Customer Reviews

Tantra: Path of Ecstasy

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Georg Feuerstein is a respected author of a number of works on esoteric traditions of India and here attempts a guide to a notoriously difficult subject.

Tantra is so difficult because of the number of different traditions, the multitude of various texts, many of which remain untranslated, and the subject matter itself, which has many pitfalls for the unwary student.

This book, however, is written by someone with an understanding of the subject matter, and is organised in a way which gradually draws the reader into the essentials of tantra, including the often neglected ritual aspect, including mantra, yantra, mudra and nyasa.

Feuerstein draws on a number of texts, some translated and others not, to explain the essentials of the tantrik tradition. He relies particularly heavily on the Kularnava Tantra (available in an English translation) which is, we feel, one of the more accessible of the texts.

The author stresses the importance of initiation and of the guru, and also spends some time examining those forms of tantra which have sprung up in the Western World.

"Many are attracted to Neo-Tantrism because it promises sexual excitement or fulfillment while clothing purely genital impulses or neurotic emotional needs in an aura of spirituality...Today translations of several major Tantras are readily available in book form, and many formerly secret practices are now, in the language of the texts, 'like common harlots'. This gives would-be Tantrics the opportunity to concoct their own idiosyncratic ceremonies and philosophies, which they can then promote as Tantra." (Tantra, page 271).

While Feuerstein warns that some tantrik practices are dangerous in the wrong hands, we feel that in many ways the tradition protects itself. There is, undoubtedly, a great number of groups and individuals peddling "tantra" as a way to greater sexual enjoyment - for example, some of the links to these pages are from hard porn sites - but the written tantras themselves were (and are) intended for the "in groups" and supplemented with oral information from the yogis and yoginis in the groups.

In passing, it could be noted that tantra in India suffers from its association with sexuality. So much so, that the term tantrik taints the people it is applied to. But some of this is due to the Western colonisation of India. A quick look at a Sanskrit-English dictionary demonstrates the sensuality of the language, while the temples of Khajuraho show that shame, guilt and modesty played little part in the civilisation of Bharata.

Feuerstein's book mostly succeeds in navigating a difficult subject. This is a well-written guide to a complex area and easily accessible to the layman. It is probably too late to dissociate this powerful and rich spiritual tradition from neo-Tantra. But now that even the Pope has decided that Indian spiritual traditions are worth examining, this book will go some way to redress the balance.

Feuerstein has done the English-speaking world a genuine service with this introduction to Tantra, suited especially to the casual intelligent reader. This is not suited to those interested in an anthropological, historical, or how-to approach (see reviews below for more details); instead, Feuerstein covers the basic topics in a rather plain-vanilla fashion. Feuerstein's first positive task is to dispell certain commercial flapdoodle still current in our fabulously corporate culture about tantra imagined as a kind of low-tech Orgasmatron (thanks, Woody Allen). He then gives a very straightforward (if oversimplified) explication of tantric history and practice germain to both Buddhists and Hindus on topics such as mantra and the guru. (Yes, I'm aware that tantra is both Buddhist and Hindu, and neither Buddhist nor Hindu.) Now, what Feuerstein has accomplished is no mean task. He writes with the detail of of a scholar and the credibility of a practitioner.

One may ask why book-learning is needed in this context, if tantra is a path of energy and relationship. Well, there is a genuine danger, after all, in not knowing what you're talking about:

"Someone with insufficient knowledge resembles a maimed person trying to climb a rock,
Someone who studies scriptures for the sake of becoming a scholar
Is like someone who searches for lethal weapons.
In short, if you do not know your own tradition,
How will you, a blind person lost in the middle of a vast plain, ever find your path?"
(The great tantric master, Padgyal Lingpa.)

It's often hard to understand metaphysical books about tantra because there are few scholars who can write in a clear way that's accessible even for practitioners, let alone people who have never had a guru or traveled to India to experience tantric teachings firsthand.

In America, yoga has so often devolved into a physical practice with spiritual pretensions, instead of a deeply spiritual practice.

