Tantra

This article, divided into two parts, traces and discusses two pairs of analogies invoked in Sanskrit(ic) literature to articulate the paradox of God's oneness and multiplicity vis-à-vis the souls and the manifest world, reflecting the philosophical positions of pariṇāmavāda (and bhedābheda/dvaitādvaita or, in some cases, viśiṣṭādvaita) and vivartavāda (and abheda/advaita). These are, respectively, the analogies of fire in wood and dairy products in milk, and moon/sun in pools of water and space in pots. Having introduced prevalent ideas about the status of the supreme principle(s) vis-à-vis the souls and creation in Śaivism, Sāṅkhya, and Vedānta, and having investigated instances of the first pair of analogies in multiple textual genres in Part I, here I turn to the discussion of the second set of analogies. Having proposed that the first set reflects the influence of pariṇāma-Vedānta on an early strand of the Śaiva textual corpus, I argue that the second set, attested prevalently in relatively late sources, betrays a (post-)Śaṅkarian origin (even if it was used in a pariṇāma-sense), thereby suggesting a vivartavāda-Advaita Vedānta influence on the Śaiva corpus after the 9th or 10th century.

Read at the 2014 Dharma Association of North America Conference in San Diego, this paper comprises two sections.  In the opening section I reflect on the semantic relation between “tantra” and “bhakti” asking the question, “To what data set do these Sanskrit signifiers refer?”  In part two I turn to the case of one particular Tāntrika, the 11th Kaśmirī paṇḍita Śrī Abhinavagupta, and explore the place of bhakti in his Tantric work Quintessence of Supreme Truth (Paramārthasāra).  My thesis is that for Abhinavagupta adoration, devotion (bhakti) serves the higher Tantric purpose of self-re-cognition (svātma-pratyābhijñā).  As understood by Abhinavagupta, once the innermost Śiva Self is properly cognized then the Tāntrika’s chosen object of worship becomes the very same Self engaged in the act of worship.  In this state of non-dual self-worship, lower forms of devotion give way to a gnostic revelation that is the experiences of consciousness rejoicing in its infinite capacity to reflect back upon itself its own irresistibly beautiful revelations.

As an incredibly diverse religious system, Buddhism is constantly changing. The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism offers a comprehensive collection of work by leading scholars in the field that tracks these changes up to the present day. Taken together, the book provides a blueprint to understanding Buddhism's past and uses it to explore the ways in which Buddhism has transformed in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The volume contains 41 essays, divided into two sections. The essays in the first section examine the historical development of Buddhist traditions throughout the world. These chapters cover familiar settings like India, Japan, and Tibet as well as the less well-known countries of Vietnam, Bhutan, and the regions of Latin America, Africa, and Oceania. Focusing on changes within countries and transnationally, this section also contains chapters that focus explicitly on globalization, such as Buddhist international organizations and diasporic communities. The second section tracks the relationship between Buddhist traditions and particular themes. These chapters review Buddhist interactions with contemporary topics such as violence and peacebuilding, and ecology, as well as Buddhist influences in areas such as medicine and science.

Offering coverage that is both expansive and detailed, The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism delves into some of the most debated and contested areas within Buddhist Studies today.

As the founder of a global movement of spiritually-oriented and socially-minded intellectuals, artists and writers called Renaissance Universal, Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar (1922-1990), a spiritual teacher (also known as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti) and social philosopher, describes the interrelationship, clashes and inter-mixing between the indigenous people of early India with their Tantra-based civilization and the Aryans who migrated into India bringing their Vedic civilization. This spoken discourse was given in May 1959. It is one of a series of remarkable semi-annual Renaissance Universal discourses given by P. R. Sarkar after the founding of the Renaissance Universal movement. The discourse presents a strong challenge to traditional thinking about this important topic -- Richard Gauthier, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, USA, 13 September, 2020.

