Tantra: Path of Ecstasy

Consider for a moment that the Dalai Lama is a tantric adept, and those visions of sexual bliss that the word "tantra" conjures up quickly dissolve. Tantra is more than the sex play of popular articles and books. Georg Feuerstein, authority of the yogic traditions, conjures up a much richer world of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and theology. Tantra is a form of devotionalism, in which ritual sounds, gestures, and actions figure prominently. Reverence of the guru as god also plays a part, but Feuerstein tempers our suspicion by repeating the admonitions of tantric texts down through the ages to choose carefully. As much prudence must also go into reflection on the disciple's own person, who engages in strict yogic discipline designed to conquer the six enemies: desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and envy. Feuerstein draws on the ancient texts to describe the tantric path in great detail, including realization of the subtle body, directing energy through the chakras, and, yes, sex. Taken together, tantra becomes a vivid, multifaceted path to self-realization. --Brian Bruya