Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire

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Simon and Schuster, Jun 10, 2005 - Religion - 192 pages
What is tantra? Who is qualified to practice it? How should it be practiced? What are the results? According to Buddhism, every human being has the potential to achieve profound and lasting happiness. And according to the tantric teachings of Buddhism, this remarkable transformation can be realized very quickly if we utilize all aspects of our human energy - especially the energy of our desires.

Introduction to Tantra is the best available clarification of a subject that is often misunderstood. This new edition of this classic text includes a new foreword by Philip Glass and a new cover design, but leaves untouched Lama Yeshe's excellent original text, edited by Jonathan Landaw.

Tantra recognizes that the powerful energy aroused by our desire is an indispensable resource for the spiritual path. It is precisely because our lives are so inseparably linked with desire that we must make use of desire's tremendous energy not just for pleasure, but to transform our lives.

Lama Yeshe presents tantra as a practice leading to joy and self-discovery, with a vision of reality that is simple, clear, and extremely relevant to twenty-first century life.
 

Contents

Foreword by Philip Glass 1 Basic Purity
Desire and Happiness
Pleasure Disappointment and Fulfillment
Overthrowing the Tyranny of Ordinary Appearances
Emerging from Dissatisfaction
Opening the Heart
Dissolving SelfCreated Limitations
Clear Spaciousness of Mind
Inspiration and the Guru
Entering Highest Tantric Practice
Arising as a Deity
Final Accomplishment
Glossary
Index
About the Author
Copyright

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About the author (2005)

Lama Thubten Yeshe (1935-1984) was born in Tibet and educated at the great Sera Monastic University. He fled the Chinese oppression in 1959 and in the late 1960s, with his chief disciple, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, began teaching Buddhism to Westerners at their Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal. In 1975 they founded the international Buddhist organization, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), which now has more than 160 centers, projects and services worldwide.

Jonathan Landaw was born in New Jersey and has traveled the world since 1970. He spent six years living in northern India studying Tibetan Buddhism and is the editor and author of a number of Buddhist books, including Wisdom Energy, Introduction to Tantra, and Buddhism for Dummies. He lives in Santa Cruz, California.

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