glimpses of our true nature.

This understanding has revolutionized how I experience art, nature, and even simple aesthetic pleasures.

Instead of seeing them as distractions from spiritual practice, I’ve learned to recognize them as doorways into deeper awareness.

The Aesthetic Experience as Spiritual Practice

The tradition teaches that profound aesthetic experience (called rasa in Sanskrit) can dissolve the ego’s boundaries and reveal the unity underlying apparent diversity.

When we’re truly moved by beauty—whether in art, nature, or human expression—we momentarily transcend our ordinary sense of separation.

Tripura Sundari’s practice involves cultivating this capacity for aesthetic absorption and recognizing it as a form of samadhi or spiritual absorption.

Desire as Spiritual Energy

Unlike traditions that view desire as an obstacle to spiritual growth, Tripura Sundari’s teachings see properly directed desire as spiritual fuel.

The desire for beauty, when refined and purified, becomes the longing for union with the divine.

This doesn’t mean indulging every sensual urge, but rather understanding how the energy behind desire can be channeled toward spiritual realization.

The Sri Vidya Tradition: Tripura Sundari’s Primary Path

Tripura Sundari is the central deity of the Sri Vidya tradition, one of the most sophisticated and beautiful spiritual paths I’ve encountered.

The Science of Sacred Sound

Sri Vidya practice involves complex mantras, particularly the fifteen-syllable Panchadashi mantra and the sixteen-syllable Shodashi mantra.

These mantras are said to contain the sonic blueprint of creation itself.

The practice involves not just chanting these sounds but understanding their philosophical significance and experiencing their transformative power.

I should note that traditional Sri Vidya practice typically requires formal initiation from a qualified guru, as the mantras are considered extremely powerful.

The Progressive Revelation of Beauty

Sri Vidya practice is organized around the systematic worship of Tripura Sundari in increasingly subtle forms.

Practitioners begin with external worship using beautiful objects, flowers, and elaborate rituals.

Gradually, the practice becomes more internalized, with the goddess visualized within the heart and finally recognized as one’s own essential nature.

This progression has taught me that spiritual development can be a process of recognizing increasing levels of beauty and refinement.

The Integration of Tantra and Vedanta

What I find remarkable about the Sri Vidya tradition is how it integrates the tantric appreciation for the world with Vedantic understanding of absolute consciousness.

Tripura Sundari represents the unity of Shiva (pure consciousness) and Shakti (creative power) in perfect harmony.

This integration shows us that we don’t have to choose between transcending the world and celebrating it.

Scriptural Sources and Traditional Texts

Tripura Sundari appears in numerous important texts that have shaped my understanding of her nature.

The Soundarya Lahari

This sublime text, traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, is perhaps the most beautiful spiritual poem I’ve ever encountered.

Its hundred verses describe Tripura Sundari’s beauty while simultaneously teaching profound philosophical truths.

Each verse works on multiple levels: as poetry, as philosophy, as mantra, and as instruction for meditation.

Reading and contemplating the Soundarya Lahari has been one of the most transformative practices in my spiritual journey.

The Lalita Sahasranama

This hymn of a thousand names reveals the countless aspects and qualities of Tripura Sundari.

Each name provides insight into different facets of consciousness and creation.

Chanting or studying these names can be a profound meditation on the divine feminine principle.

The Tripura Rahasya

This text presents philosophical dialogues about the nature of consciousness, using Tripura Sundari as the central teaching principle.

It offers sophisticated discussions about the relationship between the individual self and ultimate reality.

Various Tantras

Numerous tantric texts, including the Vamakeshvara Tantra and Nitya Shodashikarnava, provide detailed instructions for Tripura Sundari’s worship.

These texts combine philosophical teaching with practical guidance for ritual and meditation.

The Many Names and Forms of Tripura Sundari

Like other Mahavidyas, Tripura Sundari manifests in numerous forms, each emphasizing different aspects of her nature.

Lalita

As Lalita, she embodies the playful, joyful aspect of divine consciousness.

This form emphasizes that creation is not a burden or obligation but a spontaneous expression of divine joy.

