A Journey in the World of Tantras
A Journey in the World of Tantras

Author: Mark S. G. Dyczkowski

Publisher: Spotlight Poets

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9788186569429

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The past thirty years have witnessed dramatic developmentsin the study of ¶gamic ’aivism in general. On the one handthere has been a substantial increase in the historical andanthropological data. On the other, access has been cleared tovast reserves of unedited and unpublished sources.This book is a collection of essays which document in theirown way the author s personal journey in these years throughparts of the ’aiva and, to some extent, the Vai !ava Tantras.This ground-breaking book includes the following chapters:Self-awareness, Own Being and Egoity; AbhÈvavÈda, theDoctrine of Non-being; The Sa`vitprakÈ a; The InnerPilgrimage of the Tantras; KubjikÈ, the Androgynous Goddess;The Cult of the Goddess KubjikÈ.Mark S.G. Dyczkowski is a renowned scholar in the fieldof Tantra. Living in India for over thirty years, he combines inhis books a Western academic base with deep Indian insight.

Tantra
Tantra

Author: Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D.

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 1998-07-28

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0834825457

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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 World of Tantra
The World of Tantra

Author: Brajamādhaba Bhaṭṭācārya

Publisher:

Published: 2000-01-01

Total Pages: 476

ISBN-13: 9788121509688

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Illustrations: 18 B/w Illustrations Description: It is a faithful presentation of personal experiences of a devoted man who has been throughout his life of 76 years searching for receiving an answer, an understandable logic behind those mystic events before which logic stands spell bound. These personal records-secret, mind boggling, enigmatic-none the less reserve for the reader an unfailing touch of reliance. Man stands here face to face with the mystery which takes the mind above matter, and wonderful gasps although the Hamlet like assurance comes in time to point out confidently to 'more things between heaven and earth'. Chapter by chapter, the author unfolds layer after layer the secrets of the tantra world, as he has found himself in, at times to satisfy his quest, at times as just a beam of blessing. The personal note of these pages, together with the lessons in Tantric practices, some sweet and startling, some horrid and blood-curdling, make this book an addition to the authentic report of his much maligned but equally intimate world. Those who want to profit and learn of and about what is and what could be held in store by tantra will find The World of Tantra a secret mind of relevant information at first hand.

The Hindu Tantric World
The Hindu Tantric World

Author: André Padoux

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2017-03-07

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 022642409X

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Tantra occupies a unique position in Western understandings of Hindu spirituality. Its carnal dimension has made its name instantly recognizable, but this popular fascination with sex has obscured its philosophical depth and ritual practices, to say nothing of its overall importance to Hinduism. This book offers a clear, well-grounded overview of Tantra that offers substantial new insights for scholars and practitioners. André Padoux opens by detailing the history of Tantra, beginning with its origins, founding texts, and major beliefs. The second part of the book delves more deeply into key concepts relating to the tantric body, mysticism, sex, mantras, sacred geography, and iconography, while the final part considers the practice of Tantra today, both in India and in the West. The result is an authoritative account of Tantra’s history and present place in the world.

Secret of the Vajra World
Secret of the Vajra World

Author: Reginald A. Ray

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2002-07-23

Total Pages: 545

ISBN-13: 0834825236

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An entrée into the world of Tantric Buddhism—a unique collection of texts, concepts, and meditation practices presented by Tibetan masters teaching in the West The “Vajra World” (vajradhatu in Sanskrit) is a realm of indestructibility, the level of reality beyond all thought and imagination, all impermanence and change, which a fully realized person knows and inhabits. Used metaphorically, “Vajra World” refers to the traditional culture of Tibet and the unique spirituality that is its secret strength. Secret of the Vajra World is the companion volume to the author’s earlier book, Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. While that book focuses on the history, cosmology, philosophy, and practice of the more public, exoteric side of Tibetan Buddhism, this work treats its more hidden and esoteric aspects as they take shape in Vajrayana. Together, the two volumes provide a broad introduction to the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Topics include: • The tantric view of human nature and the external world • The special role of the guru, or tantric mentor • The preliminary practices that prepare the student for full initiation • The major dimensions of Vajrayana practice, including visualizations, liturgies, and inner yogas • The tradition of the tulku, or incarnate lama • The lore surrounding the death of ordinary people and of saints • The practice of solitary retreat, the epitome of traditional Tibetan Buddhism

Change, Continuity and Complexity
Change, Continuity and Complexity

Author: Jae-Eun Shin

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-05-30

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0429831021

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The Mahāvidyās are the representative Tantric feminine pantheon consisting of ten goddesses. It is formed by divergent religious strands and elements: the mātṛ and yoginī worship, the cult of Kālī and Tripurasundarī, Vajrayāna Buddhism, Jain Vidyādevīs, Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava faith, Śrīvidyā, the Brahmanical strand of Puranic traditions, etc. This volume is the first attempt to explore the historical process, through which these traditions culminated in the Mahāvidyā cult and the goddesses with different origins and contradictory attributes were brought into a cluster, with special reference to socio-political changes in the lower Gaṅgā and Brahmaputra Valley between the 9th and 15th centuries CE. Based on a close analysis of Purāṇas, Tantras and inscriptional evidence, and on extensive field research on archaeological remains as well as sacred sites, Jae-Eun Shin discusses the two trajectories of the Mahāvidyās in eastern Śākta traditions. Each led to the systematization of Daśamahāvidyās in a specific way: one, as ten manifestations of Durgā upholding dharma in the cosmic dimension, and the other, as ten mandalic goddesses bearing magical powers in the actual sacred site. Their attributes and characteristics have neither been static nor monolithic, and the mode of worship prescribed for them has changed in a dialectical religious process between Brahmanical and Tantric traditions of the region. This is the definitive work for anyone seeking to understand goddess cults of South Asia in general and the history of eastern Śākta traditions in particular. To aid study, the volume includes images, diagrams and maps. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.