• Explains how the primal energy generated by physical desire can be used to achieve enlightenment• Reveals the techniques used by Tantric adepts to attain mastery over breath, thought, and all physical processesNothing can match the explosive energy created in the body by pure desire. For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind.Desire explores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity. Desire reveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch'an master Chinul's treatise on the Secrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known as Maithuna.

The author reveals his passionate experiences with a female Tantric master who taught him the suppressed practices of her ancient order. In 1968 Daniel Odier left Europe for the Himalayas, searching for a master who could help him go where texts and intellectual searching could no longer take him. He wanted everything: the wisdom and spirituality gained from the life of an ascetic and the beauty, love, and sensuality of a life of passion. He found both in Shivaic Tantrism, the secret spiritual path that seeks to transcend ego and rediscover the divine by embracing the passions. In an isolated Himalayan forest Odier met Devi, a great yogini who would take him on a mystical journey like none he had ever imagined. At times taking him beyond the limits of sexual experience, at times threatening him with destruction, she taught him what it is to truly be alive and to know the divine nature of absolute love. This is the personal memoir of one of France's most honored writers. Tantrism is the only ancient philosophy to survive all historical upheavals, invasions, and influences to reach us intact by uninterrupted transmission from master to disciple, and the only one to retain the image of the Great Goddess as the ultimate source of power.

Translation and commentary of one of the most important texts of the Kashmirian Shivaism tradition of Tantra• Author was a student of the late Kalu Rinpoche• Explores the transmission of Mahamudra, the Great Cosmic Gesture• Includes the Vijnanabhaïrava Tantra, which contains the totality of the oldest source text on Yoga The Spandakarika, the "Tantric Song of the Divine Pulsation," is said to have been transmitted directly to the sage Vasugupta from the hands of Shiva on Mount Kailas. In his commentary on these fifty-two stanzas, the sage Ksemaraja described them as the heart of the Mahamudra. The oldest masters of Spandakarika viewed everything in the universe, including matter, as consciousness and created a yoga practice in accordance with this realization. The sacred dance of Yoga Spandakarika, Tandava, is extremely subtle and difficult, requiring thousands of hours of practice to master, yet it surpasses any other physical practice, allowing the practitioner to touch the divine inner pulse. Once its third stage has been mastered, the yogi or yogini is able to manifest the dance of Shiva in space, a tradition visible in the statuary of Tantric temples in India and Tibet. Energy is no longer contracted by the perception of duality, and the mind and body become unbounded, forming a sphere that contains all that was formerly outside. In Yoga Spandakarika Daniel Odier passes on these vanishing teachings as he received them from his Tibetan master, Kalu Rinpoche, and Kashmiri yogi Lalita Devi.

• Explains how the primal energy generated by physical desire can be used to achieve enlightenment • Reveals the techniques used by Tantric adepts to attain mastery over breath, thought, and all physical processes Nothing can match the explosive energy created in the body by pure desire. For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind. Desire explores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity. Desire reveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch''an master Chinul''s treatise on the Secrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known as Maithuna.

A guide to the mental disciplines and visualizations that Masters have used for ages in their quest for illumination. * An insider''s view of specific meditation techniques and the steps necessary for a wide variety of * Buddhist and Taoist meditation practices. * By the author of Tantric Quest (15,000 sold) and Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening. The esoteric practices followed in the quest for divinity generally remain a secret to the world--kept cloistered away for only the most ascetic practitioners. Now Daniel Odier, having immersed himself in the life and spiritual practices of Buddhist and Taoist monasteries throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Japan, reveals actual teachings passed on by the sages who are living expressions of their tradition. Looking beyond doctrine, dogma, and philosophical treatises that ignore direct experiences of the practice, Odier provides a direct path to the heart of the religious experience that can be discovered through meditation. Beginning with the simple and fundamental steps necessary to prepare for meditation, Odier guides the reader through the specifics of the mental disciplines and visualizations that Buddhist and Taoist masters have used for ages in their quest for illumination. To devote oneself to meditation, in the sense understood by Buddhists and Taoists, is to realize the understanding of how every fiber of our being converges with all creation. Meditation Techniques of the Buddhist and Taoist Masters is a valuable guide to all who are in search of that realization.

