Buddhist Tantra

"Within my body are all the sacred places of the world," the Buddhist saint Saraha once said, "and the most profound pilgrimage that I can ever make is within my own body." For 15 centuries, the realized masters of the tantric path used the crucible of their own lives to develop a powerful and accelerated means to enlightenment. Today, these teachings remain alive within the usually hidden inner courtyard of the Vajrayana vehicle of Tibetan Buddhism, a tradition that requires the courage to engage your body, your human desires, and your most challenging life obstacles as the basic fuel for insight. Now, with Buddhist Tantra, esteemed teacher Reggie Ray introduces you to these precious teachings, and invites you to explore the path to naked and unprecedented experience. The popular or exoteric teachings of Buddhism are known to many, yet its esoteric teachings remain relatively unknown in the West. If you have been seeking a gateway to this potent tradition, Buddhist Tantra is an unsurpassed opportunity to enter into the temple of its deepest truths. Entering the Vajra World through the Vehicle of Your Body The word "tantra" means "to weave through," a metaphor that points to the vibrant fabric of intelligent and living energies that make up the essence of every cell of your body, every fleeting thought you have, and every particle of the universe. Entering this undefiled and ever-renewing vajra world is the promise of the tantric path. On Buddhist Tantra, through specific teachings and guided meditations designed to open your body and mind, you will begin to encounter this wondrous and indisputable realm of reality. From this embodied foundation, you will experience 12 sessions of rare teachings including: The Feminine Principle—Why this primordial force is central to awakening, how feminine energies manifest themselves in human form, and how to bring them into each stage of your practice The Inner Yanas—Working with your subtle body and its energetic centers, channels, and nodes to release karmic blockages, and move beyond the habits and distortions of your mind Yidam—Advanced practices for invoking the support of deities, spiritual energies, and eternal buddhas Mahamudra and Dzogchen—The pinnacle of Buddhist tantra, and its profound teachings about formless awareness and highest realization Tantra's fascinating map of reality and spiritual realization Why enlightenment begins in the physical body The three turnings of Buddhist wisdom The role of sexuality and desire in tantric practice How realized teachers reveal the nature of our minds A powerful meditation for grounding your body in the seat of awareness The Buddhist saints, their extraordinary experiences, and what we can learn from them Unifying your masculine and feminine energy channels A guided practice to connect with the earth as a sentient source of equanimity and calm The dangerous friend: the role of the spiritual teacher When meditation is not enough: tantric perspectives for overcoming difficult obstacles The consort—Allying with a spiritual beloved on the tantric path Six complete guided meditations, including prana breathing, body awareness, abdominal breathing, and more 12 sessions of clear and deeply engaging guidance with a trusted teacher of Buddhist tantra