Lalita teaches us to approach spiritual practice with lightness and celebration rather than grim determination.

Rajarajeshvari

This name means “the empress of empresses,” emphasizing her supreme sovereignty over all levels of existence.

As Rajarajeshvari, she represents the highest achievement of consciousness, beyond all limitations.

Kameshvari

In this aspect, she’s the beloved of Kameshvara (a form of Shiva) and represents the divine feminine principle in perfect union with the masculine.

This form teaches about the integration of all polarities within consciousness.

Maha Tripura Sundari

This is her cosmic form, representing beauty on the grandest scale as the organizing principle of the entire universe.

Bala Tripura Sundari

The child form of Tripura Sundari represents the innocent, spontaneous aspect of divine beauty.

Bala practice often involves simple, heartfelt connection with the goddess as a beloved child.

Personal Practice with Tripura Sundari

My own relationship with Tripura Sundari began through aesthetic appreciation but has deepened into something much more profound.

The Practice of Sacred Seeing

One of the simplest yet most powerful practices is learning to see beauty as a manifestation of divine consciousness.

This might involve spending time in nature, contemplating art, or simply paying closer attention to the aesthetic dimension of everyday experience.

The key is recognizing that moments of genuine aesthetic appreciation are actually moments of spiritual recognition.

Soundarya Lahari Contemplation

I’ve found that studying and contemplating verses from the Soundarya Lahari can be profoundly transformative.

Even reading translations can evoke deep aesthetic and spiritual experiences.

The practice involves not just understanding the words intellectually but allowing the beauty of the verse to penetrate consciousness.

Flower Offerings and Beautiful Objects

Tripura Sundari is traditionally worshipped with beautiful flowers, particularly red hibiscus.

I’ve found that the simple practice of offering beautiful flowers while contemplating her nature can be deeply meaningful.

The key is recognizing that we’re not offering to an external deity but celebrating the beauty principle within consciousness itself.

Yantra Meditation

Contemplating the Sri Yantra or other geometric forms associated with Tripura Sundari can develop appreciation for the mathematical harmony underlying beauty.

Even simple geometric meditation can help refine aesthetic sensitivity and reveal the order within apparent chaos.

The Challenge of Practicing with Beauty

Working with Tripura Sundari’s energy presents unique challenges that I’ve had to navigate carefully.

Avoiding Superficial Aestheticism

It’s easy to mistake surface-level aesthetic pleasure for genuine spiritual practice.

True Tripura Sundari practice involves recognizing beauty as a quality of consciousness, not just collecting pleasant sensory experiences.

The difference is whether aesthetic experience leads to greater self-awareness or merely reinforces ego preferences.

Integrating Beauty with Other Spiritual Qualities

Beauty alone isn’t sufficient for spiritual development. It must be integrated with wisdom, compassion, and ethical behavior.

Tripura Sundari’s path requires developing discrimination between beauty that elevates consciousness and mere sensual indulgence.

Understanding Sacred Sexuality

Tripura Sundari’s tradition includes sophisticated teachings about sexuality as spiritual practice.

However, these teachings are often misunderstood or misappropriated.

Authentic sacred sexuality involves recognizing the divine in intimate relationship, not using spirituality to justify ordinary sexual desires.

Tripura Sundari and Artistic Practice

One of the most accessible ways to connect with Tripura Sundari’s energy is through artistic creation and appreciation.

Creating as Spiritual Practice

When we create something beautiful with sincere intention, we participate in the same creative principle that Tripura Sundari represents.

This might involve visual arts, music, poetry, dance, or even creating beauty in our living spaces.

The key is approaching creation as a form of devotion rather than ego expression.

Appreciating Art as Meditation

Learning to appreciate art deeply can become a form of meditation and spiritual practice.

This involves going beyond casual aesthetic preference to really receiving the beauty that artists have channeled.

I’ve found that contemplating great works of art can evoke states of consciousness similar to those achieved through formal meditation.

The Role of Sacred Art

Traditional sacred art serves as a bridge between ordinary consciousness and divine awareness.

Icons, statues, and paintings of Tripura Sundari are designed to evoke specific spiritual states through their beauty.

