The Tantric Way: Art, Science, Ritual

Boston, MA: New York Graphic Society, 1977. Softcover. VG- (minor age toning on textblock, minor shelf wear, all pages clear and intact). Green and white illustrated wraps with black lettering on cover, black spine with white lettering; 208 pp., mostly bw illustrations, some in color. "The life-affirming philosophy of tantra and its application to everyday life have created wide and enthusiastic interest in the West in the past decade. The Tantric Way is a practical guide to the creative mystery of this religious and mystical system to achieve awareness. Derived from the essential tenets of Indian thought, tantra was nourished by radically different, even heretical, sources. It embraces the fullest acceptance of physical desires; it regards man as the embodiment of universal forces; it accepts the natural world. Contemplation must be active, and includes the use of meditative tools, group rituals, rhythmic breathing, and sexual union. Nor does it rule out the use of drugs to reach an expanded and creative awareness. The sexual component of tantra has long been misunderstood, obscured by the distaste of nineteenth-century scholars and the secrecy of the initiates; The Tantric Way explains the symbolism behind the forthright language of the texts and the erotic postures of tantric art. The books is fully illustrated with paintings, drawings, and diagrams. The illustrations serve to explain and instruct, but the compelling work produced by tantric artists will also have strong visual appeal to the Western eye educated by Klee, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Rothko, and Nolan." - blurb on back on book.