For the fulfillment of this cherished mission of Dr. Ganesh Dubey, the NGO is investing a large amount of energy and efforts in transforming dedicated learners into Best reiki paranormal healing in India. These trained individuals will move forward with the core idea of teaching society about the positive impacts of Paranormal Healing. Alongside this, the Foundation is also working for the Realization of the divine truth by every individual of this society and, more importantly, how to use these divine tools to reap various benefits and convert impossibilities in possibilities through the NGO's most Powerful astrologer specialist in India under the divine direction of Dr. Ganesh Dubey The Foundation is also working for building very committed volunteers in the society who can help all the needy persons attain salvation from pain, diseases, and unhappiness. These highly dedicated lama fera specialist in India would not only help common people but will also help in spreading the positive and scientific messages of the Foundation in society. Furthermore, these trained specialists will even further motivate other people to join the divine cause of the Foundation. Hence more and more people will too come forward to join this distinguished Foundation. Hence this will ultimately be proved significant for the Agnitra Foundation and for Dr. Ganesh Dubey's mission also to serve the society through making a large number of dedicated volunteers who will further their divine cause and who could become the Best astrologer for spirituality simultaneously.

Ce livre est une introduction à l'enseignement du plus célèbre maître du śivaïsme du Cachemire, Abhinavagupta, en mettant l'accent sur son message essentiel : la conscience est liberté absolue. La  quatrième de couverture :
Durant l'Âge d'or de l'Inde, le Cachemire fut le coeur vivant
du Tantra, ce vaste mouvement qui cherche à réconcilier
spiritualité et sensualité.
Ce livre est une introduction à l'enseignement du génie
le plus fulgurant du Tantra, Abhinavagupta (Xe siècle).
Il nous fait voir dans l’existence humaine le jeu de l’absolu
jouant à s’oublier dans les choses de ce monde pour ensuite
mieux s’y reconnaître. Abhinavagupta se donne corps et âme
à cette reconnaissance du Soi divin à travers les joies et les
misères de la vie quotidienne, partageant son expérience
paradoxale avec rigueur et vigueur, en mélangeant des registres
que l’Occident oppose. Chez lui, l’expérience et la théorie,
l’intellect et la vie, l’art et l’ascèse, la philosophie et la religion
se conjuguent pour réveiller la conscience libre depuis toujours,
mais assoupie dans ses habitudes mécaniques. Sa métaphysique
s’enracine toujours dans l’expérience. Maître de la parole,
Abhinavagupta n’oublie jamais de s’abreuver à la Source.
Sans moralisme, Abhinavagupta esquisse, au fil des extraits
présentés dans ce livre, une véritable voie d’exploration et de
célébration de la liberté. Loin de tout formalisme religieux ou
conceptuel, il joue de tous les registres du savoir disponible
en son temps pour s’émerveiller et entraîner son lecteur.
Cette oeuvre intéressera le chercheur d’aujourd’hui par sa
dimension universelle et pratique. Sans exotisme, sans
dogmatisme, elle va droit à l’essentiel. Chaque extrait proposé
veut être une ouverture possible vers l’essence de notre être.

Keywords: Spirituality. Science. Energy. Thoughts. Emotions. Gnosis. Tantra. Alchemy. Holographic. A new era is beginning. It is the era of Consciousness. In India, Daddy Yankee of Brahma Kumaris, calls it¨The Golden Era¨, because human beings are rediscovering¨energy¨within themselves and how to play god's roll of creator with it. We know WE ARE ALL ONE, we are UNIQUE but we are not separated. We live in an holographic reality. Neither separation nor matter exist in the universe. We are waves, vibrations. Information as inform -ation. We are energy, as waves. We arëin-form-edënergy, Ervin Laszlo referring to David Bohm´s affirmations. The Universe is Holographic. We can see all the parts within the Whole. The locality doesn´t exist. What exists is the whole. We are all parts of the Holographic Universe (Laszo, E.; Bacchia, A. 2017. Our Holographic Reality). Now human beings can access the forbidden education of the Alchemy of Gnosis, the Spiritual Wisdom. This discipline, during ancient times, was only revealed to the kings. Tantra also has a lot to do with this wisdom. Sexual energy is the energy that creates life, it is the most powerful energy in the universe, it is the energy of LOVE. Pure and unconditional love. The one that performs miracles. In this abstract, we are going to focus on the Whole system, and the subsystems of the universes. Not only the subsystem of this universe but also the whole planet subsystem, and the subsystems of human beings are linked. Special attention is going to be the powerful sustainable subsystem of Human Technology. The one is within, in our hardware: the body, and with the software: in the mind. It is the system which is free to perform whatever and whenever required. The decision of how and when to use it is ours. Tantra is the science of ONENESS. that is to manage the sexual energy and unify it with the energy of the universe, God. It is a training system built on spiritual science that enables a person to achieve higher states of consciousness and explore other more