According to traditions going back to pre-Vedic times, Kali sprang from the third eye of the Goddess Durga as a destructive and terrifying manifestation of feminine power sent to lay waste to the forces of evil. Throughout India to this day, Kali is worshipped as the destroyer of bondage, capable of liberating her devotee from all rules and subjugation.In The Tantric Kali, Daniel Odier presents the mythology, practices, and rituals of Kali worship in the Tantric Kaula tradition within Kashmiri Shaivism. He reveals the practices of Vamachara, commonly known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti. In this tradition the body itself is Kali’s temple, and it is therefore unnecessary to reject or deny the body to know union with the divine. Instead, nothing is regarded as pure or impure and there is complete freedom from rules. Focused on working directly with forbidden emotions and behaviors, this path allows the seeker to transcend obstacles to liberation through sexual union. According to the Kaula Upanishad, “In your behavior do the opposite to what the norms dictate but remain in consciousness.” This is the essence of Tantra. Kali is absolute reality: manifested as woman intoxicated by desire, she frees the tantric practitioner from all desire except union with the divine.

The mythology, rituals, meditations, and practices used in Tantric worship of the goddess Kali in the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism • Reveals the practices of Vamachara, known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti • Includes a Kali ritual from the Nirrutara Tantra, translated here for the first time • Presents devotional chants, meditations, and mudras specific to Tantric worship of Kali According to traditions going back to pre-Vedic times, Kali sprang from the third eye of the Goddess Durga as a destructive and terrifying manifestation of feminine power sent to lay waste to the forces of evil. Throughout India to this day, Kali is worshipped as the destroyer of bondage, capable of liberating her devotee from all rules and subjugation. In Tantric Kali, Daniel Odier presents the mythology, practices, and rituals of Kali worship in the Tantric Kaula tradition within Kashmiri Shaivism. He reveals the practices of Vamachara, commonly known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti. In this tradition the body itself is Kali’s temple, and it is therefore unnecessary to reject or deny the body to know union with the divine. Instead, nothing is regarded as pure or impure and there is complete freedom from rules. Focused on working directly with forbidden emotions and behaviors, this path allows the seeker to transcend obstacles to liberation through sexual union. According to the Kaula Upanishad, “In your behavior do the opposite to what the norms dictate but remain in consciousness.” This is the essence of Tantra. Kali is absolute reality: manifested as woman intoxicated by desire, she frees the tantric practitioner from all desire except union with the divine. The author includes an evocative ritual from the Nirrutara Tantra--never before translated into any Western language--containing devotions to the 64 yoginis according to Matsyendranath, founder of the Kaula path. Offering devotional chants, meditations, and mudras specific to Tantric worship of Kali, this empowering book provides practices and teachings for those on the Tantric path to liberation.

• Shares vivid, experiential descriptions of the author’s sessions with master Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra to him physically, verbally, and energetically • Presents new translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratybhijna Hrdayam Sutra, and the Spandakarika, each presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow • Pairs the author’s intellectual study of the sacred texts with direct transmissions from his teacher, with each perspective shedding light on the other In 1975, in an isolated Himalayan forest, Daniel Odier met Lalita Devi, a tantric yogini who took him on a mystical journey beyond the limits of sexual experience to transcend the ego, recognize the true self, and rediscover the Divine nature of absolute love. Now, Odier shares the secret teachings and self-realization practices of the Kashmiri Mahamudra (meditation on the mind itself) and the Pratyabhijna (the School of Sudden Recognition).The author offers vivid descriptions of his sessions with Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra and the yoga of emotions to him physically, verbally, and energetically. Lalita Devi knew the principal texts of Kashmiri Shaivism by heart. New translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratyabhijnahrdayam, and the Spandakarika, are provided by Odier along with chants and poems from the yogini tradition. Presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow and restores their original ancient female origins, Crazy Wisdom of the Yogini offers a profound inside look at authentic tantric teachings.

