The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India [Hardcover]

David Gordon White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1997

The Alchemical Body excavates and centers within its Indian context the lost tradition of the medieval Siddhas. Working from previously unexplored alchemical sources, David Gordon White demonstrates for the first time that the medieval disciplines of Hindu alchemy and hatha yoga were practiced by one and the same people, and that they can be understood only when viewed together. White opens the way to a new and more comprehensive understanding of medieval Indian mysticism, within the broader context of south Asian Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam.

"White proves a skillful guide in disentangling historical and theoretical complexities that have thus far bedeviled the study of these influential aspects of medieval Indian culture."—Yoga World

"Anyone seriously interested in finding out more about authentic tantra, original hatha yoga, embodied liberation . . . sacred sexuality, paranormal abilities, healing, and of course alchemy will find White's extraordinary book as fascinating as any Tom Clancy thriller."—Georg Feuerstein, Yoga Journal

Product Details

• Hardcover: 614 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (February 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226894975
• ISBN-13: 978-0226894973
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,270,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Siddha Sutra, September 1, 2000

By 

BlueJay54 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India (Paperback)

Like a master weaver, D.G. White threads his way through an enormous amount of literature on alchemy, hatha yoga and tantra in medieval India. Written with wit, erudition, and non-sectarian distance from (if evident sympathy for) his subject, this work is indispensible for anyone interested in hatha yoga, alchemy, ayurveda or Tantra. Be aware that this is a scholarly work, not a "how-to" users guide-but if only other scholars wrote with such wit and passion! Anyone who still believes that Tantra is about "sacred sexuality" with a loving partner will be cured by reading about the ritual consumption of semen and menstrual blood in historical Tantric cults, including Abhinavagupta's Trika (pp. 137-139). As the siddhi from this bitter rasayana, one will come to recognize the idealized beautiful bodies adorning the covers of contemporary yoga journals, as descendants of the Siddha alchemical quest for bodily immortality: Hatha yoga is tantric alchemy. The writing can be dense at points-especially the occasionaly tedious chapter on "Tantic and Siddha Alchemical Literature". Otherwise, it's a fascinating read, covering everything from the 9 historical Naths to cosmological homologies between geography, bandhas asanas and other aspects of the subtle body in hatha yoga, and various alchemical and Ayurvedic substances and practices. And don't be put off by the size of the book: its 596 pages include fully 178 pages of scholarly notes and another 76 pages of references and index, leaving a mere 352 pages of incredibly fascinating reading. One can only hope that the author, perhaps when older and less bound by scholarly demands-a sannyasin?-might expand upon his fascinating personal experiences seeking alchemists in contemporary Nepal. May his researchs long continue...! [[e-mail]]

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, August 1, 2004

By 

Dorje (Santa Monica, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India (Paperback)

One supspects that the two "one star" reviews are written by the same self-serving indivual, trying to convince us that they are "real" practitioners of tantra. This is narcissism, not literary criticism. No, this is not a meditation manual, nor the reflections of a yogi who has spent his/her life in meditative seclusion. This is a scholarly tome, and as such, it does its work brilliantly. Not only is every page rich with information and insight, but is written in an engaging, very readable style, even when the material itself could by "dry." Again, referring to the disdain the other reviewer has for intelligence, the siddhas of old, and even new, were not all "wandering hippies' of India. The tradition of scholarship, intellectual genius, philosophy and literary skill have always been a core part of the tantric tradition. Read the first few sample pages and get a sense of the author's depth and breadth of understanding. If you are a practitioner of Buddhist or Hindu tantra, this is an essential text.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Immortal Technique, September 3, 2007

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Jason Louv (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India (Paperback)

I spent my Labor Day weekend wrapped up in this book... excellent. Despite the frustrating complexity of Tantric ideas, texts, lineages and practices David White does a great job in weaving them together. The very ending, in which he meets a Nath in Thamel, Kathmandu is priceless--very typical of India and I think of esotericism in general, in which years of frustrated study will be summed up and answered by a nonchalant chance encounter... which, of course, only leads to more questions. I'm looking forward to White's upcoming book "Sinister Yogis" quite a lot now...!