“O human beings, you are fortunate. The clarion call of the Universal has reached you. Not only has the call come, but you are hearing it and it is vibrating in every cell of your body. Will you now lie in the corner of your house as an inert being and waste your time by clinging to old skeletons and bemoaning them? The Supreme Being is calling you in the roar of the ocean, in the thunder of the clouds, in the speed of lightning, in the meteor’s flaming fires. Nothing good will come from idleness. Get up and awake the clouded chivalry of your dormant youth. It may be that the path is not strewn with flowers and that inferiority complex will be attempting to hold fast your each advancing step, but even then you have to proceed onwards, tearing the shroud of darkness. You will tear the thick darkness of despair as you advance in the racing chariot radiant with the Sun’s brilliance towards the attainment of the Supreme state.” Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti (1921-1990) was a Tantric guru in the tradition of Shiva and Krishna. He introduced the empowered universal spiritual mantra “Baba Nam Kevalam”, composed a collection of 5018 spiritual songs called Prabháta Saḿgiita, and founded the socio-spiritual movement Ananda Marga (“the Path of Bliss”).  –  Richard Gauthier, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, USA, August 17, 2021.

This is a unique and foundational presentation of a spiritual philosophy for all humanity. Like no other book, but rather like spiritual practice itself, Idea and Ideology methodically, in a careful sequence, expands the reader’s horizons and mind. It concludes by using the spiritual vantage that has been gained to focus on the social problems of the earth. P. R. Sarkar, (1921-1990), was a spiritual teacher (also known as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti) in the tradition of Shiva and Krishna, who propounded PROUT (Progressive Utilization Theory) and who founded the socio-spiritual movement Ananda Marga (“the Path of Bliss”).  –  Richard Gauthier, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, USA, May 5, 2021.

Carol Salomon dedicated over thirty years of her life to researching, translating, and annotating this compilation of songs by the Bengali poet and mystical philosopher Lālan Sāi (popularly transliterated Lalon) who lived in the village of Cheuriya in Bengal in the latter half of the nineteenth century. One major objective of his lyrical riddles was to challenge the restrictions of cultural, political, and sexual identity, and his songs accordingly express a longing to understand humanity, its duties, and its ultimate destiny. His songs also contain thinly veiled references to esoteric yogic practices (sādhana), including body-centered Haṭhayogic techniques that are related to those found in Buddhist, Kaula, Nātha, and Sufi medieval tantric literature.

Dr. Salomon's translation of the work is the first dedicated English translation of Lālan's songs to closely follow the Bangla text, with all of its dialectical variations, and is here produced alongside the original text. Although her untimely death left her work unpublished, the editors have worked diligently to reconstruct her translations from her surviving printed and handwritten manuscripts. The result is a finished product that can finally share her groundbreaking scholarship on Bāul traditions with the world.

The chronicles are the historical narratives, popular as vaṃśāvalīs in Nepāl and India as well. Such vaṃśāvalī have so far been most considered by scholars of history and historiography in their academic pursuit, while lately other social-science disciplines too have claimed its relation with such writings. In such context, this dissertation tries to analyze the messages, especially heritage information contents, of these vaṃśāvalīs using Harold D. Laswell's model of communication.

How many various dances of Shiva are known to His worshippers I cannot say. No doubt the root idea behind all of these dances is more or less one and the same, the manifestation of primal rhythmic energy. Shiva is the Eros Protogonos of Lucian, when he wrote: " It would seem that dancing came into being at the beginning of all things, and was brought to light together with Eros, that ancient one, for we see this primeval dancing clearly set forth in the choral dance of the constellations, and in the planets and fixed stars, their interweaving and interchange and orderly harmony. " I do not mean to say that the most profound interpretation of Shiva's dance was present in the minds of those who first danced in frantic, and perhaps intoxicated energy, in honor of the pre-Aryan hill-god, afterwards merged in Shiva. A great motif in religion or art, any great symbol becomes all things to all men; age after age it yields to men such treasure as they find in their own hearts. Whatever the origins of Shiva's dance, it became in time the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can

This paper is an in-depth exploration of the modern school of yoga popularly known as Kundalini Yoga As Taught By Yogi Bhajan (KYATBYB). The practice will be examined in its political, historical, and religious dimensions, as compared with other movements within Modern Postural Yoga and their historical precedents and as compared with other expressions of yoga within Sikh history. Yogi Bhajan’s influences will be explored, and the work of other critical authors will be revisited and revised where new information has come to light. Yogi Bhajan’s many inspirations will be laid out in detail, including the various political and interpersonal rivalries that may have shaped his path. Ultimately, the mind of the late Yogi Bhajan is unknowable, but those indelible fingerprints of the past that can be discerned will serve as a jumping off point by which the historical dimensions of the practice may be better understood.

