Download or read book The Roots of Tantra written by Katherine Anne Harper and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Origin of the T r Tantra written by Tāranātha (Jo-nang-pa) and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History of the Tara cult in tantric Buddhism.
Download or read book Tantra in Practice written by David Gordon White and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-26 with total page 661 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Tantra Vidya written by Oscar Marcel Hinze and published by Motilal Banarsidass. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This contains two dissertations on (1) Understanding Archaic Astronomy and (2) Parmenides and the Tantric Yoga. of these the first dissertation concerns the understanding of Archaic Astronomy from the standpoint of a psychologist of perception, trained in Astronomy. The author deals with the psychology of Perception and the seven Lotus-flowers of the Kundalini Yoga-by elucidating the study of Arthur Avalon, giving parallels in other traditions, while presenting a comparative study on its bearing on Astronomy according to Ptolemy. The study throws new light on Parmenides and his doctrine clearing away the mist of misunderstanding in Western Philosophy.
Download or read book Sgrol Ma i Rgyud Kyi Byung Khung Gsal Bar Byed Pa i Lo Rgyus Gser Gyi Phreng Ba written by Tāranātha (Jo-nang-pa) and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is one of the most accomplished scholars of the unorthodox Jo-nan sect, strings together from various fragmentary sources a mine of legends and episodes on the origin and diffusion of Tara's tantra. The Origin of Tara tantra, though not dependent on legends and largely anecdotal, has nevertheless about it a strong feeling of historic time and provides an important and accurate account of the lineages of the Siddhas who worshipped Tara and passed on her Upadesas, revelations and Tantra besides giving a background to the masters of the Tibetan Siddhas who grew from India's rich tantric soil.
Download or read book An Introduction to Tantric Philosophy written by Lyne Bansat-Boudon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-06-11 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Paramārthasāra, or ‘Essence of Ultimate Reality’, is a work of the Kashmirian polymath Abhinavagupta (tenth–eleventh centuries). It is a brief treatise in which the author outlines the doctrine of which he is a notable exponent, namely nondualistic Śaivism, which he designates in his works as the Trika, or ‘Triad’ of three principles: Śiva, Śakti and the embodied soul (nara). The main interest of the Paramārthasāra is not only that it serves as an introduction to the established doctrine of a tradition, but also advances the notion of jiv̄anmukti, ‘liberation in this life’, as its core theme. Further, it does not confine itself to an exposition of the doctrine as such but at times hints at a second sense lying beneath the evident sense, namely esoteric techniques and practices that are at the heart of the philosophical discourse. Its commentator, Yogarāja (eleventh century), excels in detecting and clarifying those various levels of meaning. An Introduction to Tantric Philosophy presents, along with a critically revised Sanskrit text, the first annotated English translation of both Abhinavagupta’s Paramārthasāra and Yogarāja’s commentary. This book will be of interest to Indologists, as well as to specialists and students of Religion, Tantric studies and Philosophy.
Download or read book Tantric Traditions in Transmission and Translation written by David B. Gray and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume explores the movement of tantric Buddhist traditions through time and space, from the early history of tantric Buddhism to the present day. These studies investigate the development of tantric Buddhist traditions in India, their dissemination into Central and East Asia, and exchanges between tantric Buddhist and rival religious traditions. From the hyper-masculine Buddha to the ritualized bodies of the siddhas, the first chapter traces shifts in Indian Buddhist ideal masculinities. The second chapter explores the intersection of Buddhism and Śaivism in early medieval India through the evolving figure of the yoginī. Another chapter explores how tenth- and eleventh-century scholars and translators in Tibet "purified" a Buddhist deity that showed signs of Śaiva Hindu origins. Two chapters use often-overlooked Tibetan and Chinese materials to explore the influence of incantations and ritual manuals on the formation of early tantric Buddhist literature. The volume's longest chapter is a detailed history of Vajrayāna Buddhism in Nepal. The work concludes with two studies of hybridity and transformation in East Asia: one on the Homa of the Northern Dipper, a fire ritual which passed from India to China to Japan, adapting to Daoist, Buddhist, and Shintō contexts; and another on the True Buddha School, a contemporary Chinese transformation of Vajrayāna Buddhism.
