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Summary: important text for understanding tantra
Comment: This is perhaps one of the most important texts to truly grasp the deep insights of tantric yoga. Frawley provides a clear and lucid path to understanding the role of the Goddess in Yoga, Tantra and Ayurveda and lights the way for the reader to awaken the Goddess in their own hearts and minds. If you are seeking to delve beyond the surface, this is the text that will provide the key!
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Summary: Tantra should not be taught by a book!
Comment: Gads, the worst thing that Frawley has done is try write a book on tantra from a vedic viewpoint! Further, I have never read a book with the word tantra in the title that was a substitute for a teacher. They should be considered as supplemental books.
All talk of occult means that the person reading the book is in the wrong section of the bookstore. Occult is not wrong or bad (I ahve read some, not my choice in the end), but not lineage teachings at all. This is an excellent book, full of great information and accurate data --
AND, lastly, to comment on the vedic traditions ESPECIALLY in terms of how accurate they are (don't be fooled by silly sex boosk with the word tantric and goddess in the title) is to not understand that this is like reading a book on Christianity from a catholic viewpoint when you are a methodist and thinking they are wrong, or vice versa. This topic and the vedic traditions in general are as vast and as different as the various Feng Shui traditions or comparing Zen to Tibetan Buddhism and saying the Zennies ar wrong because they leave out the five Buddhist familes! Too many sects, too hard to translate, and so one needs a good teacher. I suggest Buddhist teachers for all serious tantric studetns -- but I am biased, and think that people reading these reviews should know our biases. My husband is a vedic practitioner, and enjoys Frawley immensely, as do I.
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Summary: Inner workings of the real Tantra
Comment: For those who are interested in purchasing this book, I would recommend using the 'Search inside this book' feature. The contents pages alone made me want to get this book. Now let me just add, for those who are looking for the usual pop culture, westernised, multiply your orgasms and awaken your kundalini in no time flat, new age Tantra; don't expect this here. This book is for those who have gone through all of this and desire the real stuff. Yes you'll only get from this book according to where you are at. As far as I'm concerned, this book contains a great mystery. No wonder George Feuerstein, in the Forward chapter of this book, rebukes Dr. David Frawley for spilling the beans on such gems of hidden wisdom.
For those who have made the connection with the divine feminine and the kundalini, this book gives such profound inner wisdom as from the original Vedic tradition. There is a wonderful section at the back of this book which reveals that "Hinduism and Buddhism are two formulations of the same yogic tradition, differing in approach, but not in essence". This for the main part is also inclusive of the Ten Wisdom Goddesses, as described by Dr. David Frawley. The ten wisdom Goddesses are not Pagan Goddesses of the Hindu or Buddhist religion of a by gone era. Sadly this was my misconception for many years and even worse. No the Ten Wisdom Goddesses, as described in this book, are different emanations of the divine feminine aspect of God; more importantly, they are aspects of the divine feminine within each of us.
So why does Kali hold a sword in her hands? What are the yantras and mantras associated with each of the 10 forms of the wisdom Goddesses? What are tejas, ojas and Prana; and how does one go about balancing these in an effort to correctly awaken the Kundalini? This book gives the answers to these questions and more.
For those familiar with Samael Aun Woer, I have been told that he stated near to the end of his earthly existence, that the profoundness of the Divine Feminine has been overlooked and underestimated in the esoteric work. It only makes sense to me to further understand the truth of his words by investigating and understanding who and what the divine mother is, in all her intricacies. This book by Dr. David Frawley is a profound work to help in this investigation. I can only thank him for condensing this information and for revealing such hidden secrets to us in the West.
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Summary: Waste of time
Comment: This book brought up every bad feeling I have toward books on occult topics. Specifically, books that claim to be on fairly specific topics, and then fail to provide any useful information on those topics. I realize that the tantric tradition is a largely oral one, and I will give Dr. Frawley credit for not falling into any of the tantra==sex traps, but other than that... innocent trees died so this book could be printed and I resent that as a person who likes trees.The introductory material, covering the basic concepts behind tantra were excellent.
The closing material, which seemed to be meant as an introduction to yogic practice... sucked. Poor explanations, poor descriptions, poor, poor, poor. I realize that this material is largely things of which I was already aware, but that actually made it all the more apparent to me that the good doctor was doing a lousy job of explaining it. I mean, really, all I want is something ... *half* as good as what any practitioner I know could write.
The middle material, the section covering the Dasa Mahavidyas (the Ten Wisdom Goddesses), was the worst though. I honestly feel like knowledge was sucked *out* of my brain reading it. It really felt like Dr. Frawley had gotten his hands on The Big Book Of Hindu Goddesses and just copied the text regarding these 10 goddesses without any attempt at making them relate to each other or to the tantric tradition. I literally knew as much going in as I did coming out (assuming that no knowledge was actually sucked out of my brain). So unless that's it, and I know everything there is to know about this tradition, which I *sincerely* doubt, what did this gain me?
Not a damn thing.
Also, I do recognize that it is entirely possible that Dr. Frawley was in the position of not being able to reveal knowledge he does possess, due to whatever reasons. In which case, either don't write the book, or say somewhere "I am forbidden to provide the following types of information" and I will be a ... less disgruntled camper.
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Summary: Excellent overview of Hindu Tantra
Comment: David Frawley has done a fine exposition of Hindu Tantra. He not only knows the subject well, but he also can convey it in a readable and lucid manner. He clears away many of the misconceptions that have risen around Tantra since the New Age movement has appropriated it. Its not about "sex" as many purveyors would want you to believe. Most westerners think that the 'Left hand Tantra' is all there is. Wrong. It is a authentic and very real path of spritual realization that is very comprehensive in its practice.After Frawley dispels the misconceptions he proceeds to define aspects of Tantra and the various paths within it. Then the bulk of the book deals with the Ten Mahavidyas or wisdom goddesses. Now some of them are really hideous or nightmarish visually. Be forwarned!
5 of the goddesses comprise each an aspect of the divine as I understand it. The other 5 deal with personal transformation. He gives instructions on how to worship each one, along with mantras and yantras, with visualizations of each goddess.
Later chapters deal with the chakras, pranas, tejas and ojas.
Overall a fine introduction to Tantra.
I have only a few quips.
1) It is not a instruction manual per se. Yes he lists the various mantras - however its nearly impossible to learn a mantra from a book. A audio CD would be a fine complement for the next edition. Get Harish 'Tools for Tantra' for the practice methods.
2) The Yantras and drawings of the goddess should be done in color.
If you're interested in knowing more about real Tantra get this book. You won't be disapointed.