The first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, the practical yogini path to enlightenment.Written in the 8th century by the sage Matsyendranatha, the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra records the secret erotic and magical practices of the Yogini Kaula tradition, a tradition focused on practical methods for attaining enlightenment. Although the text contains roughly 60 practices, it was written in a “twilight language” that obscures the secret principles that make the techniques work. It is the role of a master to awaken the initiate to the esoteric meaning of the practices within the text.Revealing the practices and secret principles of Kaula Tantra with permission from his Himalayan tantric yogini master Lalita Devi, Daniel Odier explains each erotic and magical technique of Kaula in depth. Providing a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit, he connects each practice to the text by Matsyendranatha and offers vivid stories of his initiation into the practices. He explores techniques from the complete mystical method that the yogini have been transmitting directly for millennia, such as how to open the nadis, the body’s energy channels. He details Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhis—magical powers such as the ability to hear far away things or appear in several places at once—as well as sacred protection and black magic practices.The author explains how the Kaula practices are related to the 8 Red Goddesses, who can each be found within the 8 chakras and each represent a different aspect of the Royal Path of Shakti. He shares a system of illuminating visualisations to integrate the body of the practitioner with vibration (spanda) and consciousness until there is no difference between the inner world and the cosmos.Presenting the first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, Odier details the practical yogini path to enlightenment and offers a direct transmission through the liberating power of the written word.

The first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, the practical yogini path to enlightenment• Details the erotic and magical practices of Kaula Tantra as well as the arcane principles to activate each technique• Includes a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit• Explores Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhis—magical powers—as well as sacred protection and black magic practicesWritten in the 8th century by the sage Matsyendranatha, the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra records the secret erotic and magical practices of the Yogini Kaula tradition, a tradition focused on practical methods for attaining enlightenment. Although the text contains roughly 60 practices, it was written in a “twilight language” that obscures the secret principles that make the techniques work. It is the role of a master to awaken the initiate to the esoteric meaning of the practices within the text. Revealing the practices and secret principles of Kaula Tantra with permission from his Himalayan tantric yogini master Lalita Devi, Daniel Odier explains each erotic and magical technique of Kaula in depth. Providing a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit, he connects each practice to the text by Matsyendranatha and offers vivid stories of his initiation into the practices. He explores techniques from the complete mystical method that the yoginis have been transmitting directly for millennia, such as how to open the nadis, the body’s energy channels. He details Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhis—magical powers such as the ability to hear far away things or appear in several places at once—as well as sacred protection and black magic practices. The author explains how the Kaula practices are related to the 8 Red Goddesses, who can each be found within the 8 chakras and each represent a different aspect of the Royal Path of Shakti. He shares a system of illuminating visualizations to integrate the body of the practitioner with vibration (spanda) and consciousness until there is no difference between the inner world and the cosmos. Presenting the first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, Odier details the practical yogini path to enlightenment and offers a direct transmission through the liberating power of the written word.

Kali hat sich vor einem reichhaltigen Hintergrund entwickelt, der der Anbetung der weiblichen Macht gewidmet war, die überall vor der Entstehung der Religionen verehrt wurde: Die Grosse Mutter.Die Kultur des Hindus-Tals, wo man im Keim alle grossen Ideen findet, die sich in der tantrischen Bewegung kristallisieren sollten, verehrte die grosse Göttin, von der noch kleine, etwa 4500 bis 5000 Jahre alte gebrannte Tonfiguren vorhanden sind. Altsteinzeitliche Stätten stellen die Göttin in Form von dreieckigen Stelen oder gerundetem Gestein dar, einige von ihnen werden noch heute in Indien verehrt.Kali entstand aus ländlichen, vorvedischen Traditionen unzivilisierten und schamanischen Ursprungs, um dann langsam zur indischen Tradition überzuwechseln. Sie wurde zur Gemahlin Shivas und so von den Tantrikern des Kaulapfads angenommen. Seit dem 4. Jahrhundert kam dieser Pfad aus Assam. Er wurde auf meisterhafte Weise vom Mahasiddha Matsyendranath dargelegt, dem Abhinavagupta zu Beginn seines Tantraloka huldigt.Kali wird zur Schöpferin: Die, durch die alles begann.

