Customer Reviews

Tibetan Arts of Love: Sex, Orgasm & Spiritual Healing

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Not the usual category of book for which I write reviews. I am new to the study of eastern religions, and I enjoyed this book. About a third of it is devoted to a literal translation of a handbook on Vajrayan Buddhism which was published in the 1930s - pretty spicy stuff in those days, a veritable how-to list. But there is not much new in that part if you have read " The Joy of Sex" or any amount of other erotic literature. There are no pictures and if that is what you are interested in, you would do better by going to your local big-box bookstore. The strength of this book would seem to be in two areas. First, there is a detailed analysis by Jeffrey Hopkins, who evidently is a professor of Eastern Religions in London. Replete with footnotes. In a scholarly way, he re-interprets the imagery of the original author so that a modern reader would understand the references. Also, Hopkins has added a chapter 5 is titled "Sexual Pleasure and Spiritual Insight" and I thought it was the most illuminating section of the book. The chapter links the practice of yoga & meditation, the theory of spirituality, and the chakra system to the path of enlightenment, and also describes the nature of the link between sexuality in Tibetan Vajrayan ( also known as Tantric) practice with all these. The Chakra system is explained in detail; this has gained a lot of traction in "New Age" circles but I never really contemplate dwhat it was they were talking about, until now. Chakras are a theme of Hindusim and Buddhism. I confess that maybe I should have known all this, and maybe there will be those who take it for granted....but it did not come together in a cohesive whole before this.

Gedum Chopal was a genius monk, artist, historian, seer and womanizer. Educated as a monk in Tibet in the 1930s he once disguised himself as as a type of monk Hell's Angel and challenged the abbot of a pwerful monastery to debate -- and defeated him soundly. Able to draw a perfect circle dead drunk he was reknowned as an inconclast predicting that Tibet would be lost to the Chinese unless something was done right away he also conducted the first scientific research on Tibet's ancient borders proving that Tibet was never truly a vassalof China his outspoken icon busting got the best of him as was arrested and spent the rest of his life in prison.

But not before leaving the monkhook and having a series of joyous affairs with women across the Himalayas. He wrote this treatise as a Tibetan answer to the Indian Karma Sutra and indeed it tallies the different types of bodys, the best positions, how to treat a woman both in and out of hte bedroom and a host of other issues for lovers everywhere in a tone that is warm, considerate and sexy. I foudn this much more readable than the Karma Sutra and better written as well. Enjoy!

Everything you ever wanted to know... and more. Unflinching details, well written, and thorough. Somehow more accessible than the Kama Sutra.

we wonder if the feelings we have are too bounded & we learn that the tendency is -- yes -- we do restrict ourselves. something, aweful. & this text assures us that our inclinations to be children in bed, as well as in our hearts, is a key to the liberation & empowerment we seek & can find in a partner; like iron sharpening iron . . .