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Tantra
World View, Spirituality, Hatha Yoga, Practice (Sadhana), Rituals
Shakti, Devis, Kundalini, Chakras, Yantras, Mantras
Links, References, Resources
The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word 'Tantra' is "book, scripture, written instructions, wisdom literature" and variations of "to spread, to expand, to weave."
Alphabetical Subject Index to Cloud Hands Website
Anatomy
of Hatha Yoga: A Manual for Students, Teachers and Practitioners. By H. David Coulter. Forward by Timothy McCall. Honesdale,
Pennsylvania, Body and Breath, 2001. Index, bibliography, appendices, 623
pages. ISBN: 0970700601. 2002 winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award
for
Health, Wellness and Nutrition. VSCL.
The
Book of Charkra Healing. By Liz Simpson. Foreward by
Teresa Hale. New
York, Sterling Publishing Co., 1999. A Gaia Original. Index,
glossary, bibliography,
143 pages. ISBN:
0806920971. VSCL.
Buddhist Goddesses of India
Chakras
for Starters. By Savitri Simpson. Nevada City, CA,
Crystal Clarity Publishers.
144 pages. ISBN: 1565891562.
Chakra Yoga. Instructional DVD by Gurutej Kaur. 72 minute
Kundalini Yoga practice program. Sounds True, 1998. VSCL.
Chi Kung:
Guides, Links, Bibliographies, Quotations, Notes
Crazy
Wisdom. By Wes Scoop Nisker. Berkeley, California, Ten
Speed Press, 1990. 226 pages. ISBN: 0898153506.
The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice
The Eight Human Talents: Restore the
Balance and Serenity Within You with Kundalini Yoga. "Acceptance,
Creativity, Commitment, Compassion, Truth, Intuition, Boundlessness, and
Radiance." By Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. With Cathryn Miehon. New
York, Harper Collins, 2000. 228 pages. ISBN: 0060954655. VSCL.
Embodiment Training. Developed by
Will Johnson.
The Encyclopedia of Yoga and Tantra
Ecstatic
Body Postures: An Alternate Reality Workbook. By Belinda Gore.
Foreword by
Felicitas Goodman. Santa Fe, New Mexico, Bear and Company, 1995.
Endnotes,
284 pages. ISBN: 1879181223. VSCL.
Essential Tibetan Buddhism. By Robert A. F. Thurman. Edison, New
Jersey, Castle Books, 1995. Notes, 317 pages. ISBN: 0785808728.
VSCL.
Green Tara, White Tara, Maha
Devi, Buddhist Tantric Goddess
Hatha
Yoga Illustrated: For Greater Strength, Flexibility and Focus. By
Martin Kirk and Brooke Boon.
Champaign, Illinois, Human Kinetics, 2006. Index, 231 pages. ISBN:
0736062033. VSCL.
Hatha
Yoga: The Hidden Language; Symbols, Secrets and Metaphor. By Swami
Sivananda
Radha. Foreward by B.K.S. Iyengar. Spokane, Washington, Timeless
Books, 1987,
1995. Index, 308 pages. ISBN: 0931454743.
VSCL.
Heart Chakra and Loving Kindness
Hindu Goddesses: Beliefs and Practices (Beliefs & Practices)
The Hindus: An Alternative History
Holy Madness: Spirituality, Crazy-Wise Teachers, and Enlightenment
How to Live the Good Life:
Advice from Wise Persons
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Volume One. Translated and
annotated by Garma C.C. Chang. Boston, Shambhala, 1989. Oriental
Studies Foundation 1962, Shambhala 1977. Pages 1 - 356. ISBN:
0877730954. VSCL.
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Volume Two. Translated and
annotated by Garma C.C. Chang. Boston, Shambhala, 1989. Oriental
Studies Foundation 1962, Shambhala 1977. Pages 357-730. Index to
pages 1-730. ISBN: 0877730962. VSCL.
Hymn to Kâlî:
Karpûrâdi-Stotra. By Arthur Avalon
(Sir John Woodroffe) in 1922. From the Sacred
Texts Archives.
Hymns to the Goddess.
By Arthur Avalon (Sir John
Woodroffe) in 1913. From the Sacred Texts Archives.
Inner Tantric Yoga: Working with the Universal Shakti: Secrets of Mantras, Deities, and Meditation
Lotus Press, 2008. 280 pages. ISBN: 0940676508. David Frawley
(or Pandit Vāmadeva Śāstrī वामदेव शास्त्री) is a Vedic teacher and educator with
numerous books in several Vedic and Yogic fields published worldwide over the
past thirty years. He is the founder and director of the
American Institute of Vedic Studies in
Santa Fe, New Mexico, which offers courses and publications on Ayurvedic
medicine, Yoga and meditation, and Vedic astrology.
