This book provides an excellent introduction to the essence of Hindu Tantrism, discussing all the major concepts and correcting many existing misconceptions.

This extraordinary new book shows us how to connect with the Devatas, the Divine powers of the universe to develop our deeper Yoga practice. It features special chapters on the Shiva Linga, meditations on Shakti in nature and in the human body, Shakti in the practice of Yoga, special knowledge of the chakras (including the spiritual heart and the crown chakra), the four internal energy centers of Fire (Agni), Sun (Surya), Moon (Soma) and Lightning (Vidyut), the practice of Drishti Yoga (Yoga of perception), Shambhavi Mudra, and important mantras to Shiva, Kali, Bhairavi and Sundari. It contains a wealth of deep yogic knowledge not easily available today and based upon traditional Sanskrit sources.

The Hindu pantheon is rich in images of the divine feminine—deities representing a wide range of symbolic, social, and meditative meanings. David Kinsley's new book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. What is one to make of a goddess who cuts her own head off, or one who prefers sex with a corpse? The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as "antimodels" for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas seem to function as "awakeners"—symbols which help to project one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable. Drawing on a broad range of Sanskrit and vernacular texts as well as extensive research in India, including written and oral interpretations of contemporary Hindu practitioners, Kinsley describes the unusual qualities of each of the Mahavidyas and traces the parallels between their underlying themes. Especially valuable are the many rare and fascinating images he presents—each important to grasping the significance of the goddesses. Written in an accessible, engaging style, Kinsley's book provides a comprehensive understanding of the Mahavidyas and is also an overview of Hindu tantric practice.

Modern science and ancient wisdom traditions agree that the universe is a symphony of vibrational frequencies. In this comprehensive work, the author elaborates the essential truths about cosmic sound, and how we can employ important mantras for healing, transformation and inner awakening.

What is the secret of Soma, the legendary mystic drink of immortality, first lauded by India's ancient Vedic seers? Is Soma a single plant, a type of plants, a way of healing, a special intoxicant, or an inner elixir produced by Yoga and meditation? Going back to the vision of the Vedic seers, David Frawley reveals the secret of Soma for body, mind and spirit, with its profound implications from diet and herbs to pranayama, mantra and meditation. His new analysis of Soma, reflecting forty years of study of Vedic texts, is practical, comprehensive and deeply insightful - so that you can bring the secret power of Soma into all aspects of your life and consciousness, and for the world as a whole. Book jacket. He follows the yogic approach of Ganapati Muni, the chief disciple of the great Advaitic guru Ramana Maharshi. Book jacket.

Yogic Secrets of the Dark Goddess unfolds the mystic beauty of Kali, the most powerful but misunderstood of the great goddesses of India. Probably the most comprehensive and innovative examination of Ma Kali in recent decades, the book reveals all dimensions of life and consciousness in Kali’s tranformative dance.

This is the first monograph which examines the rare Buddhist and Hindu Tantric goddess, Chinnamasta, her rituals, her names and forms (namarupa) and their symbolism by comparing and contra-sting her sadhanas (spiritual practices) in Hinduism and Buddh-ism. The entire Hindu Chinnamastatantra section from the Sakta Pramoda, the Buddhist Chinnamunda Vajra-varahisadhana and theTrikayavajrayoginstuti are translated for the first time into English. Since Chinnamasta is a rare goddess, her texts were not popularized or made fashionable according to the dictates of a particular group at a particular time. The earliest extant texts dated from the ninth and tenth centuries a time when Hindu and Buddhist Tantras were developing under common influences in the same place in India. Having such texts about Chinnamasta Chinnamunda from these centuries, one can begin to understand the mutuality of a general Tantric tradition and the exclusivity of a particular Hindu or Buddhist Tantric tradition. Hence the study not only examines Chinnamasta, but also attempts to under-stand what is a Tantric tradition.