The Spandakarika, the ""Tantric Song of the Divine Pulsation,"" is said to have been transmitted directly to the sage Vasugupta from the hands of Shiva on Mount Kailas. In his commentary on these fifty-two stanzas, the sage Ksemaraja described them as the heart of the Mahamudra. The oldest masters of Spandakarika viewed everything in the universe, including matter, as consciousness and created a yoga practice in accordance with this realization. The sacred dance of Yoga Spandakarika, Tandava, is extremely subtle and difficult, requiring thousands of hours of practice to master, yet it surpasses any other physical practice, allowing the practitioner to touch the divine inner pulse. Once its third stage has been mastered, the yogi or yogini is able to manifest the dance of Shiva in space, a tradition visible in the statuary of Tantric temples in India and Tibet. Energy is no longer contracted by the perception of duality, and the mind and body become unbounded, forming a sphere that contains all that was formerly outside. In Yoga SpandakarikaDaniel Odier passes on these vanishing teachings as he received them from his Tibetan master, Kalu Rinpoche, and Kashmiri yogi Lalita Devi.

An experiential journey through the secret teachings and self-realization practices of the Kashmiri yogini tradition• Shares vivid, experiential descriptions of the author’s sessions with master Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra to him physically, verbally, and energetically • Presents new translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratybhijna Hrdayam Sutra, and the Spandakarika, each presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow • Pairs the author’s intellectual study of the sacred texts with direct transmissions from his teacher, with each perspective shedding light on the other In 1975, in an isolated Himalayan forest, Daniel Odier met Lalita Devi, a tantric yogini who took him on a mystical journey beyond the limits of sexual experience to transcend the ego, recognize the true self, and rediscover the Divine nature of absolute love. Now, Odier shares the secret teachings and self-realization practices of the Kashmiri Mahamudra (meditation on the mind itself) and the Pratyabhijna (the School of Sudden Recognition).The author offers vivid descriptions of his sessions with Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra and the yoga of emotions to him physically, verbally, and energetically. Lalita Devi knew the principal texts of Kashmiri Shaivism by heart. New translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratyabhijnahrdayam, and the Spandakarika, are provided by Odier along with chants and poems from the yogini tradition. Presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow and restores their original ancient female origins, Crazy Wisdom of the Yogini offers a profound inside look at authentic tantric teachings.

• Explains how the primal energy generated by physical desire can be used to achieve enlightenment• Reveals the techniques used by Tantric adepts to attain mastery over breath, thought, and all physical processesNothing can match the explosive energy created in the body by pure desire. For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind.Desire explores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity. Desire reveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch'an master Chinul's treatise on the Secrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known as Maithuna.

The author reveals his passionate experiences with a female Tantric master who taught him the suppressed practices of her ancient order. In 1968 Daniel Odier left Europe for the Himalayas, searching for a master who could help him go where texts and intellectual searching could no longer take him. He wanted everything: the wisdom and spirituality gained from the life of an ascetic and the beauty, love, and sensuality of a life of passion. He found both in Shivaic Tantrism, the secret spiritual path that seeks to transcend ego and rediscover the divine by embracing the passions. In an isolated Himalayan forest Odier met Devi, a great yogini who would take him on a mystical journey like none he had ever imagined. At times taking him beyond the limits of sexual experience, at times threatening him with destruction, she taught him what it is to truly be alive and to know the divine nature of absolute love. This is the personal memoir of one of France's most honored writers. Tantrism is the only ancient philosophy to survive all historical upheavals, invasions, and influences to reach us intact by uninterrupted transmission from master to disciple, and the only one to retain the image of the Great Goddess as the ultimate source of power.

Translation and commentary of one of the most important texts of the Kashmirian Shivaism tradition of Tantra• Author was a student of the late Kalu Rinpoche• Explores the transmission of Mahamudra, the Great Cosmic Gesture• Includes the Vijnanabhaïrava Tantra, which contains the totality of the oldest source text on Yoga The Spandakarika, the "Tantric Song of the Divine Pulsation," is said to have been transmitted directly to the sage Vasugupta from the hands of Shiva on Mount Kailas. In his commentary on these fifty-two stanzas, the sage Ksemaraja described them as the heart of the Mahamudra. The oldest masters of Spandakarika viewed everything in the universe, including matter, as consciousness and created a yoga practice in accordance with this realization. The sacred dance of Yoga Spandakarika, Tandava, is extremely subtle and difficult, requiring thousands of hours of practice to master, yet it surpasses any other physical practice, allowing the practitioner to touch the divine inner pulse. Once its third stage has been mastered, the yogi or yogini is able to manifest the dance of Shiva in space, a tradition visible in the statuary of Tantric temples in India and Tibet. Energy is no longer contracted by the perception of duality, and the mind and body become unbounded, forming a sphere that contains all that was formerly outside. In Yoga Spandakarika Daniel Odier passes on these vanishing teachings as he received them from his Tibetan master, Kalu Rinpoche, and Kashmiri yogi Lalita Devi.