Download or read book A Brief History of Tantra Literature written by Sures Chandra Banerji and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Hindu Tantric World written by André Padoux and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible and authoritative study of the history, rituals, and sacred texts of Tantra, as well as its place in the modern world. 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. Praise for The Hindu Tantric World “Padoux has long been recognized as one of the most important scholars of Tantra in the world. He is universally recognized in the field as one of the most reliable and erudite guides to this complex, controversial, and often misrepresented tradition. In The Hindu Tantric World, Padoux presents an accessible, clear, and up-to-date introduction to the topic that demonstrates his mastery of the primary materials and his decades of scholarship.” —Hugh Urban, Ohio State University “For the past forty years, Padoux has been on the cutting edge of Tantric studies worldwide. The Hindu Tantric World is quite simply the most comprehensive and accessible overview of Hindu Tantra ever written and the culmination of a lifetime of outstanding achievement.” —David Gordon White, University of California, Santa Barbara “The Hindu Tantric World presents a refreshingly critical, balanced, and concise survey of the field. Doyen of Hindu Tantric studies, Padoux translates the fruits of his decades of specialized research into an elegant and useful guidebook that helpfully situates these traditions within the broader fabric of South Asian religious culture. Nowhere else can a general readership find such an accessible and state-of-the-art treatment of the histories, theories, and practices of Tantric Hinduism.” —Christian K. Wedemeyer, University of Chicago
Download or read book Reflections on the Tantras written by Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. This book was released on 1978 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The brochur touches upon all the principal precepts of Tantra, especially the esotric practices. an account of the Sakta pithas has also been given in the background of the ethnological divisions of India. New light has been thrown on the origin of bija, mantra and gayatrt occurring in Tantric works. The study may be regarded as a new one, since scientific discussion of Tantricism has not yet progressed so far satisfactorily, especially from the point of view of the Tantrics themselves.
Download or read book The Tantra written by Victor M. Fic and published by Abhinav Publications. This book was released on 2003 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Origins of Yoga and Tantra written by Geoffrey Samuel and published by . This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Yoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernized forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism or Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 CE, with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns.
Download or read book Tantra written by Shashi Solluna and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this accessible guide, Shashi Solluna breaks all preconceptions about Tantra and introduces us to the real philosophy behind this sacred practice. In traditional descriptions, Tantra is often defined as meaning "to weave", and can be compared to the weaving of a fabric. Tantra is therefore a path that weaves together. Ultimately, Tantra points us to the highest level of consciousness in which one merges into Oneness and no longer feels like a separate physical entity. This is sometimes called "Heaven" as opposed to the more tangible experience of "Earth". This book explains how Tantra can allow us to move from a physical solid experience of reality into the lighter more ethereal experience – or from Earth to Heaven – and then ultimately bring Heaven to Earth! This books explores: • The history of Tantra • The core principles of Tantra • An understanding of the tantric approach to sexuality • Practices to explore your own Tantric sexuality • A tantric understanding of relationship, love and intimacy • An understanding of Tantra as a spiritual path • Practices for creating spiritual experiences and higher states of consciousness …and much more!
Download or read book Tantra The Way of Action written by Francis King and published by Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. This book was released on 1990-04 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tantra: The Way of Action provides a complete guide to the Tantric path of liberation. Topics include esoteric physiology, Qabalism, right and left-hand Tantra, and arousal of the Kundalini serpent power. Following the spirit rather than the letter of the traditions, Francis King maintains that Tantric techniques are universal processes adaptable to Western culture and lifestyle.
Download or read book History of the Tantric Religion written by Narendra Nath Bhattacharyya and published by Manohar Publishers. This book was released on 2005 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Book Presents In Historical Outline, The Genesis, Development And Structural Analysis Of The Tantric Tradition In India And Its Place In The Indian Religious And Philosophical Systems. It Studies The Different Aspects Of Tantrism, Its Vastness And Intricacies, Its Heterogeneous And Contradictory Elements And Gives A Historical Perspective To The Conglomeration Of Ideas And Practices Through Space And Time. This Important Work Also Incorporates A Review On Tantric Art And A Glossary Of Tantric Technical Terms With Reference To Text, And Intermediaries.
Download or read book History of the Tantric Religion written by Narendra Nath Bhattacharyya and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Yoga Spandakarika written by Daniel Odier and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-03-23 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Translation and commentary of one of the most important texts of the Kashmirian Shivaism tradition of Tantra • Author was a student of the late Kalu Rinpoche • Explores the transmission of Mahamudra, the Great Cosmic Gesture • Includes the Vijnanabhaïrava Tantra, which contains the totality of the oldest source text on Yoga The Spandakarika, the "Tantric Song of the Divine Pulsation," is said to have been transmitted directly to the sage Vasugupta from the hands of Shiva on Mount Kailas. In his commentary on these fifty-two stanzas, the sage Ksemaraja described them as the heart of the Mahamudra. The oldest masters of Spandakarika viewed everything in the universe, including matter, as consciousness and created a yoga practice in accordance with this realization. The sacred dance of Yoga Spandakarika, Tandava, is extremely subtle and difficult, requiring thousands of hours of practice to master, yet it surpasses any other physical practice, allowing the practitioner to touch the divine inner pulse. Once its third stage has been mastered, the yogi or yogini is able to manifest the dance of Shiva in space, a tradition visible in the statuary of Tantric temples in India and Tibet. Energy is no longer contracted by the perception of duality, and the mind and body become unbounded, forming a sphere that contains all that was formerly outside. In Yoga Spandakarika Daniel Odier passes on these vanishing teachings as he received them from his Tibetan master, Kalu Rinpoche, and Kashmiri yogi Lalita Devi.