International Journal of
Tantric Studies
Introduction to Tantra : The Transformation of Desire
Introduction to Tantra Sastra. By Sir John Woodroffe (Arthur
Avalon, 1865-1936). Ganesh and Company, Reprint 2012. 158 pages.
ISBN: 9788185988115. VSCL.
Kindness, Loving, Heartfelt, Heart Chakra
Kundalini. By Ajat Mookerjee.
Kundalini: The Mother of
the Universe. By Rishi Singh Gherwal
in 1930. From the Sacred Texts Archives.
Kundalini: The Energy of the Depths. A Comprehensive Study Based on
the Scriptures
of Nondualistic Kasmir Saivism. By Lilian Silburn. Translated by
Jacques Gontier. New
York, State University of New York Press, 1988. Bibliography, 223
pages. ISBN: 0887068006.
Kundalini:
The Evolutionary Energy in Man. By Krishna Gopi. Introduction by
Frederic Spiegelberg. Commentary by James Hillman. Boulder,
Colorado, Shambhala,
1971. 252 pages. ISBN: 1570622809. VSCL.
Kundalini:
Yoga for the West. By Swami Sivananda Radha. With a forword by
Herbert V. Guenther. Introduction by Stanley Krippner. Boulder,
Colorado,
Shambhala, 1981. Index, bibliography, notes, 357 pages. ISBN: 0394748840. VSCL.
Kundalini
Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power. A Simple Guide to the Yoga of
Awareness. By Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa. As taught by Yogi Bhanjan, Ph.D.
New York, Perigee Books,
1996. Index, appendix, 321 pages. ISBN:
0399524207. VSCL.
Laya
Yoga:
The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini. By Shyam Sundar
Goswami. Rochester, Vermont, Inner Traditions, 1999. Index, glossary, 342
pages. ISBN: 0892817666. VSCL.
Living with Kundalini. By Krishna Gopi. Shambhala, 1993.
401 pages. ISBN: 0877739471.
Mahanirvana Tantra:
The Tantra of the Great Liberation: Translated by
Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) in 1913.
From the Sacred Texts Archives.
Meditation for the Love of It: Enjoying Your Own Deepest Experience
Months of the Year:
Mystical, Mythical, and Magical Significance
NonDual Śaiva Tantra explained in
Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition
Notebooks of the Librarian
of Gushen Grove
The
Practice of Tibetan Meditation: Exercises, Visualizations, and Mantras for
Health
and Well Being. By Dagsay Tulku Rinpoche. Inner Traditions Intl.
Ltd., 2002. 160 pages. ISBN: 0892819030.
Qigong:
Guides, Links, Bibliographies, Quotations, Notes
The
Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads. By Arthur
Berriedale Keith. Delhi, India, Motilal Banarsidass Pubs., 1925, 2007.
Two Volumes, Chapters 1-29, Detailed Index, 683 pages. Published in 1925
by Harvard University Press. ISBN: 9788120806443. VSCL.
The
Religion of the Veda. By Herman Oldenberg. Translated by
Shridhar B. Shrotri. "Die Religion des Veda." Delhi, India, Motilal
Banarsidass Pub., 1988, 2004. Index, notes, 359 pages. ISBN:
8120803922. VSCL.
Śaiva Tantra explained in
Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition
Sakti: The Power in Tantra
The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga.
Shakti - Wikipedia
Shakti and Shâkta.
By Arthur Avalon (Sir John
Woodroffe) in 1918. From the Sacred Texts Archives.
By Thomas Ashley-Farrand. Ballantine Books, 2003. 272 pages.
ISBN: 0345443047.
Shambhala Warriorship: Tibetan
Buddhism, Tantra, Yoga
Somaesthetics, Body-Mind
Practices
The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy
Tantra
77Kb. A very informative introduction to the principles of
Tantra.
Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition
Tantra Internet Links
By Nick Douglas.
Tantra: Path of Ecstasy
Tantra: The Indian Cult of Ecstasy. By Philip Rawson. London,
Thames and Hudson, 1973. Lavishly illustrated. ISBN:0500270325.
128 pages. VSCL.
Tantra Unveiled
Tantra Texts at the
Sacred Texts Archives
Tantra Works By Nik
Douglas.
Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses.
By 
Inner Tantric Yoga: Working with the Universal Shakti: Secrets of Mantras, Deities, and Meditation
The Tantric Way: Art, Science, Ritual. By Ajit Mookerjee and Madhu
Khanna. Boston, New York Graphic Society, 1977. Index, bibliography,
238 illustrations, glossary, 208 pages. ISBN: 0821207059. VSCL.
The
Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity: A Modern Practical Guide to the Ancient
Way. By Daniel P. Reid. New York, a Fireside Book, Simon and
Schuster, 1989.
