The Roots of Tantra

The Roots of Tantra
Author: Katherine Anne Harper
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2012-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 079148890X

Among the many spiritual traditions born and developed in India, Tantra has been the most difficult to define. Almost everything about it—its major characteristics, its sources, its relationships to other religions, even its practices—are debated among scholars. In addition, Tantrism is not confined to any particular religion, but is a set of beliefs and practices that appears in a variety of religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism. This book explores one of the most controversial aspects of Tantra, its sources or roots, specifically in regard to Hinduism. The essays focus on the history and development of Tantra, the art history and archaeology of Tantra, the Vedas and Tantra, and texts and Tantra. Using various disciplinary and methodological approaches, from history to art history and religious studies to textual studies, scholars provide both broad overviews of the beginnings of Tantra and detailed analyses of specific texts, authors, art works, and rituals.

Tantra

Tantra
Author: Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D.
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 336
Release: 1998-07-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834825457

A leading yoga researcher offers a clear and lively introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of the Tantric spiritual tradition Tantra—often associated with Kundalini Yoga—is a fundamental dimension of Hinduism, emphasizing the cultivation of “divine power” (shakti) as a path to infinite bliss. Tantra has been widely misunderstood in the West, however, where its practices are often confused with eroticism and licentious morality. Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy dispels many common misconceptions, providing an accessible introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of this extraordinary spiritual tradition. The Tantric teachings are geared toward the attainment of enlightenment as well as spiritual power and are present not only in Hinduism but also Jainism and Vajrayana Buddhism. In this book, Georg Feuerstein offers readers a clear understanding of authentic Tantra, as well as appropriate guidance for spiritual practice and the attainment of higher consciousness.

The Tantra Experience

The Tantra Experience
Author: Osho
Publisher: Osho Media International
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2012-02-14
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0880503211

This life is a gift from existence, to be lived and enjoyed. But with the seemingly impossible and conflicting demands of society, morality and culture, people struggle with feelings of unfulfilled potential, frustration and guilt, rather than living full lives. The world of Tantra has no division between higher and lower. The simple, ordinary, things of life are transformed into great things when we enter into them totally – be it car fixing, floor cleaning or lovemaking. Osho shows how, living this vision, new heights of consciousness and freedom are realized. "The days of tantra are coming. Sooner or later tantra will explode for the first time in the masses, because for the first time the time is ripe -- ripe to take sex naturally. One thing to be remembered always: if you are not very alert you may go on believing that you are moving into tantra, and you may be simply rationalizing your sexuality -- it may be nothing but sex, rationalized in the terminology of tantra. If you move into sex with awareness, it can turn into tantra. If you move into tantra with unawareness, it can fall and become ordinary sex.´

Tantra in Practice

Tantra in Practice
Author: David Gordon White
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 661
Release: 2018-06-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0691190453

As David White explains in the Introduction to Tantra in Practice, Tantra is an Asian body of beliefs and practices that seeks to channel the divine energy that grounds the universe, in creative and liberating ways. The subsequent chapters reflect the wide geographical and temporal scope of Tantra by examining thirty-six texts from China, India, Japan, Nepal, and Tibet, ranging from the seventh century to the present day, and representing the full range of Tantric experience--Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and even Islamic. Each text has been chosen and translated, often for the first time, by an international expert in the field who also provides detailed background material. Students of Asian religions and general readers alike will find the book rich and informative. The book includes plays, transcribed interviews, poetry, parodies, inscriptions, instructional texts, scriptures, philosophical conjectures, dreams, and astronomical speculations, each text illustrating one of the diverse traditions and practices of Tantra. Thus, the nineteenth-century Indian Buddhist Garland of Gems, a series of songs, warns against the illusion of appearance by referring to bees, yogurt, and the fire of Malaya Mountain; while fourteenth-century Chinese Buddhist manuscripts detail how to prosper through the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper by burning incense, making offerings to scriptures, and chanting incantations. In a transcribed conversation, a modern Hindu priest in Bengal candidly explains how he serves the black Goddess Kali and feeds temple skulls lentils, wine, or rice; a seventeenth-century Nepalese Hindu praise-poem hammered into the golden doors to the temple of the Goddess Taleju lists a king's faults and begs her forgiveness and grace. An introduction accompanies each text, identifying its period and genre, discussing the history and influence of the work, and identifying points of particular interest or difficulty. The first book to bring together texts from the entire range of Tantric phenomena, Tantra in Practice continues the Princeton Readings in Religions series. The breadth of work included, geographic areas spanned, and expert scholarship highlighting each piece serve to expand our understanding of what it means to practice Tantra.

