Tantra in Practice
4/5
()
About this ebook
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.
Read more from David Gordon White
Daemons Are Forever: Contacts and Exchanges in the Eurasian Pandemonium Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sinister Yogis Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKiss of the Yogini: "Tantric Sex" in its South Asian Contexts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Tantra in Practice
Titles in the series (17)
Religions of the United States in Practice, Volume 1 Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Religions of Asia in Practice: An Anthology Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Religions of Late Antiquity in Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Religions of Korea in Practice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Religions of Tibet in Practice: Abridged Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Religions of the United States in Practice, Volume 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReligions of India in Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Asian Religions in Practice: An Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tantra in Practice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Religions of Japan in Practice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Historical Jesus in Context Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Judaism in Practice: From the Middle Ages through the Early Modern Period Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Buddhism in Practice: Abridged Edition Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Islam in South Asia in Practice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYoga in Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Religions of China in Practice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMedieval Christianity in Practice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related ebooks
Yoga in Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Religions of India in Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Cakrasamvara Tantra (The Discourse of Sri Heruka): A Study and Annotated Translation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tara Tantra: Tara's Fundamental Ritual Text (Tara-mula-kalpa) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrnament of Stainless Light: An Exposition of the Kalachakra Tantra Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mahamudra and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyu Schools Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Esoteric Community Tantra with The Illuminating Lamp: Volume I: Chapters 1–12 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Lamp to Illuminate the Five Stages: Teachings on Guhyasamaja Tantra Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Passionate Enlightenment: Women in Tantric Buddhism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReligions of Tibet in Practice: Abridged Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Saktas: An Introductory and Comparative Study Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Illumination of the Hidden Meaning Vol. 2: Yogic Vows, Conduct, and Ritual Praxis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReligions of Japan in Practice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTantra Yoga Secrets: Eighteen Transformational Lessons to Serenity, Radiance, and Bliss Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Vajrayogini: Her Visualization, Rituals, and Forms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tantra: Sex, Secrecy, Politics, and Power in the Study of Religion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crazy Wisdom of the Yogini: Teachings of the Kashmiri Mahamudra Tradition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In Praise of Adya Kali: Approaching the Primordial Dark Goddess Through the Song of Her Hundred Names Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Secrets of Tantric Buddhism: Understanding the Ecstasy of Enlightenment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTantra: Theory and Practice with Professor Gavin Flood: Hindu Scholars, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Extremely Secret Dakini of Naropa: Vajrayogini Practice and Commentary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Principles of Buddhist Tantra Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kalachakra Tantra: Rite of Initiation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Yoga Spandakarika: The Sacred Texts at the Origins of Tantra Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Esoteric Teachings of the Tibetan Tantra Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMeditation Techniques of the Buddhist and Taoist Masters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTantric Quest: An Encounter with Absolute Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Religion & Spirituality For You
Upon Waking: 60 Daily Reflections to Discover Ourselves and the God We Were Made For Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gospel of Mary Magdalene Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Grief Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5NRSV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Course In Miracles: (Original Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude: The Life-changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Love Dare Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Writing to Wake the Soul: Opening the Sacred Conversation Within Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leaving the Fold Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gospel of Thomas: The Gnostic Wisdom of Jesus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Se Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hindu View Of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Tantra in Practice
4 ratings0 reviews