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Hellenic Tantra

Author : Gregory Shaw

Publisher : Angelico Press

Page : 312 pages

File Size : 11,83 MB

Release : 2024-02-13

Category : Philosophy

ISBN :

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Book Description

Hellenic Tantra argues that scholarship on later Platonism has been misled by a dualist worldview. The theurgic Platonists in the school of Iamblichus (4th century CE) did not ascend out of their bodies to be united with the gods—as is the common belief—but allowed the gods to descend into their bodies. By comparing embodied deification in theurgy to Tantric traditions of embodied deification, Gregory Shaw allows us to understand the power and charisma of the last Platonic teachers. Hellenic Tantra reveals a living Platonism that has been hidden from us.



Soul Matters

Author : Sara Ahbel-Rappe

Publisher : SBL Press

Page : 575 pages

File Size : 32,20 MB

Release : 2023-10-27

Category : Philosophy

ISBN : 1628375493

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Book Description

Platonic discourses concerning the soul are incredibly rich and multitiered. Plato's own diverse and disparate arguments and images offer competing accounts of how we are to understand the nature of the soul. Consequently, it should come as no surprise that the accounts of Platonists who engage Plato’s dialogues are often riddled with questions. This volume takes up the theories of well-known philosophers and theologians, including Plato, Plotinus, Proclus, the emperor Julian, and Origen, as well as lesser-known but equally important figures in a collection of essays on topics such as transmigration of the soul, the nature of the Platonist enlightenment experience, soul and gender, pagan ritual practices, Christian and pagan differences about the soul, mental health and illness, and many other topics. Contributors include Crystal Addey, Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Dirk Baltzly, Robert Berchman, Jay Bregman, Luc Brisson, Kevin Corrigan, John Dillon, John F. Finamore, Lloyd P. Gerson, Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum, Elizabeth Hill, Sarah Klitenic Wear, Danielle A. Layne, Ilaria L. E. Ramelli, Gregory Shaw, Svetla Slaveva-Griffine, Suzanne Stern-Gillet, Harold Tarrant, Van Tu, and John D. Turner.



Greek Mysteries

Author : Michael B. Cosmopoulos

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 298 pages

File Size : 39,67 MB

Release : 2005-08-18

Category : History

ISBN : 113453616X

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Book Description

Written by an international team of acknowledged experts, this excellent book studies a wide range of contributions and showcases new research on the archaeology, ritual and history of Greek mystery cults. With a lack of written evidence that exists for the mysteries, archaeology has proved central to explaining their significance and this volume is key to understanding a phenomenon central to Greek religion and society.



The Tantric Alchemist

Author : Peter Levenda

Publisher : Ibis Press

Page : 392 pages

File Size : 19,65 MB

Release : 2015-09-01

Category : Body, Mind & Spirit

ISBN : 0892542136

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Book Description

The Tantric Alchemist is a work on alchemy as decoded by Tantra and a work on Tantra as understood by alchemists. It uncovers works by Thomas Vaughan and suggests how he and his wife--a 17th-century Welsh couple unique in the history of western alchemy--met their fate when dealing with forces they knew only too well, but which were stronger than their ability to control them. Using the works of Vaughan as his text, Levenda applies the "twilight language" of Tantra to the surreal prose of the alchemist and in the process lays bare the lineaments of the arcane tradition that gave rise to the legend of Christian Rosenkreutz, the reputed founder of Rosicrucianism who learned his art in the East; and to the 19th- and 20th-century occult movements lead by such luminaries as P.B. Randolph, Theodore Reuss, Helena Blavatsky, and Aleister Crowley who also sought (and discovered) this technology in the religions and cultures of Asia. Readers will find that the many disparate threads of an authentic spiritual tradition are woven together here in a startling tapestry that reveals--without pretense or euphemism--the psycho-sexual technique that is at the root of both Tantra and alchemy: that is to say, of both Asian and European forms of esoteric praxis.



Encountering the Dark Goddess

Author : Frances Billinghurst

Publisher : John Hunt Publishing

Page : 170 pages

File Size : 36,61 MB

Release : 2021-03-26

Category : Religion

ISBN : 1789046009

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Book Description

The Dark Goddess is often associated with the Underworld where she leads the uninitiated through a transformative journey of self-discovery, change and soul renewal. She is connected with the unwanted, the forgotten, the ignored or even ashamed parts of our psyche. However there is more to her than that. Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms guides you through what this challenging facet of the Divine Feminine, the Dark Goddess, is truly about, and encourages you to step through the veils into her hidden realm to explore 13 aspects of herself. Whether you seek healing from past trauma, release from fears or acceptance of the “unacceptable” aspects of your self, Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms offers ways for you to transform and heal your life through the power of meditation, ritual and inner journeying with the Dark Goddess into her shadowy realms. Use the 13 goddess myths as a guide to discover how to remove the stagnant and unwanted and embrace the ever changing aspects of life that can drag us into the pits of despair. When we connect to the Dark Goddess, we are able to find the light within the darkness and our lives are enriched through the integration of all aspects of our soul as a perfect whole.



