Download or read book The Ecstasy of Enlightenment written by Thomas Cleary and published by Weiser Books. This book was released on 1998-04-01 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ecstasy of Enlightenment is an inside look at the spiritual world of Tantra--one of the most sophisticated, alluring, and controversial forms of Buddhism. Cleary unlocks the mysteries of the Carya-Giti, a collections of teachings by more than twenty famous Siddhas, or Tantric adepts, who lived during the illustrius Pala dynasty of old Bengal. These teachings emanate from one of the most dynamic sources of international Buddhism, at the height of its religious development, and as such, they are completely nonsectarian. Particularly noteworth is Cleary's demonstration of the parallels between Tantric Buddhism in Old Bengal and the original Zen Buddhism of China.
Download or read book The Secrets of Tantric Buddhism written by and published by Weiser Books. This book was released on 2015-02-01 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unlocking the secrets of Tantra—one of the most alluring forms of Buddhism Often misunderstood, Tantrism focuses on a particular style of meditation and ritual. Having far more to do with the sacred than the sexual, Tantric Buddhism is believed to have originated around the 5th Century AD in the rich cultural basin of Bengal and spread throughout the Asian world. Today it is widely practiced in Tibet, Japan, and the West. The Secrets of Tantric Buddhism presents accessible translations of 46 classic texts found in the Carya-Giti, a collection of teachings by more than twenty famous Siddhas, or Tantric adepts, who lived during the illustrious Pala dynasty of the 10th and 11th centuries. Renowned translator and scholar Thomas Cleary unlocks the mysteries of these texts and provides commentary for each that explains the ancient teachings in a way that makes them seem fresh and contemporary. These teachings emanate from one of the most dynamic sources of Buddhism, at the height of its religious development. They are completely nonsectarian and will be greeted enthusiastically by those interested in spirituality, world religions, and classic Buddhism.
Download or read book Ecstasy and Enlightenment written by Ali Sultaan Asani and published by I. B. Tauris. This book was released on 2002 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The devotional and mystical literature of the Ismailis in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent is a little known but rich seam of creativity in the cultural heritage of Islam. The book focuses on the Ginans, a large corpus of hymns and poems composed in a variety of Indic languages and attributed to a series of preacher-saints who propagated the Ismaili form of Islam in the subcontinent over several centuries.
Download or read book After The Ecstasy The Laundry written by Jack Kornfield and published by Random House. This book was released on 2008-12-26 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most accounts of spiritual enlightenment end at the moment of illumination. But what happens after that? What is life like after the ecstasy? How do we live our understanding with a full heart? In this unique mix of practical and spiritual wisdom Jack Kornfield, author of the bestselling A PATH WITH HEART and one of the most respected Buddhist meditation teachers in the West, sets out to answer these crucial questions. Drawing on discussions with abbots, lamas and Western meditation masters, Kornfield describes with refreshing honesty their different experiences of the moment of enlightenment and what life lessons they - and we - can learn from these - as each of us seeks to fulfil the true path of compassion on earth.
Download or read book Passionate Enlightenment written by Miranda Shaw and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 1995-10-08 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anyone who reads a Tantric text or enters a Tantric temple immediately encounters a pantheon of female Buddhas and a host of female enlighteners known as "dakinis," who dance and leap in joyous poses that communicate a sense of mastery and spiritual power. This striking female imagery is fully compatible with Shaw's findings. Drawing on interviews and archival research conducted during two years of fieldwork in India and Nepal, including more than forty previously unnoticed works by women of the Pala period (eighth through twelfth centuries C.E.), she substantially reinterprets the history of Tantric Buddhism during its first four centuries. In her view, the Tantric theory of this period promotes an ideal of cooperative, mutually liberative relationships between women and men while encouraging a sense of reliance on women as a source of spiritual insight and power.
Download or read book Tantra written by Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D. and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 1998-07-28 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Art of Losing Control written by Jules Evans and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2017-04-25 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humans have always sought ecstatic experiences - moments where they go beyond their ordinary self and feel connected to something greater than them. Such moments are fundamental to human flourishing, but they can also be dangerous. Beginning around the Enlightenment, western intellectual culture has written off ecstasy as ignorance or delusion. But philosopher Jules Evans argues that this diminishes our reality and denies us the healing, connection and meaning that ecstasy can bring. He sets out to discover how people find ecstasy in a post-religious culture, how it can be good for us, and also harmful. Along the way, he explores the growing science of ecstasy, to help the reader - and himself - learn the art of losing control. Jules' exploration of ecstasy is an intellectual and emotional odyssey balancing personal experience, interviews and readings from ancient and modern philosophers that will change the way you think about how you feel. From Aristotle and Plato, via the Bishop of London and Sister Bliss, radical jihadis and Silicon Valley transhumanists, The Art of Losing Control is a funny and life-enhancing journey through under-explored terrain.
