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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Hinduism
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Renowned Goddess of Desire - Women, Sex, and Speech in Tantra (Hardcover, New)
Loot Price: R2,420
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Renowned Goddess of Desire - Women, Sex, and Speech in Tantra (Hardcover, New)
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Tantra is a family of rituals modeled on those of the Vedas and
their attendant texts and lineages. These rituals typically involve
the visualization of a deity, offerings, and the chanting of his or
her mantra. Common variations include visualizing the deity in the
act of sexual union with a consort, visualizing oneself as the
deity, and "transgressive" acts such as token consumption of meat
or alcohol. Most notoriously, non-standard or ritualized sex is
sometimes practiced. This accounts for Tantra's negative reputation
in some quarters and its reception in the West primarily as a
collection of sexual practices.
Although some today extol Tantra's liberating qualities, the role
of women remains controversial. Traditionally there are two views
of women and Tantra. Either the feminine is a metaphor and actual
women are altogether absent, or Tantra involves the transgressive
use of women's bodies to serve male interests. Loriliai Biernacki
presents an alternative view, in which women are revered,
worshipped, and considered worthy of spiritual attainment. Her
primary sources are a collection of eight relatively modern Tantric
texts written in Sanskrit from the 15th through the 18th century.
Her analysis of these texts reveals a view of women that is
generally positive and empowering. She focuses on four topics: 1)
the "Kali Practice," in which women appear not only as objects of
reverence but as practitioners and gurus; 2) the Tantric sex rite,
especially in the case that, contrary to other Tantric texts, the
preference is for wives as ritual consorts; 3) feminine language
and the gendered implications of mantra; and 4) images of male
violence towards women in tantric myths.Biernacki, by choosing to
analyse eight particular Sanskrit texts, argues that within the
tradition of Tantra there exists a representation of women in which
the female is an authoritative, powerful, equal participant in the
Tantric ritual practice
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