The Origins of Yoga and Tantra: Indic Religions to the Thirteenth CenturyYoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernized forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism or Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 CE, with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns. |
Contents
PART ONE MEDITATION AND YOGA | |
The Second Urbanisation of South Asia | |
Two worlds and their interactions | |
Religion in the early states | |
The origins of the Buddhist and Jaina orders 7 The Brahmanical alternative | |
Asceticism and celibacy in Indic religions | |
PART TWO TANTRA | |
The classical synthesis | |
Tantra and the wild goddesses | |
Subtle bodies longevity and internal alchemy | |
Tantra and the state | |
The later history of yoga and Tantra | |
Postlude | |
Common terms and phrases
aiva Aryan ascetic Asian associated Atharvaveda Bengal Bhairava body Brahmanical Bronkhorst Buddha Buddhist Buddhist and Jaina Buddhist Tantra Central Gangetic region centre century BCE Chapter Chinese complex context cult cultural dating deities Delhi Dynasty evidence female figures goddess Gombrich groups Gupta gveda Hindu Hinduism iconography imagery important Indian Indic religions Indo-Aryan Indo-Aryan languages Indus Valley Jain Jaina Jainism Journal kind king kingship Kuru-Pańc Kuru-Pańcala later liberating insight major male meditation modern monastic monks Newar noted Olivelle original Oxford Pali Pali Canon Parpola Patańjali perhaps period political practitioners rama referred relation religious renunciate ritual role Samuel Sanderson Sanskrit seen sexual practices shamanic significant social society South Asia South India Southeast Asia spiritual Studies suggests Tantra Tantric practice techniques temples texts textual Tibet Tibetan tradition transgressive Translated University Press Upanisads urban Vedic material village vratyas Witzel yoga yogic