• Explains how the primal energy generated by physical desire can be used to achieve enlightenment • Reveals the techniques used by Tantric adepts to attain mastery over breath, thought, and all physical processes Nothing can match the explosive energy created in the body by pure desire. For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind. Desire explores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity. Desire reveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch''an master Chinul''s treatise on the Secrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known as Maithuna.

A guide to the mental disciplines and visualizations that Masters have used for ages in their quest for illumination. * An insider''s view of specific meditation techniques and the steps necessary for a wide variety of * Buddhist and Taoist meditation practices. * By the author of Tantric Quest (15,000 sold) and Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening. The esoteric practices followed in the quest for divinity generally remain a secret to the world--kept cloistered away for only the most ascetic practitioners. Now Daniel Odier, having immersed himself in the life and spiritual practices of Buddhist and Taoist monasteries throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Japan, reveals actual teachings passed on by the sages who are living expressions of their tradition. Looking beyond doctrine, dogma, and philosophical treatises that ignore direct experiences of the practice, Odier provides a direct path to the heart of the religious experience that can be discovered through meditation. Beginning with the simple and fundamental steps necessary to prepare for meditation, Odier guides the reader through the specifics of the mental disciplines and visualizations that Buddhist and Taoist masters have used for ages in their quest for illumination. To devote oneself to meditation, in the sense understood by Buddhists and Taoists, is to realize the understanding of how every fiber of our being converges with all creation. Meditation Techniques of the Buddhist and Taoist Masters is a valuable guide to all who are in search of that realization.

According to traditions going back to pre-Vedic times, Kali sprang from the third eye of the Goddess Durga as a destructive and terrifying manifestation of feminine power sent to lay waste to the forces of evil. Throughout India to this day, Kali is worshipped as the destroyer of bondage, capable of liberating her devotee from all rules and subjugation.In The Tantric Kali, Daniel Odier presents the mythology, practices, and rituals of Kali worship in the Tantric Kaula tradition within Kashmiri Shaivism. He reveals the practices of Vamachara, commonly known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti. In this tradition the body itself is Kali’s temple, and it is therefore unnecessary to reject or deny the body to know union with the divine. Instead, nothing is regarded as pure or impure and there is complete freedom from rules. Focused on working directly with forbidden emotions and behaviors, this path allows the seeker to transcend obstacles to liberation through sexual union. According to the Kaula Upanishad, “In your behavior do the opposite to what the norms dictate but remain in consciousness.” This is the essence of Tantra. Kali is absolute reality: manifested as woman intoxicated by desire, she frees the tantric practitioner from all desire except union with the divine.

The mythology, rituals, meditations, and practices used in Tantric worship of the goddess Kali in the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism • Reveals the practices of Vamachara, known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti • Includes a Kali ritual from the Nirrutara Tantra, translated here for the first time • Presents devotional chants, meditations, and mudras specific to Tantric worship of Kali According to traditions going back to pre-Vedic times, Kali sprang from the third eye of the Goddess Durga as a destructive and terrifying manifestation of feminine power sent to lay waste to the forces of evil. Throughout India to this day, Kali is worshipped as the destroyer of bondage, capable of liberating her devotee from all rules and subjugation. In Tantric Kali, Daniel Odier presents the mythology, practices, and rituals of Kali worship in the Tantric Kaula tradition within Kashmiri Shaivism. He reveals the practices of Vamachara, commonly known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti. In this tradition the body itself is Kali’s temple, and it is therefore unnecessary to reject or deny the body to know union with the divine. Instead, nothing is regarded as pure or impure and there is complete freedom from rules. Focused on working directly with forbidden emotions and behaviors, this path allows the seeker to transcend obstacles to liberation through sexual union. According to the Kaula Upanishad, “In your behavior do the opposite to what the norms dictate but remain in consciousness.” This is the essence of Tantra. Kali is absolute reality: manifested as woman intoxicated by desire, she frees the tantric practitioner from all desire except union with the divine. The author includes an evocative ritual from the Nirrutara Tantra--never before translated into any Western language--containing devotions to the 64 yoginis according to Matsyendranath, founder of the Kaula path. Offering devotional chants, meditations, and mudras specific to Tantric worship of Kali, this empowering book provides practices and teachings for those on the Tantric path to liberation.