I returned from India from a six-month trip in 1998, during which time I stumbled into meeting a guru and then spent five weeks studying with him in Benares. When I came home, it was very hard to begin to articulate what had taken place. This book was a godsend, a link to connect my experience with a tradition that extends millennia back in time. And secondly it helped to link my friends and family to the experiences I just had by reading a clear description of the path and experiences involved in Tantra.

I hesitate even to use the word Tantra, given that it's so very, very misused in the West.

This book sets the record straight (Tantra does NOT equal sex) and presents the practice and history of Tantra in all its profundity. We are indebted to the author for his great gift to all of us.

For the other reviews that criticize the author's lack of experience in Tantra, you should be aware that the author has a Tantric Buddhist teacher which led him to bring his considerable talents to present the first guide and most helpful explanation of these profoundly important teachings.

I've given numerous copies to family and friends, all of whom have enjoyed it immensely.

Until Karen Armstrong decides to tackle this subject (highly unlikely, given her orientation), this is the best book available. Highest recommendation!

This scholarly, well written and easily accessible book does a great job at dispelling some of the modern myths about tantra as being solely the yoga of sex. Instead, as the reader will find out, tantra is one of the most sophisticated paths to spiritual enlightenment ever conceived and has deeply influenced both Buddhism and Hinduism. However, the book has a few major shortcomings: 1. It is primarily based on scriptural research, not first-hand, practical knowledge of tantra. Since tantra is primarily a spiritual practice and secondarly a philosophy, personal insight--either by the author or others--would have greatly enhanced the book. 2. It is based on research of ancient tantric scriptures while failing to include the revised tantric scriptures of modern sages such as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (a.k.a. P. R. sarkar), which are much more applicaple to our times. 3. It fails to show that tantra is a distinct spiritual path, or transcendental science, apart from both Hinduism or Buddhism, and with a much longer history than either of these religions. Keeping these shortcomings in mind, I recommend reading this book.

Currently there is a barrage of books cropping up on the subject of Tantra. Many of them either go in the esoteric abstract and boring direction OR they are titallating, sex focused and commercially simple. Feurestein's book is a tremendous exception. It is a solid simple foundation of the esoteric principles in Tantra, shared in a context that is accessible ant practical for the reader. This book has inspired many discussions, ideas and practices on my personal path. Infact, Feurestein was a tremendous muse for my new tantra Novel. Don't Drink the Punch: An Adventure in Tantra. I'm in gratitude for Feuerstein's teachings.

Fuerstein definitely knows what he is talking about.
I have been teaching yoga for over 10 years and wish I had had this book a long time ago to clarify the differences between Vedanta and tantra. It is rather heavy philosophically, and may be a bit too much for a beginner, however.
He presumes the reader already knows something about the theory of yoga...maybe that is why the book didn't find its way to me until now, after I had begun my journey.

This is such a great book. I'm always skeptical of mainstream tantra books because most of them are catering to those looking for a wild sexual experience. This book is true tantra information - perfect for somebody who is already immersed in studies of yoga, sanskrit or ayurveda - it's a great sister practice.

Tantra is really about lifting the veil and finding your heaven on earth. The book uses many sanskrit words to explain philosophies.

[...]

for the western oriented thinker, this book is a very clear explanation of tantra experience. the insights (to the experienced reader) are to the point with little trappings. it is more like a 'structural' anlalysis of tantra than a 'mystical' one; very clean. highly recommended for those who can think beyond the ego stage of involvement. feuersteins books tend to be very adeptly done.lots of revealing insights, clarifications, and historical comparisons.

Be adventurous and dive into the study of Tantra! A life changing experience. Weather you are interested in Yoga, Meditation, or discovering living with Delight and wonder!

Enjoy!

And if you want to deepen the experience, Try: Pratyabhijnahrdayam: The Secret of Self-recognition (Sanskrit Text with Eng. Trans., Notes and Introd.)VIJNANABHAIRAVA OR DIVINE CONSCIOUSNESSThe Splendor of Recognition: An Exploration of the Pratyabhijna-hrdayam, a Text on the Ancient Science of the Soul

Out of all the books I've read about Tantra, this is the one I go back to. It has an unforgettable voice.