Download or read book Tantric Awakening written by Valerie Brooks and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2001-10-01 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The autobiography of an American Gen-X woman who immerses herself in the sexual mysteries of tantric yoga. • An engaging insider's story that intimately portrays the details of the tantric sexual path from a young woman's point of view. • Author is one of the few Americans to be initiated into the sacred cobra breath. • Reveals not only the benefits but also the pitfalls, problems, and temptations of this path toward enlightenment. • Includes meditations and exercises for beginning a tantric practice. Tantric Awakening discloses an epic experience of tantra that few have achieved, and even fewer would dare to attempt. This is the story of a 19-year-old girl, disillusioned by the questions that her religion and society fail to answer, who courageously enters the sensuous rituals of tantric sex. In search of authentic knowledge, Brooks was admitted into secret societies where she learned firsthand the ways of the tradition from tantric adepts. Amid disapproval from family and friends, her body and spirit awaken to ecstatic levels of orgasmic pleasure that allow her to experience loving relationships, better health, and a deep sense of oneness with God. A personal and intimate portrait, Tantric Awakening is tastefully written to reveal not only the ecstatic power and spiritual benefits of tantra, but also the pitfalls, problems, and temptations of this path toward enlightenment. With the inclusion of specific tantric sexual techniques the author shows how to use tantra to balance the spirit with the physical self in order to achieve personal empowerment, transforming fear and self-doubt into joy and self-confidence. Meditations, exercises, and important insights for beginning a tantric practice assist the reader who is inspired to bring a sense of the divine into daily life.
Download or read book Ecstasy written by Sudhir Kakar and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2003-10-28 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ram Das Baba, as his devotees call him, is the son of a devout Brahmin family. He spends a lifetime seeking spiritual knowledge and his journey is filled with illuminating visions, severe tribulations, and an unwavering faith. His destiny as a highly evolved Sadhu is fulfilled through ordeals of monastic bliss, tantric awakening, madness, and transexuality. But as his life nears its end he meets a young man who belongs to a very different India and a profound relationship develops.
Download or read book The Last Ecstasy of Life written by Phyllida Anam-Áire and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-06-29 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Emphasizes how shadow work, integrating past wounds, and healing our ancestry allows us to facilitate the ecstatic transition into the next life • Offers exercises and visualizations to help us integrate emotions like anger and grief, which impact the soul’s readiness to leave the body when the time comes • Discusses what happens to our cells when we die with regard to the human energy field and explores the soul’s journey through the aítes or bardos In the Celtic tradition dying is considered an act of birthing, of our consciousness passing from this life to the next. Informed by an early near-death experience, spiritual midwife and former nun Phyllida Anam-Áire offers an intimate overview of the sacred stages of the dying process seen through the lens of her Celtic heritage. Compassionately describing the final dissolution of the elements, she emphasizes how important it is to resolve and integrate our psycho-spiritual shadows and wounds in this lifetime. What truly heals is our capacity for authentic compassionate love--in life, in death, and after. Healing our ancestry before leaving the body eases not only our transition but sets future generations free from old stories held in our family systems. Sharing her insights into God consciousness, our earth/ego mind, and the soul’s journey through the Aíte or bardos, Phyllida’s poetic words guide us toward the final ecstasy as the soul leaves its material form and enters the vast Universal Heart of cosmic energy. Providing a deep spiritual understanding of the mysteries of death and the afterlife, this courageous book combines Celtic and Christian wisdom to dispel the fear of dying and invites us to live consciously and with love to our very last breath.
Download or read book Hungry for Ecstasy written by Sharon Klayman Farber and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2013 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hungry for Ecstasy: Trauma, The Brain, and the Influence of the Sixties by Sharon Klayman Farber explores the hunger for ecstatic experience that can lead people down the road to self-destruction. In an attempt to help mental health professionals and concerned individuals understand and identify the phenomenon and ultimately intervene with patients, friends, and loved ones, Farber speaks both personally and professionally to the reader. She discusses the different paths taken on the road to ecstatic states. There are religious ecstasies, ecstasies of pain and near-death experiences, cult-induced ecstasies, creative ecstasies, and ecstasies from hell. Hungry for Ecstasy explores not only the neuroscientific processes involved but also the influence of the sixties in driving people to seek these states. Finally, Farber draws from her own personal and professional experience to advise others how to intervene on behalf of the person whose behavior puts his or her life at risk.