This article is very much an excursion into methodology and possible new avenues for the study of Tantra. It will consider
recent insights from the growing field of the Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR), especially the modern conceptual metaphor theory developed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson and ‘conceptual blending theory’, a more-recent method crafted by Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner. We will apply their ideas such as ‘conceptual integration networks’, ‘cross-domain
mapping’, ‘emergent structure’, and ‘blended worlds’ to the consideration of Hindu Tantric visualization sequences, generation of the ‘yogic body’, and the ‘remembrance’ of one’s ‘forgotten’ cosmic essence as a type of anamnesis (‘reverse amnesia’). We will examine beliefs, practices, and texts from the
Vaisnava Sahajiya Tantric traditions of 16th to 19th century greater Bengal.  I argue that these new CSR methods can help us to illuminate the vivid and imaginative worlds and processes found in the highly esoteric Vaisnava Sahajiya traditions, and may be useful to the study of religion in general.

The first-ever biography with selected writings of one of the greatest Indian Buddhist masters in history.

Few figures in the history of Buddhism in Tibet have had as far-reaching and profound an influence as the Indian scholar and adept Atiśa Dīpaṃkara (982–1054). Originally from Bengal, Atiśa was a tantric Buddhist master during Vajrayana Buddhism’s flowering in India and traveled extensively, eventually spending the remaining twelve years of his life revitalizing Buddhism in Tibet. Revered by all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Atiśa and his students founded what came to be known as the Kadam school, whose teachings have influenced countless Buddhist masters. These teachings, cherished by all major traditions, are preserved by the Geluk in particular, the school of the Dalai Lamas.
     
Although Atiśa was an influential practitioner and scholar of Tantra, he is best known for introducing many of the core Mahayana teachings that are widely practiced throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world, including the Stages of the Path to Awakening and Mind Training (lojong), as well as having contributed to highly influential commentaries on Madhyamaka that synthesize various schools of thought. This succinct biography of Atiśa’s life, together with a collection of translations, represents for the first time the full range of Atiśa’s contribution to Buddhism. As the most comprehensive work available on this essential Buddhist figure, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and Buddhist practitioners alike.

https://www.tibshelf.org/theguidebooktothehiddenlandofpemoko
The Guidebook to the Hidden Land of Pemoko is a revealed treasure text included in the Jatson Nyinpo’s Embodiment of the Precious Ones, the Konchok Chidu. It is a prediction text about the future degenerate times and purportedly the first guidebook to the hidden land of Pemoko.

This paper is a reflection on the spring 2022 semester at the California Institute of Integral studies, specifically for a class titled, "The Somatic Psychology of Exceptional Human Experiences".

This paper includes both personal and scholarly reflections on the transpersonal and integral qualities of somatic psychology, with an emphasis on Tantra.

Täntrikasiddhiprakaranam is an incomplete Sanskrit text written by Sri Aurobindo. The available text has thirty-seven sutras (short sentences) dealing with the sadhana of surrender to Kali, the shakti. Nothing much is known about the date of this writing, but the text is found in a notebook of Sri Aurobindo which contains many of his other writings belonging to the period 1911-12. This is an English translation of the text.

This powerpoint describes some ideas and hypotheses about the relationship of microvita (proposed subatomic living entities released into the universe by the Cosmic Mind, that create life and minds and can help in  spiritual progress) to kiirtan (singing a spiritual mantra) using the siddha mantra (”empowered mantra”) “Baba Nam Kevalam” (meaning “only the name of the Beloved” or “Love is all there is”.) Different suggestions for improving one’s meditation and feelings of spiritual devotion are also presented.

