The path of desire: living Tantra in northeast India
"In the Western popular imagination, there is a singular association between Tantra and sex. But behind sensationalist stories of Tantric lovemaking lies a rich spiritual and textual tradition of which sexual union is only a small, and fiercely debated, part. In The Path of Desire, Hugh B. Urba...
| Subtitles: | Living Tantra in northeast India |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Subito Delivery Service: | Order now. |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Chicago London
The University of Chicago Press
[2024]
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| In: | Year: 2024 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
India (Nordost)
/ Tantrism
/ Kama (Concept of)
B Assam / Tantrism / Folk religion / Magic / Healing B Assam / Tantrism / Animal sacrifice B Kāmākhyā-Tempel (Gauhati) / Shaktism / Religious festival B India / Tantrism / Reception / Pop culture |
| Further subjects: | B
Tantrism (India) (Assam)
B Folk Religion (India) (Assam) B Desire Religious aspects Hinduism |
| Summary: | "In the Western popular imagination, there is a singular association between Tantra and sex. But behind sensationalist stories of Tantric lovemaking lies a rich spiritual and textual tradition of which sexual union is only a small, and fiercely debated, part. In The Path of Desire, Hugh B. Urban takes us on an ethnographic journey to Assam, the heartland of Tantric practice in contemporary India, revealing the vibrant, dynamic lived tradition of Hindu Tantra. The Path of Desire expands our definition of kāma, a central concept of Tantra generally translated as "desire," to focus on mundane and worldly desires such as healing and childbearing. This more holistic notion of desire manifests itself in popular folk practice, which Urban categorizes in four forms: institutional Tantra, comprised of gurus, disciples, and esoteric rituals; public Tantra, involving offerings and temple celebrations; folk Tantra, focusing on practices of healing, protection, material wellbeing, and desire fulfillment; and pop Tantra, or how Tantra is portrayed in popular media such as paperbacks, comic books, and movies. The result is a nuanced understanding of Tantra as a diverse lived tradition"-- |
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| Item Description: | Includes bibliographical references and index |
| ISBN: | 0226831108 |