Download or read book Awake in the Heartland written by Joan Tollifson and published by Non-Duality. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Awake in the Heartland shows how spiritual practice and the pursuit of "enlightenment" can become an addiction, or yet another goal that can impede us from waking up in the present moment. In her poignant autobiography, author Joan Tollifson encourages readers to look for themselves without clinging to old opinions or relying on outside authorities. Honest, funny, and profound, this is a book that invites readers to discover who or what they really are.
Download or read book Evolutionary Enlightenment written by Andrew Cohen and published by SelectBooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2011-09 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Evolutionary Enlightenment, Andrew Cohen redefines spiritual awakening for our contemporary world—a world characterized by exponential change and an ever-expanding appreciation for the processes of evolution. Cohen’s message is simple, yet profound: Life is evolution, and enlightenment is about waking up to this fundamentally creative impulse as your own deepest, most authentic self. Through five tenets for living an enlightened life, Cohen will empower you to wholeheartedly participate in the process of change as your own spiritual practice. Evolutionary Enlightenment not only makes deep sense of life today; it will show you how to play an active role in shaping the world of tomorrow.
Download or read book Spectrum of Ecstasy written by Ngakpa Chogyam and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2003-07-08 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here two Western-born lamas of the Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism explore what it means to be utterly emotionally alive. Written in contemporary, nonacademic language, this book is a radical challenge to the misconception that inner Vajrayana is primarily an esoteric system of ritual and liturgy. The authors teach that emotions can be embraced as a rich and profound opportunity for realization. This fiercely compassionate battle cry rallies all who are audacious enough to appreciate emotions for their supreme potential as vehicles for awakening.
Download or read book The Power of Tantra Meditation written by Artemis Emily Doyle and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2021-06-29 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Find balance and harmony with meditations based in traditional Tantra The spiritual system of Tantra is centered on the pursuit of enlightenment and connection. This book is the clear and comprehensive guide to understanding Tantra and unlocking its power with the practice of meditation. Explore how Tantra can focus the mind, awaken energy flow, and invoke a higher state of being and awareness beyond everyday thoughts and sensations. The truth about Tantra—Cast aside the common myths and misconceptions surrounding Tantra with a basic overview of its history and philosophies. Body and mind engagement—Learn how Tantra meditations incorporate movement, color, and sound to activate the whole self, enhancing physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Made for modern life—These Tantric meditation practices are rooted in Eastern tradition and are simple enough to do anywhere, even for beginners. Experience a sense of balance and manifest a more vibrant life with The Power of Tantra Meditation.
Download or read book The E Word written by Cate Montana and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-01-17 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An excellent and entertaining look at the issues, challenges, and resolutions that come with the territory of awakening.” —Gary Renard, bestselling author of The Disappearance of the Universe trilogy A book of liberation and ecstasy, The E-Word lucidly explains how the ego is created, how it thinks, and how its limited mind-set can be expanded—not inflated—into a joyous transpersonal perspective that eradicates feelings of isolation, fear, and insecurity in your life. Through stories, practices, and a masterful detangling of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the Matrix, and quantum physics, The E-Word strips the ego bare and liberates the soul in highly entertaining, relatable ways, revealing how even self-improvement techniques can chase away the very fulfillment and wisdom we seek. Montana further reveals how the ego co-opts spirituality, dangling enlightenment in front of us as a prize. Stuffed with electrifying insights and transformative meditations and exercises, The E-Word is the ultimate how-to guide for discovering the “real you” within.
Download or read book Finding Miracles written by Julia Alvarez and published by Laurel Leaf. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MILLY KAUFMAN IS an ordinary American teenager living in Vermont—until she meets Pablo, a new student at her high school. His exotic accent, strange fashion sense, and intense interest in Milly force her to confront her identity as an adopted child from Pablo’s native country. As their relationship grows, Milly decides to undertake a courageous journey to her homeland and along the way discovers the story of her birth is intertwined with the story of a country recovering from a brutal history. Beautifully written by reknowned author Julia Alvarez, Finding Miracles examines the emotional complexity of familial relationships and the miracles of everyday life.