Bøger af Daniel Odier

The mythology, rituals, meditations, and practices used in Tantric worship of the goddess Kali in the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism

The first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, the practical yogini path to enlightenment

An experiential journey through the secret teachings and self-realization practices of the Kashmiri yogini tradition

• Explains how the primal energy generated by physical desire can be used to achieve enlightenment • Reveals the techniques used by Tantric adepts to attain mastery over breath, thought, and all physical processes Nothing can match the explosive energy created in the body by pure desire. For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind. Desire explores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity. Desire reveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch''an master Chinul''s treatise on the Secrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known as Maithuna.

Kali hat sich vor einem reichhaltigen Hintergrund entwickelt, der der Anbetung der weiblichen Macht gewidmet war, die uberall vor der Entstehung der Religionen verehrt wurde: Die Grosse Mutter. Die Kultur des Hindus-Tals, wo man im Keim alle grossen Ideen findet, die sich in der tantrischen Bewegung kristallisieren sollten, verehrte die grosse Gttin, von der noch kleine, etwa 4500 bis 5000 Jahre alte gebrannte Tonfiguren vorhanden sind. Altsteinzeitliche Sttten stellen die Gttin in Form von dreieckigen Stelen oder gerundetem Gestein dar, einige von ihnen werden noch heute in Indien verehrt. Kali entstand aus lndlichen, vorvedischen Traditionen unzivilisierten und schamanischen Ursprungs, um dann langsam zur indischen Tradition berzuwechseln. Sie wurde zur Gemahlin Shivas und so von den Tantrikern des Kaulapfads angenommen. Seit dem 4. Jahrhundert kam dieser Pfad aus Assam. Er wurde auf meisterhafte Weise vom Mahasiddha Matsyendranath dargelegt, dem Abhinavagupta zu Beginn seines Tantraloka huldigt. Kali wird zur Schpferin: Die, durch die alles begann.

Odier"" guides the reader through the specifics of the mental disciplines and visualizations that Buddhist and Taoist masters have used for ages in their quest for illumination. To devote oneself to meditation, in the sense understood by Buddhists and Taoists, is to realize the understanding of how every fiber of our being converges with all creation.

Translation and commentary of one of the most important texts of the Kashmirian Shivaism tradition of Tantra.