• Shares vivid, experiential descriptions of the author’s sessions with master Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra to him physically, verbally, and energetically • Presents new translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratybhijna Hrdayam Sutra, and the Spandakarika, each presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow • Pairs the author’s intellectual study of the sacred texts with direct transmissions from his teacher, with each perspective shedding light on the other In 1975, in an isolated Himalayan forest, Daniel Odier met Lalita Devi, a tantric yogini who took him on a mystical journey beyond the limits of sexual experience to transcend the ego, recognize the true self, and rediscover the Divine nature of absolute love. Now, Odier shares the secret teachings and self-realization practices of the Kashmiri Mahamudra (meditation on the mind itself) and the Pratyabhijna (the School of Sudden Recognition).The author offers vivid descriptions of his sessions with Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra and the yoga of emotions to him physically, verbally, and energetically. Lalita Devi knew the principal texts of Kashmiri Shaivism by heart. New translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratyabhijnahrdayam, and the Spandakarika, are provided by Odier along with chants and poems from the yogini tradition. Presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow and restores their original ancient female origins, Crazy Wisdom of the Yogini offers a profound inside look at authentic tantric teachings.

The first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, the practical yogini path to enlightenment.Written in the 8th century by the sage Matsyendranatha, the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra records the secret erotic and magical practices of the Yogini Kaula tradition, a tradition focused on practical methods for attaining enlightenment. Although the text contains roughly 60 practices, it was written in a “twilight language” that obscures the secret principles that make the techniques work. It is the role of a master to awaken the initiate to the esoteric meaning of the practices within the text.Revealing the practices and secret principles of Kaula Tantra with permission from his Himalayan tantric yogini master Lalita Devi, Daniel Odier explains each erotic and magical technique of Kaula in depth. Providing a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit, he connects each practice to the text by Matsyendranatha and offers vivid stories of his initiation into the practices. He explores techniques from the complete mystical method that the yogini have been transmitting directly for millennia, such as how to open the nadis, the body’s energy channels. He details Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhis—magical powers such as the ability to hear far away things or appear in several places at once—as well as sacred protection and black magic practices.The author explains how the Kaula practices are related to the 8 Red Goddesses, who can each be found within the 8 chakras and each represent a different aspect of the Royal Path of Shakti. He shares a system of illuminating visualisations to integrate the body of the practitioner with vibration (spanda) and consciousness until there is no difference between the inner world and the cosmos.Presenting the first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, Odier details the practical yogini path to enlightenment and offers a direct transmission through the liberating power of the written word.

The first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, the practical yogini path to enlightenment• Details the erotic and magical practices of Kaula Tantra as well as the arcane principles to activate each technique• Includes a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit• Explores Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhis—magical powers—as well as sacred protection and black magic practicesWritten in the 8th century by the sage Matsyendranatha, the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra records the secret erotic and magical practices of the Yogini Kaula tradition, a tradition focused on practical methods for attaining enlightenment. Although the text contains roughly 60 practices, it was written in a “twilight language” that obscures the secret principles that make the techniques work. It is the role of a master to awaken the initiate to the esoteric meaning of the practices within the text. Revealing the practices and secret principles of Kaula Tantra with permission from his Himalayan tantric yogini master Lalita Devi, Daniel Odier explains each erotic and magical technique of Kaula in depth. Providing a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit, he connects each practice to the text by Matsyendranatha and offers vivid stories of his initiation into the practices. He explores techniques from the complete mystical method that the yoginis have been transmitting directly for millennia, such as how to open the nadis, the body’s energy channels. He details Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhis—magical powers such as the ability to hear far away things or appear in several places at once—as well as sacred protection and black magic practices. The author explains how the Kaula practices are related to the 8 Red Goddesses, who can each be found within the 8 chakras and each represent a different aspect of the Royal Path of Shakti. He shares a system of illuminating visualizations to integrate the body of the practitioner with vibration (spanda) and consciousness until there is no difference between the inner world and the cosmos. Presenting the first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, Odier details the practical yogini path to enlightenment and offers a direct transmission through the liberating power of the written word.