Index, 405 pages. ISBN: 067164811X. This book
includes a chart that compares the power points (Chakras) found in Taoist, Kundalini Yoga,
and Western physiology (p.395), and a chapter on breathing exercises (Chapter 3),
which includes many pranayama exercises.
Tara, Green Tara, White
Tara, Maha Devi, Buddhist Tantric Goddess
The
Tibetan Book of Yoga. Ancient Buddhist Teachings on the Philosophy and
Practice of Yoga. By Geshe Michael Roach. New York, Doubleday, Random House,
2003. 114 pages. ISBN: 0385508379. VSCL.
Tibetan Buddhism: Shambhala
Warriorship
Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones and More. By
Andrew Biel, LMP. Illustrations by Robin dorn, LMP. Boulder,
Colorado, Books of Discovery, 1997, 2005, 3rd Edition. Index, glossary,
422 pages. ISBN: 9780965853453. VSCL.
Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System
Woodroffe, Sir
John AKA Arthur Avalon, 1865-1936. A noted judge and Indian law specialist
in Calcutta, India. A Sanskrit scholar and advocate for Tantric philosophy
and practices. Author of dozens of books, and a experienced lecturer.
Wrote under the pen name of 'Arthur Avalon."
Yoga of the Mahamudra: The Mystical Way of Balance. By Will
Johnson. Rochester, Vermont, Inner Traditions, 2005. 151
pages. ISBN: 0892816996.
Yoga:
The Iyengar Way. By Mira Silva and Shyam Mehta. New York, Alfred
A. Knopf, 1995. Index, appendices, 192 pages. ISBN: 0679722874.
Not a resource for Tantra, but this book is a very good reference tool for the
study and practice of hatha yoga poses. VSCL.
Yoga:
The Technology of Ecstasy. By Georg Feuerstein, Pd. D.. Los
Angeles, Jeremy P. Tarcher,
1989. Index, notes, 344 pages. ISBN: 0874775205. VSCL.
Read Chapter 12: The Esotericism of Medieval Tantra Yoga; and, Chapter 13: Yoga
as Spiritual Alchemy: Hatha Yoga.
The
Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosphy and Practice. By
Georg Feuerstein,
Ph.D. Foreword by Ken Wilber. Prescott, Arizona, Hohm Press,
1998. Index, bibliography,
glossary, chronology, 686 pages. ISBN: 0934252831.
VSCL.
Recommended Reading about Tantra
Tantra: Path of Ecstasy
Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition
Tantra Unveiled
Introduction to Tantra : The Transformation of Desire
Tantra
World View, Spirituality, Hatha Yoga, Practice (Sadhana), Rituals
Shakti, Devis, Kundalini, Chakras, Yantras, Mantras
Quotes, Notes
Yoga - Quotations, Sayings, Poems
"Shakti (Devanagari:
शक्ति) from
Sanskrit shak – "to be able", meaning sacred force or
empowerment – is the primordial
cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move
through the entire universe in
Hinduism.
Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine
feminine
creative power, sometimes referred to as 'The Great
Divine Mother' in
Hinduism.
On the earthly plane, Shakti most actively manifests through female embodiment
and creativity/fertility, though it is also present in males in its potential,
unmanifest form. Not only is the Shakti responsible for creation, it
is also the agent of all change. Shakti is cosmic existence as well as
liberation, its most significant form being the
Kundalini
Shakti, a mysterious psychospiritual force. Shakti exists in a state of
svātantrya, dependence on no-one, being interdependent with the entire
universe. In
Shaktism,
Shakti is worshipped as the
Supreme Being. However, in other Hindu traditions of
Shaivism
and
Vaishnavism, Shakti embodies the active feminine energy
Prakriti of
Purusha, who is
Vishnu in
Vaishnavism or
Shiva in
Shaivism. Vishnu's female counterpart is called
Lakshmi, with
Parvati being
the female half of
Shiva."
- Shakti - Wikipedia
"Tantric philosophy also teaches that everything is to be experienced playfully, yet with awareness and a sense of sacredness in every gesture, every sensory perception, and every action. The path of Tantra is a spiritual one, which includes and appreciates the experience of our sexuality and sensuality as a conscious meditation, as a flowing together of the physical, erotic and cosmic energies.
If you were a devoted student of tantric philosophy, you would go through an extensive program of physical, sexual and mental exercises to heighten your sensory awareness."
- Tantric
Philosophy, White Lotus East
"In the Shaivite tradition, the god's companions (kaulas) are described as a troupe of freakish, adventurous delinquent and wild young people, who prowl in the night, shouting in the storm, singling, dancing and ceaselessly playing outrageous tricks on sages and gods. They are called Ganas, the 'vagabonds', corresponding to the Cretan Korybantes and the Celtic Korrigans (fairies' sons). Like the Sileni and Satyrs, some of them have goat's or bird's feet. The Ganas mock the rules of ethics and social order. The personify the joy of living, courage and imagination, which are all youthful values. They live in harmony with nature and oppose the destructive ambition of the city and the deceitful moralism which both hides and expresses it. These delinquents of heaven are always there to restore true values and to assist the 'god-mad' who are persecuted and mocked by the powerful. They personify everything which is feared by and displeases bourgeois society and which is contrary to the good morale of a well-policed city and its palliative concepts.'
