James A Beeby

Western Tantra James A Beeby

The essence of this book is tantra, which in Sanskrit means "to weave," as in to interweave your thread of life with that of others to create a tapestry, an integrated whole that serves a purpose or tells a story. The essence of tantra is to use everything you have to transform yourself from an unhappy limited mortal to one who is in contact with what we call the eternal and infinite. Tantric practices date back to the Hindu religion and probably have roots further back in time than that. This is ancient tantra, not the modern neotantra that has no relationship to true tantra. True tantric techniques can be used to supplement any religious or non-religious practices. Tantra is famous, possibly infamous, for its sexual practices, and we will cover those in this book. But tantra extends far beyond the sexual arena and can encompass all aspects of life. The term Western Tantra as a specific practice is the universal aspect of the traditional forms of tantra practiced in the Eastern religions, stripped of its Eastern cultural trappings and reframed and repopulated with the cultural foundations of the Western nations. Why reframe tantra? Eastern tantra is tailored to the Eastern nations which have different histories, mindsets, and traditions that seem very foreign and unrealistic to Westerners. Stories of flying statues, magic jewels and such make us question other concepts which may be true. This book adapts Eastern tantra for use in the West by those of any faith, or those with none.