Lilian Silburn  " Kundalini - energy of  the depths"
A Comprehensive Study Based on the Scriptures Of Non-dualistic Kashmir Shaivism
Russian  translation

Lilian Silburn is Director of Research at the Centre National
de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris. For many years she has been
respected worldwide as a leader in studies of the Shaivism of Kashmir.

The development of
the book parallels the development of the Kundalini within. Part
One exposes the awakening and unfolding of the Kundalini; Part
Two describes the piercing of the energy centers and the stages of
ascent through the body; and Part Three examines Kundalini's relation
to sexual expression.
The book provides a deep understanding of Tantra and of the
underlying purpose of Tantracism. The author carefully considers
the Caryakrama practices of sexual expression as a means of
awakening and controlling Kundalini.
Silburn draws together passages from the Trika, Krama, and
Kaula systems ranging through Abhinavagupta and Lalla and provides
both translation and commentary for them. Chapters on the
Chakas. the Nadis, and on mantras further elucidate the topic and
lead to a forceful conclusion: Kundalini is the source of ultimate
human knowledge and power.

A new translation of the Vijnana Bhairavatantra, together with its two sanskrit commentaries, and seven others texts of the same genre (compilations of meditation instructions). In the introduction, the history of some of the verses found in the Vijnana Bhairavatantra is discussed, among them several verses wich are found in textes by Maitripa aka Advayavajra and his disciples.

“What is God?” “Who am I?” “What is my relation with the universe?” “How should human beings live in this world?” Ananda Marga – Elementary Philosophy was the first-published of the more than 250 books of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, a spiritual preceptor and guru in the tradition of Shiva and Krishna. It continues to hold its place as an introduction to his entire philosophy. Its specialty is the use of formal, though simple, logic to make a highly convincing case for the existence of the Supreme Consciousness and the need for intuitional or spiritual practice. It provides straightforward and rational answers to the above and many other vital questions. It is a ‘must read’ for anyone needing rational reasons for consciously embarking on a path to attain the spiritual goal of human life – the unqualified infinite Supreme Consciousness from which we all originated. “Ananda Marga” means “Path of Bliss” and is both the philosophy and the associated practical system of intuitional and spiritual practices given by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, based on Yoga and Tantra, and leading to ultimate spiritual attainment and fulfillment. This is chapter 1 of the eight-chapter book. Bon voyage!  –  Richard Gauthier, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, USA, November 3, 2020.

Yoga fundamentally is the discipline of reconciliation and harmonisation among the three forces of our nature, namely the vital, mental and spiritual and has nothing to do with religion.
There is nothing more purifying than yoga, nothing more auspicious than yoga, nothing subtler than yoga and therefore better than yoga (in any respect).

In the history of the world, three spiritual giants stand out: Shiva, Krishna and Anandamurti. Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, a spiritual guru in his own right, wrote insightful books about Shiva and Krishna as historical personalities, describing both their spiritual contributions and their other contributions to society. The spiritual legacy of Shiva is also elaborated in two books by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (also known as Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar) about Tantra, a universal system of spiritual practices elaborated by Shiva. A biography of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti is also given.

In Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment – A Devotional Path to the Red Enchantress of Uddiyana, author Verónica Rivas combines academic research with personal experience to offer a theoretical-practical study of Kurukulla, the goddess in Hinduism related to desire, lust, magic, and witchcraft.

Many of these aspects were left aside, however, as her importance and popularity within Tantric Buddhism continued to grow. In Kurukulla, we have a goddess of tribal origins, initially venerated as a protector by various nomadic clans who related her to fertility and material affairs, yet also considered her dangerous and fearsome. Progressively, the goddess was incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon, and during this process, Kurukulla acquired different roles and lost others. Many practices were developed related to issues such as protection against animals and certain diseases, obtaining influential positions in society, love affairs, and even getting rid of one’s enemies.

Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment offers a tantric perspective on a deity considered the goddess of eroticism, the mistress of enchantments and bewitchment, who uses desire as a weapon for transcendence. Practicing with Kurukulla allows us to reach our true nature by making our daily life, our fears and weaknesses, the very source of liberation.

The goddess of the red body represents the pure manifestation of intrinsic wisdom, the primordial energy that nourishes all realms of existence, as well as life and death as complementary opposites.

The rituals and devotionals presented in this book are intended to openly and freely establish a deep connection with the deity. They are shared in a simple and understandable way that will allow practitioners to integrate them into their life easily and completely.