Even viewing such art with proper attitude can be a form of spiritual practice.

Scientific Perspectives on Beauty and Consciousness

Modern research offers fascinating insights into the relationship between aesthetic experience and consciousness.

Neuroscience of Aesthetic Experience

Studies show that experiencing beauty activates specific areas of the brain associated with reward, emotion, and higher-order cognitive processing.

Research by Dr. Semir Zeki and others suggests that aesthetic experience involves a complex integration of sensory, emotional, and conceptual processing.

This scientific understanding supports traditional teachings about beauty as a complex, sophisticated form of consciousness.

Evolutionary Psychology and Beauty

Some researchers propose that our capacity for aesthetic appreciation evolved because it helped our ancestors identify beneficial environments and objects.

This suggests that the appreciation of beauty might be fundamentally connected to our survival and wellbeing.

Flow States and Aesthetic Absorption

Research on flow states shows similarities to traditional descriptions of aesthetic samadhi.

When we’re deeply absorbed in beautiful experience, the ordinary sense of self temporarily dissolves, which aligns with spiritual teachings about transcendence through beauty.

Common Misconceptions About Tripura Sundari

Several misunderstandings about Tripura Sundari persist, both in popular culture and sometimes among spiritual practitioners.

Misconception: Tripura Sundari Practice is About Sensual Indulgence

This is perhaps the most damaging misunderstanding.

Authentic Tripura Sundari practice involves refining aesthetic sensitivity to recognize divine beauty, not indulging every sensual desire.

The practice requires discrimination between beauty that elevates consciousness and mere sensory pleasure.

Misconception: She’s Only for Artists or Aesthetically Sensitive People

While artists might find natural affinity with Tripura Sundari, her teachings are relevant to anyone interested in recognizing beauty as a spiritual principle.

Everyone has the capacity for aesthetic appreciation that can be developed and refined.

Misconception: Her Practice is Easier Than Other Spiritual Paths

Some people assume that a path involving beauty must be easier or less demanding than austere practices.

In reality, developing genuine aesthetic discrimination and using beauty for spiritual transformation requires considerable discipline and refinement.

Misconception: Tripura Sundari Practice is Incompatible with Ascetic Traditions

While her path celebrates the world’s beauty, this doesn’t contradict the ultimate goal of spiritual liberation.

Many great practitioners have integrated appreciation for beauty with deep renunciation and spiritual discipline.

Tripura Sundari in Contemporary Spiritual Life

In our current cultural moment, Tripura Sundari’s teachings feel particularly relevant and necessary.

Healing the Sacred-Secular Divide

Our culture often separates aesthetic appreciation from spiritual practice.

Tripura Sundari’s teachings help heal this artificial division by showing how genuine aesthetic experience can be profoundly spiritual.

Addressing Spiritual Materialism

Sometimes spiritual practitioners develop subtle pride about their supposed transcendence of worldly beauty.

Tripura Sundari’s path reminds us that dismissing the world’s beauty can be another form of spiritual ego.

Integrating Technology and Sacred Beauty

In our digital age, we’re surrounded by new forms of aesthetic experience through technology.

Tripura Sundari’s principles can help us discern which technological aesthetics support consciousness development and which merely stimulate surface-level responses.

Environmental Aesthetics

As we face environmental crisis, Tripura Sundari’s teachings about recognizing divine beauty in nature become especially important.

When we truly see the earth’s beauty as sacred, protecting it becomes a spiritual imperative.

The Relationship Between Beauty and Suffering

One of the most profound aspects of Tripura Sundari’s teaching involves understanding the relationship between beauty and suffering.

Beauty That Includes Suffering

Authentic beauty doesn’t deny the reality of suffering but includes it in a larger vision of harmony.

Great art often incorporates elements of tragedy, loss, and difficulty while revealing underlying beauty and meaning.

Tripura Sundari teaches us to find this inclusive beauty rather than seeking only pleasant experiences.

The Beauty of Impermanence

Learning to see the beauty in impermanence and change has been one of the most transformative aspects of my practice with Tripura Sundari.

