The message of Christ in The Last Supper scene seems to me to relate to a “be completely aware” message. His disciples have been wandering about with Him, they could look at his eyes, touch His clothes, see the way He behaved and talked... but apparently they were not fully/fooly aware of the reality of His being. So, when He cut the bread, and gave the wine, He said: “this is my body, this is my blood; you take it and you have eternal life” (sorry, not the right words, I am afraid, I don’t have an English Bible).

When we look all around we see all sort of people who are sleepy. The “sparkle” of the Holy Spirit seems to don’t be on them. The practise of Eucharist can wake them up, can make their resuscitation, so they can be a part again of the Life stream. When a priest accomplishes this Eucharist act, his role is to turn the community back to life. This miracle can be accomplished not because the priest says the right words, but because we are completely aware. The Eucharist sounds like a bell. We eat all the time, but most of the time we eat our thoughts, our problems, and our plans. We don’t really eat our bread. If we are “touched” by our bread, we are reborn, because we will realise that we eat Life itself. Most of the time we are distracted. So Christ told: This is My Body, this is My Blood. The Bread and the Wine are not mere symbols. Christ’s body and blood are the ultimate reality. The true nature of the spirit, as we say in Buddhism. So the rite of Eucharist tells us to be aware, so we can “touch” the true nature of Spirit within us.

How I connect this “rite” with Tantra?

Basically, there are a couple ways of getting to “know” reality.

The way of renounce is probably the better known path. It’s mainly the way of monks and eremites throughout times. Roughly, one has to renounce to negative actions… by avoiding them. One has a Code of Conduct related to a serial of actions from Body, Speech and Spirit. This renouncing path is the main road of all Religious systems and even of many ethical aspects of the civil society.

The way of transformation, as in Tantras and, I believe, in most Mystics, is related to be aware and to the mastering of the energy of the Universe… the bread! The process could be described as in the Eucharist Body and Blood rite. Perhaps Tantric followers will mention the Body and Blood using other words. Perhaps they will call it vajra and bell. These are two symbolic objects, and they represent the method (sanscrit: upaya; tibetan: thabs) and the energy (prajna; she.rab). Actually, in Tantrism, those are also considered to be the two principal and complementary fundaments of the existence: the Feminine and the Masculine, the Moon and the Sun.

To receive this particular kind of teaching, one has to perceive the subtle dimension of the light. In other words, one must have to perceive the “light” of a superior being. That’s what Christ induce His disciples to, with the Last Supper. So they could perceive Him in His true reality. And this Last Supper was finally, their First Supper.


Note: I never saw this relationship between Eucharist and Tantra rituals being drawn anywhere, so, this post only engages my very personal interpretation of those rites.