For those who wonder what relation actual Tantric practices bear to the "Tantric sex" currently being marketed so successfully in the West; David Gordon White has a simple answer: there is none. Sweeping away centuries of misunderstandings and misrepresentations; White returns to original texts; images; and ritual practices to reconstruct the history of South Asian Tantra from the medieval period to the present day.Kiss of the Yogini focuses on what White identifies as the sole truly distinctive feature of South Asian Tantra: sexualized ritual practices; especially as expressed in the medieval Kaula rites. Such practices centered on the exchange of powerful; transformative sexual fluids between male practitioners and wild female bird and animal spirits known as Yoginis. It was only by "drinking" the sexual fluids of the Yoginis that men could enter the family of the supreme godhead and thereby obtain supernatural powers and transform themselves into gods. By focusing on sexual rituals; White resituates South Asian Tantra; in its precolonial form; at the center of religious; social; and political life; arguing that Tantra was the mainstream; and that in many ways it continues to influence contemporary Hinduism; even if reformist misunderstandings relegate it to a marginal position.Kiss of the Yogini contains White's own translations from over a dozen Tantras that have never before been translated into any European language. It will prove to be the definitive work for persons seeking to understand Tantra and the crucial role it has played in South Asian history; society; culture; and religion.
#693176 in Books 2003-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 6.00l; 1.16 #File Name: 0226726134246 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Real inforamtion about the Moroccan culture.By Laurel HoffmannIt's a tough read - you need your dictionary beside you as you read it - but this book gives real information about the Moroccan culture as it is today. Be aware though; that you may need to read it twice; each time very slowly; to fully understand the information. This really is a college textbook; written by a college professor; in PhD language.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An interesting; well-informed viewBy D. ChaudoirLawrence Rosen is one of the most thoughtful anthropological voices writing about the Middle East. In "The Culture of Islam" he attempts something which is almost impossible: concisely describe and write about a dogmatically and culturally diverse religion with a depth of understanding that permeates how religion is actually lived. I was sympathetic to much of what he wrote; which comes mainly from Arab examples (and even there from an exceptional case; Morocco); although I did not necessarily agree with all of his conclusions. He is well-versed in Islamic jurisprudence and Arab social organization; and this primer goes farther than most in conveying a palpable understanding of a fascinating system of thought; meaning-making and cosmology. Because his experience is mainly in Morocco; as mentioned before many of the examples come from there. That does not detract from his main points which most definitely have resonance across the entire region.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. not what I expectedBy Janet SmarrThe opening chapter; in the "look inside this book;" is a detailed narrative about a group of men trying to deal with a social situation and to get outside help against the favoritism and bribes being deployed by the opposing side. I was hoping to pursue this narrative to see a micro-history of just how such business does get done; the texture of life; the way things work or don't work. Instead; the narrative ended unfinished at the end of chapter one; and other chapters were much more abstract accounts of sociological issues; including debate with other sociologists; so I was disappointed. Nonetheless; there are some very interesting sections here: on just how different are the ways of thinking about government or the self; or the kinds of marital problems caused (or exacerbated) by migration to the West. In sum; this does offer intriguing anecdotes and insights; but quite different from what the "look inside" seemed to promise.
