[[Vajrayana]] or Tantric Buddhism, on the other hand, teaches that masturbation can actively be used to approach higher spiritual development.
There is an aspect of sex in [[Highest Yoga Tantra]] practice that is both symbolic as well as descriptive of the practice of using [[sexual intercourse]] to transform one's sexual energy into a blissful consciousness directed towards achieving enlightenment. This controlling and directing of one's sexual energies towards the greater goal of enlightenment is one of the central features of Vajrayana.<ref>{{cite book |last=H. H. XIV Dalai Lama |authorlink=Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama |title=The Heart of the Buddha's Path |year=1999 |publisher=Thorsons |id=ISBN 0-7225-3932-0 |pages=100-101}}</ref>