When we can appreciate the aesthetic dimension of life’s constant flux, we develop greater equanimity with loss and change.

Compassionate Aesthetics

True beauty naturally evokes compassion because it reveals the underlying unity that connects all beings.

Aesthetic experience that doesn’t lead to greater kindness and care for others may be merely superficial pleasure.

Integrating Tripura Sundari’s Wisdom into Daily Life

The ultimate goal of any spiritual practice is transformation of our ordinary experience and relationships.

Bringing Beauty into Everyday Activities

Tripura Sundari’s influence has taught me to find opportunities for aesthetic appreciation throughout ordinary activities.

This might involve arranging food beautifully, paying attention to the play of light and shadow, or finding grace in simple movements.

The key is recognizing that any moment can become a doorway to beauty consciousness.

Relationships as Aesthetic Practice

Learning to see the beauty in other people, particularly during difficult moments, has become a crucial aspect of my practice.

This doesn’t mean denying problems or conflicts but recognizing the fundamental beauty of consciousness that exists within everyone.

Creating Beautiful Environments

Our external environment significantly affects our inner state.

Creating beauty in our living and working spaces becomes a form of spiritual practice when done with proper intention.

Appreciating Natural Beauty

Spending time in nature while consciously appreciating its beauty has become one of my most reliable spiritual practices.

Whether it’s watching sunrise, contemplating flowers, or observing weather patterns, nature provides endless opportunities for aesthetic meditation.

The Integration of All Mahavidyas

As the third Mahavidya, Tripura Sundari represents a crucial stage in the spiritual journey that integrates the lessons of Kali and Tara.

After Destruction and Guidance Comes Creation

Kali destroys what needs to be destroyed, Tara guides us through difficulties, and Tripura Sundari reveals the creative beauty that emerges from this process.

Her position in the sequence shows that spiritual development eventually leads to active, joyful participation in creation rather than mere transcendence.

Beauty as the Goal and the Path

Tripura Sundari shows us that beauty isn’t just a means to spiritual realization but also the goal itself.

The fully realized consciousness naturally expresses itself as beauty, love, and creative joy.

This understanding has helped me see spiritual practice not as a grim duty but as a movement toward greater beauty and joy.

Conclusion: The Endless Revelation of Divine Beauty

As I conclude this exploration of Tripura Sundari, I’m aware that I’ve only touched the surface of her profound teachings.

Every genuine encounter with beauty reveals new depths and possibilities for understanding.

What began years ago as curiosity about a Sanskrit text has evolved into a completely different way of experiencing life.

Tripura Sundari has taught me that consciousness itself is inherently beautiful and that recognizing this beauty is both the path and the goal of spiritual practice.

She’s shown me that we don’t need to choose between transcending the world and celebrating it.

When we see clearly, the world reveals itself as a continuous manifestation of divine beauty, and every genuine aesthetic experience becomes a moment of spiritual recognition.

Her path requires developing the discriminating wisdom to distinguish between beauty that elevates consciousness and mere sensory pleasure.

But when this discrimination is developed, ordinary life becomes a continuous opportunity for spiritual practice and joy.

In our current times of global difficulty and widespread anxiety, Tripura Sundari’s message feels especially important.

She reminds us that beauty, joy, and creative expression aren’t luxuries to be enjoyed only when all problems are solved.

They’re fundamental qualities of consciousness that remain available even in challenging circumstances.

Moreover, recognizing and creating beauty becomes a way of contributing to the world’s healing rather than escaping from its problems.

Whether you approach her through formal Sri Vidya practice or simply by cultivating greater appreciation for beauty in daily life, Tripura Sundari’s energy is available to transform your understanding of both spirituality and aesthetics.

The goddess who appears as the eternal sixteen-year-old continues to reveal the secret that consciousness and beauty are ultimately one.

May her teachings help you discover the divine beauty that already exists within your own awareness.

