Tantra. An Introduction. 3rd ed.

What is tantra? Philosophy, science, art. It is also a way of life and a system of practices through which a person can consciously and creatively use their energy for spiritual perfection. Tantra views opposites at all levels of existence—physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, love and attachment, the sublime and the mundane, eros and spirit—all of these become tools for knowing oneself and the Divine. The teachings of tantra create a bridge between matter and mind, body and spirit. The book explores the metaphysical, psychological, and cultural concepts of tantra, provides quotations from sacred texts and philosophical works, and offers descriptions of self-knowledge practices and methods of inner alchemy.