Georg Feuerstein - 1998 - Tantra - The Path of Ecstasy (344p) [Anomolous].pdf

Georg Feuerstein - 1998 - Tantra - The Path of Ecstasy (344p) [Anomolous].pdf

Paperback: 314 pages
Publisher: Shambhala (July 28, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 157062304X
ISBN-13: 978-1570623042

Ahh poor Georg. Another aspirant derailed by Adi Da. It least by the end of his life he realized it.

Tantra—often associated with Kundalini Yoga—is a fundamental dimension of Hinduism, emphasizing the cultivation of "divine power" (shakti) as a path to infinite bliss. Tantra has been widely misunderstood in the West, however, where its practices are often confused with eroticism and licentious morality. Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy dispels many common misconceptions, providing an accessible introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of this extraordinary spiritual tradition.

The Tantric teachings are geared toward the attainment of enlightenment as well as spiritual power and are present not only in Hinduism but also Jainism and Vajrayana Buddhism. In this book, Georg Feuerstein offers readers a clear understanding of authentic Tantra, as well as appropriate guidance for spiritual practice and the attainment of higher consciousness.

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.