References and Further Reading

1. Brooks, Douglas Renfrew. “The Secret of the Three Cities: An Introduction to Hindu Shakta Tantrism.” University of Chicago Press, 1990.
2. Avalon, Arthur (Sir John Woodroffe). “The Serpent Power.” Dover Publications, 1974.
3. Saraswati, Swami Satyananda. “Sri Lalita Sahasranama.” Bihar School of Yoga, 1986.
4. Pandit, M.P. “Gems from the Tantras.” Ganesh & Co., 1975.
5. Soundarya Lahari – Various translations available, including by Swami Tapasyananda and others.
6. The Lalita Sahasranama – Available at: https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/devi/index.htm
7. Shankaranarayanan, S. “Sri Chakra.” Dipti Publications, 1979.
8. Khanna, Madhu. “Yantra: The Tantric Symbol of Cosmic Unity.” Thames & Hudson, 1979.
9. Research on aesthetic experience: Zeki, S. “Splendors and Miseries of the Brain: Love, Creativity, and the Quest for Human Happiness.” Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
10. Brown, C. Mackenzie. “The Devi Gita: The Song of the Goddess.” SUNY Press, 1998.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Sri Vidya practice necessary to connect with Tripura Sundari, or are there simpler approaches?

A: While traditional Sri Vidya practice offers the most complete framework for working with Tripura Sundari, simpler approaches can also be meaningful. You can begin by cultivating aesthetic appreciation, studying texts like the Soundarya Lahari, or simply recognizing beauty as a spiritual principle in daily life. Formal Sri Vidya initiation requires finding a qualified guru.

Q: How do I distinguish between genuine spiritual beauty and mere sensory pleasure?

A: Spiritual beauty tends to evoke a sense of unity, peace, and expanded awareness. It often brings a quality of reverence and can inspire compassion or wisdom. Mere sensory pleasure, while not necessarily bad, tends to reinforce ego preferences and doesn’t lead to greater self-awareness. The key is developing discriminating wisdom through practice and study.

Q: Can men practice with Tripura Sundari, or is she primarily for women?

A: Men can absolutely practice with Tripura Sundari. In tantric understanding, both men and women need to integrate the divine feminine principle for complete spiritual development. Many great male practitioners have been devoted to Tripura Sundari, and the Sri Vidya tradition has historically included both male and female practitioners.

Q: Is it necessary to believe in Tripura Sundari as a literal goddess, or can I work with her as a symbolic principle?

A: Both approaches can be valid. Some practitioners relate to her as a living divine presence, while others work with her as a symbol representing the beauty principle in consciousness. The key is sincere engagement with whatever approach feels authentic to you while maintaining respect for the tradition.

Q: How does Tripura Sundari practice relate to other spiritual traditions?

A: The principle of beauty as a spiritual path appears in many traditions. Christian mystics speak of divine beauty, Islamic tradition includes the Beautiful Names of God, and Buddhist art serves similar functions. While specific practices may differ, the underlying recognition of beauty as a quality of ultimate reality is universal.

Q: What role does the Sri Yantra play in Tripura Sundari practice?

A: The Sri Yantra is considered the geometric representation of Tripura Sundari and the cosmos in perfect harmony. Meditating on the Sri Yantra can help develop aesthetic sensitivity and recognition of the mathematical principles underlying beauty. However, traditional yantra practice often requires proper initiation and guidance.

Q: Can artistic practice be considered a form of Tripura Sundari worship?

A: Yes, when approached with proper intention. Creating or appreciating art can become spiritual practice when we recognize it as participating in the same creative principle that Tripura Sundari represents. The key is approaching artistic work as devotion rather than mere ego expression or entertainment.

Q: How do I handle conflicts between aesthetic appreciation and ethical considerations?

A: This is an important question. Authentic beauty should support rather than conflict with ethical behavior. If aesthetic choices harm others or yourself, they’re likely based on superficial pleasure rather than genuine beauty. True beauty naturally evokes compassion and ethical sensitivity.

Q: What’s the relationship between Tripura Sundari and sacred sexuality?

A: Tripura Sundari’s tradition includes sophisticated teachings about sexuality as spiritual practice, but these are often misunderstood. Authentic sacred sexuality involves recognizing divine union through intimate relationship, requires proper preparation and understanding, and isn’t simply using spirituality to justify ordinary sexual desires. Such practices traditionally require qualified guidance.