Yoga, Bhoga and Ardhanariswara

Author : Prem Saran

Publisher : Taylor & Francis

Page : 377 pages

File Size : 31,40 MB

Release : 2017-11-10

Category : Social Science

ISBN : 1351333763

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Book Description

This book offers a social–scientific interpretation of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of Tantra dating back 15 centuries. It is a self-reflexive study approached with an insider’s empathy and the perspective of an Indologist, anthropologist, mystic and practitioner of the cult. The work includes a discussion of non-modern Indic themes: mandala as a trope and its manifestations in South Asian regions such as Nepal; yoga and Indic individuality; the concept of bhoga; disciplined wellbeing; gender; and Indic axiology. Using personal praxis to inform his research, the author examines three core themes within Tantra — a ‘holonic’/mandalic individuality that conduces to mystical experience; a positive valorisation of pleasure and play; and cultural attitudes of gender-mutuality and complementarity, as neatly encapsulated in the icon of Shiva as Ardhanariswara. This analysis, as captured by the Tantric mandalas of deities in intimate union, leads to his compelling metathesis that Tantra serves as a permanent counterculture within the Indic civilization. This second edition, with a new Afterword, will greatly interest those in anthropology, South Asian studies, religious studies, gender studies, psychology and philosophy, as also the general reader.



Theurgy and the Soul

Author : Gregory Shaw

Publisher : Angelico Press / Sophia Perennis

Page : 350 pages

File Size : 39,29 MB

Release : 2014-09-12

Category : Philosophy

ISBN : 9781621380726

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Book Description

Iamblichus was once considered one of the great philosophers. The Emperor Julian followed Iamblichus's teachings to guide the restoration of traditional pagan cults in his campaign against Christianity. Although Julian was unsuccessful, Iamblichus's ideas persisted well into the Middle Ages and beyond. His vision of a hierarchical cosmos united by divine ritual became the dominant worldview for the entire medieval world. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that he expected a reading of Iamblichus to cause a "revival in the churches." But modern scholars have dismissed him, seeing theurgy as ritual magic or "manipulation of the gods." Shaw, however, shows that theurgy was a subtle and intellectually sophisticated attempt to apply Platonic and Pythagorean teachings to the full expression of human existence in the material world.





Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants

Author : L.D. Kapoor

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 436 pages

File Size : 12,16 MB

Release : 2017-11-13

Category : Medical

ISBN : 1351443232

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Book Description

This handbook is filled with over 50 illustrations and descriptions of approximately 250 plants which are used for herbal medicine. It includes information on medicinal plants ranging from Abies spectabilis to Zizyphus vulgaris. The purpose of this handbook is to make available a reference for easy, accurate identification of these herbs. Derived from India, ""Ayurveda"" is the foundation stone of their ancient medical science. Approximately 80 percent of the population of India and other countries in the East continue to utilize this system of medicinal treatment. It is believed that the key to successful medication is the use of the correct herb. This is an indispensable resource for all physicians, pharmacists, drug collectors, and those interested in the healing arts.



Para-trisika-Vivarana of Abhinavagupta

Author : Abhinavagupta

Publisher : Motilal Banarsidass Publishe

Page : 446 pages

File Size : 18,86 MB

Release : 1988

Category : Language Arts & Disciplines

ISBN : 9788120804722

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Book Description

The Paratrisika (or Paratrimsika) is a short Tantra which has been held in the highest esteem by Kashmir Saivism or Trika. After Somananda, Abhinavagupta has written two commentaries on it, a short one (Laghuvrtti) and an extensive one the present Vivarana which is presented here for the first time in an English translation. The Paratrisika Vivarana is one of the most fascinating but also most difficult texts of the Kashmir Saiva School, and of the mystical philosophical literature of India as a whole. It deals with Ultimate Reality (anuttara or para) and with the methods of realization, centred above all in the theory and practice of the mantra. Abhinavagupta displays here his great exegetical genius and presents a penetrating metaphysics of language, of the Word (vak) and its various stages in relation to consciousness. His language reflects in a luminous fashion the mystical experience contained in this text. The present translation of Abhinavagupta`s masterpiece will not only be a milestone in the study of Kashmir Saivism, but it also makes available one of the major mystical texts of the Indian tradition to readers interested in philosophy and spirituality Contents Preface by Bettina Baumer, List of Abbreviations, PART I: Paratrisika-Vivarana of Abhinavagupta: Translation with notes, Prelimiaries, Verse 1 of Paratrisika, Commentary, Different implications of the Word Devi, The rationale of the past tense in 'said', The final Resting Place of all questions and answers, Sixteen interpretations of anuttara, Interpretation of Kaulika-siddhidam, Exposition on verse 1 and Commentary, Etad guhyam mahaguhyam.. text and commentary, PART II: Paratrisika-Vivarana: Sanskrit Text, Index of Half-Verses of Paratrisika, Index of Quotations