Tantric and Yogic Shaktism Knowledge of the Goddess's Ways

Tür:

Kitap Bölümü

Yazar:

June McDaniel

Yayın yılı:

2004

Yayıncı:

Oxford University Press

This chapter discusses Bengali Shakta tantra. Bengali Shakta tantra is marked by the use of death imagery, seeking the goddess at the cremation ground, having her symbolism bound up by the use of skulls and ash from funeral pyres, and the goddess's dance upon her prone husband, Shiva, who appears as a corpse. Although Shakta tantra in other areas of India may emphasize sexual ritual as a spiritual path, Bengali Shakta tantra emphasizes death, power, transcendence, and supernatural knowledge, gained by the tantrika who overcomes his fear and fights the ghosts of the burning ground to overcome his human limitations and become a spiritual hero. The chapter then discusses the two types of tantra—folk tantra and classical tantra. It details Shakta tantric ritual, women and Shakta tantra, the tantric ritual of shava-sadhana, and experiences of Shakta tantrikas.

Künye/erişim: kaynak bağlantısı