Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening [Paperback]

• Explains how the primal energy generated by physical desire can be used to achieve enlightenment

• Reveals the techniques used by Tantric adepts to attain mastery over breath, thought, and all physical processes

Nothing can match the explosive energy created in the body by pure desire. For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind.

Desireexplores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity.Desirereveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch'an master Chinul's treatise on theSecrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known asMaithuna.Daniel Odier is one of France's most honored authors. He founded the Tantra/Chan Center in Paris and has taught courses on the spiritual traditions of the Far East at several American universities, including the University of California. He is the author of several works of nonfiction includingNirvana TaoandTantric Quest, and many novels. His mystery novels, written under the pen name Delacorta, include Diva, which was made into an award-winning film in 1981. He lives in Switzerland.Part I
1.The Quest: Hedonistic or Spiritual?
2.A Third Path
3.Nostalgia for Unity

Part II
4.The Power of Woman
5.We Are What We Seek
6.Breath: Door of Ourl³