- Shri Alain Daniélou, Shiva and Dionysus (reprinted as Gods of Love and
Ecstasy), p. 99
"Shaktism (Sanskrit:
Śāktaṃ, शाक्तं; lit., 'doctrine
of power' or 'doctrine of the Goddess') is a
denomination of
Hinduism
that focuses worship upon
Shakti or
Devi – the
Hindu
Divi
ne Mother – as the absolute, ultimate Godhead. It is, along with
Shaivism
and
Vaisnavism, one of the primary schools of devotional Hinduism.
Shaktism regards Devī (lit., 'the Goddess') as the Supreme
Brahman
itself, the "one without a second", with all other forms of divinity, female or
male, considered to be merely her diverse manifestations. In the details of its
philosophy and practice, Shaktism resembles Shaivism. However, Shaktas
(Sanskrit:
Śākta, शाक्त), practitioners of
Shaktism, focus most or all worship on Shakti, as the dynamic feminine aspect of
the Supreme Divine.
Shiva, the masculine aspect of divinity, is considered solely
transcendent, and his worship is usually relegated to an auxiliary role.
The roots of Shaktism penetrate deep into India's prehistory.
From the Goddess's earliest known appearance in Indian paleolithic settlements
more than 22,000 years ago, through the refinement of her cult in the
Indus Valley Civilization, her partial eclipse during the
Vedic
period, and her subsequent resurfacing and expansion in the classical
Sanskrit tradition, it has been suggested that, in many ways, "the history of
the Hindu tradition can be seen as a reemergence of the feminine."
Over the course of
its history, Shaktism has inspired great works of
Sanskrit literature and
Hindu philosophy, and it continues to strongly influence popular Hinduism
today. Shaktism is practiced throughout the Indian subcontinent and beyond, in
numerous forms, both
Tantric and
non-Tantric; however, its two largest and most visible schools are the
Srikula (lit., family of
Sri), strongest in
South
India, and the Kalikula (family of
Kali), which
prevails in northern and eastern India."
- Shaktism
"Tantra's body-positive
approach is the direct outcome of its integrative metaphysics according to which
this world is not mere illusion but a manifestation of the supreme Reality. If
the world is real, the body must be real as well. If the world is in essence
divine, so must be the body. If we must honor the world as a creation or an
aspect of the divine Power (shakti), we must likewise honor the body.
The body is a piece of the world and, as we shall see, the world is a piece of
the body. Or, rather, when we truly understand the body, we discover that it is
the world, which in essence is divine."
- Georg Feuerstein, Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy, p. 53
Kundalini Shakti Bhakti Mantra
Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Namo Namo!
Primal Shakti, I bow to Thee!
Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Namo Namo! All
Encompassing Shakti, I bow to Thee!
Prithum Bhagvati, Prithum Bhagvati, Prithum Bhagvati, Namo Namo!
That through which Divine Creates, I bow to Thee!
Kundalini Mata Shakti, Mata Shakti, Namo Namo! Creative Power of
the Kundalini, Mother of all Mother Power, To Thee I bow!
Tantric Prayer
Obeisance to Her
Who is Pure Being, Consciousness, Bliss;
As Power,
Who Exists in the Forms of Time and Space
And All This is Therein,
Who is the Divine Illuminatrix in All Beings.
Prayer to Maha Devi Lakshmi
"I bow to you, O Mother of All Worlds, O Lotus Born, O Four-Armed Giver of Boons.
"Tantra means worshipping the Divine Mother.
Tantrics are her blessed children. Whatever they have is by grace of the
Divine Mother."
- Pandit Rajmani Tigunait's father, Tantra Unveiled, p. 5
"In tantric imagery, the triangle represents the gate of
birth. Once you have faith, then you can give birth—properly, freely,
fantastically. When you’re willing to give birth to reality, you can’t
begin by fighting for your territory. The triangle represents a much more
general and sane approach. First there is a self-exploratory process,
constant personal exploration. But beyond that, there is just giving,
opening, extending yourself completely to the situation, to what is available
around you, being fantastically exposed. That sense of openness can take
place when you have faith and when you have developed dignity and a sense that
you can actually give birth to another world. Then you are ready to open
up."
- Ocean of Dharma, 6/26/2012
Valley Spirit Yoga
Yoga Practice, Education, and Research
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Michael P. Garofalo, All Rights Reserved
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