Kali hat sich vor einem reichhaltigen Hintergrund entwickelt, der der Anbetung der weiblichen Macht gewidmet war, die überall vor der Entstehung der Religionen verehrt wurde: Die Grosse Mutter.Die Kultur des Hindus-Tals, wo man im Keim alle grossen Ideen findet, die sich in der tantrischen Bewegung kristallisieren sollten, verehrte die grosse Göttin, von der noch kleine, etwa 4500 bis 5000 Jahre alte gebrannte Tonfiguren vorhanden sind. Altsteinzeitliche Stätten stellen die Göttin in Form von dreieckigen Stelen oder gerundetem Gestein dar, einige von ihnen werden noch heute in Indien verehrt.Kali entstand aus ländlichen, vorvedischen Traditionen unzivilisierten und schamanischen Ursprungs, um dann langsam zur indischen Tradition überzuwechseln. Sie wurde zur Gemahlin Shivas und so von den Tantrikern des Kaulapfads angenommen. Seit dem 4. Jahrhundert kam dieser Pfad aus Assam. Er wurde auf meisterhafte Weise vom Mahasiddha Matsyendranath dargelegt, dem Abhinavagupta zu Beginn seines Tantraloka huldigt.Kali wird zur Schöpferin: Die, durch die alles begann.

The Spandakarika, the ""Tantric Song of the Divine Pulsation,"" is said to have been transmitted directly to the sage Vasugupta from the hands of Shiva on Mount Kailas. In his commentary on these fifty-two stanzas, the sage Ksemaraja described them as the heart of the Mahamudra. The oldest masters of Spandakarika viewed everything in the universe, including matter, as consciousness and created a yoga practice in accordance with this realization. The sacred dance of Yoga Spandakarika, Tandava, is extremely subtle and difficult, requiring thousands of hours of practice to master, yet it surpasses any other physical practice, allowing the practitioner to touch the divine inner pulse. Once its third stage has been mastered, the yogi or yogini is able to manifest the dance of Shiva in space, a tradition visible in the statuary of Tantric temples in India and Tibet. Energy is no longer contracted by the perception of duality, and the mind and body become unbounded, forming a sphere that contains all that was formerly outside. In Yoga SpandakarikaDaniel Odier passes on these vanishing teachings as he received them from his Tibetan master, Kalu Rinpoche, and Kashmiri yogi Lalita Devi.

An experiential journey through the secret teachings and self-realization practices of the Kashmiri yogini tradition• Shares vivid, experiential descriptions of the author’s sessions with master Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra to him physically, verbally, and energetically • Presents new translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratybhijna Hrdayam Sutra, and the Spandakarika, each presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow • Pairs the author’s intellectual study of the sacred texts with direct transmissions from his teacher, with each perspective shedding light on the other In 1975, in an isolated Himalayan forest, Daniel Odier met Lalita Devi, a tantric yogini who took him on a mystical journey beyond the limits of sexual experience to transcend the ego, recognize the true self, and rediscover the Divine nature of absolute love. Now, Odier shares the secret teachings and self-realization practices of the Kashmiri Mahamudra (meditation on the mind itself) and the Pratyabhijna (the School of Sudden Recognition).The author offers vivid descriptions of his sessions with Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra and the yoga of emotions to him physically, verbally, and energetically. Lalita Devi knew the principal texts of Kashmiri Shaivism by heart. New translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratyabhijnahrdayam, and the Spandakarika, are provided by Odier along with chants and poems from the yogini tradition. Presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow and restores their original ancient female origins, Crazy Wisdom of the Yogini offers a profound inside look at authentic tantric teachings.