Ecstasy Through Tantra

Ecstasy Through Tantra
Author: Jonn Mumford
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2021-01-08
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0738770388

Achieve Cosmic Consciousness through Sexual Ecstasy This hardcover edition of an influential classic provides sexual techniques and positions for ritual intercourse that will flood you with physical ecstasy and activate expanded states of consciousness. These Tantric practices not only teach you how to build sexual love and passion to an amazing peak, but also how to push your mind even higher to reach transcendental bliss. With more than forty years of experience, Dr. Jonn Mumford helps you bring holiness and magick into your sexual relationship. This book skillfully interweaves theory and practice so you can understand why you are doing each exercise as you learn potent techniques. Discover the God/Goddess as incarnate in your beloved and experience the same divinity within yourself through physical and spiritual union. Learn how to engage in the Asanas of Love and use a powerful technique known as the Rite of Naked Fire. Featuring a new introduction and a wealth of illustrations and photographs, this book reveals the secrets of erotic mysticism.

Tantra Made Easy

Tantra Made Easy
Author: Shashi Solluna
Publisher: Hay House UK Limited
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2018
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1788172647

Previously published in 2016 under title: Tantra: discover the path from sex to spirit.

The Tantra

The Tantra
Author: Victor M. Fic
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2003
Genre: Art
ISBN: 8170174244

Bibliography Index The Tantra Is A Body Of Theories, Techniques And Rituals Developed In India In Antiquity, Which Has Two Fundamental Aspects. The First Aspect Of The Tantra Is The Theory Of Creation, Which Posits That The Universe Has No Beginning And No End, And That All Its Manifestations Are Merely The Projections Of Divine Energy Of Its Creator. The Second Aspect Of The Tantra Is The Belief That The Performance Of Tantrik Techniques And Rituals Facilitates Access To This Divine Energy, Enabling Their Practitioners To Empower Themselves, As Well As Empower Others Associated With Them In The Guru-Disciple Relationship. Thus The Knowledge And Proper Application Of Tantrik Techniques And Rituals Is Believed To Harness The Creator'S Cosmic Energies To The Promotion Of The Mundane As Well As Spiritual Goals Of Their Practitioners. Between The Vii And The Xii Centuries A.D. These Theories, Rituals And Practices Spread To Other Parts Of Asia. In These Parts Their Interaction With Indigenous Traditions Of Shamanism And Other Magical Cults Resulted In Potent Hybrids. These Not Only Served The Personal Needs Of Their Practi- Tioners, But Were Used By The Kings To Summon The Cosmic Forces To Legitimize Their Right And Power To Rule The Ancient Monarchies. Elaborate And Artistically Beautiful Icons Were Developed In Sculpture, Painting, Bronze And Bas-Relief To Portray The Basic Concept Of Tantrik Theories And Various Deities Of The Hindu And Buddhist Pantheons. This Book First Explores The Origin Of The Tantra In India, Its Development And Emergence Of Various Schools Of Hindu And Buddhist Tantrism Over The Centuries. Then It Explores Their Spread From Tantrik Universities In Bihar And Other Centres Of Tantrik Scholarship And Rituals Practised In West Bengal, Orissa And South India At That Time To Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Japan And Indonesia. The Coloured Plates Illustrate The Iconographic Presentation Of The Basic Theories And Concepts Of The Tantra, As Well As Various Deities Associated With The Pantheons Of Hindu And Buddhist Tantrism Drawn From Different Parts Of The World.

The Tantra Connection

The Tantra Connection
Author: Monika Mller
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2009-09
Genre:
ISBN: 1449012035

Having started the new millennium we are in the midst of imminent changes. This era was foreseen five millennia ago, and described in tantric scriptures as the transition from the "Age of Darkness" to the "Age of Truth". The main intention of this book is to heighten the reader's understanding of this transformation and to assist in this time of change we are going through, individually as well as in society. Tantra considers the spiritual component of sexuality as it presents a balanced approach to life. Like Tantra this text is designed to enhance and support individual spiritual growth - in unity within a healing body. Holistic health is an ever-present undercurrent, since the work intertwines the conscious use of energy in the body with knowledge gleaned from ancient Tantra. Some parallels, between ancient East Indian Tantra and the highly developed cosmology of the pre-columbian Mayan culture, are also identified. The work is based on personal experiences. These have led the author to an energetic under-standing of Tantra. Describing the use of certain meditations, different modes of energy-cleansing and cultivated sexuality, it attempts to reinforce the reader's courage and self-confidence. The goal is to master life, eventually becoming a "whole" human being - a microcosm within the macrocosm. In this context, the work seeks to clarify - from the focal point of energy and social programming - the adversities and opportunities that couples face as soon as either partner begins the journey to Self. It concludes, by pointing to a possible future vision - enabled by our consciousness and the actions we can take to bring on deepened awareness.

Tantra Illuminated

Tantra Illuminated
Author: Christopher D. Wallis
Publisher: Mattamayura Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2013
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780989761307

This book takes readers on a fascinating journey to the very heart of Tantra: its key teachings, foundational lineages, and transformative practices. Since the West's discovery of Tantra 100 years ago, there has been considerable fascination, speculation, and more than a little misinformation about this spiritual movement. Now, for the first time in the English language, Tantra Illuminated presents an accessible introduction to this sacred tradition that began 1,500 years ago, in the far north of India. The book uses translations from primary Sanskrit sources, offers a profound look at spiritual practice, and reveals Tantra's rich history and powerful teachings.