Tantric Knowledge : Philosophy, History, Practice

In this book, distinguished scholar of Hinduism and Comparative Religion Gavin Flood provides a general introduction to the subject of Tantra: what it is, where it fits into the history of South Asia and beyond, what its links are to Hinduism and Buddhism, and how contemporary Tantra transforms the older tradition.

Tantra has become a topic of wide interest, associated in the popular imagination with improving one’s love life or with sensational magic and nefarious goings on. Both have a tenuous link with the historical reality of Tantra, its long history and traditions of practice and belief.

In Tantric Knowledge, Gavin Flood sets out to correct these common misrepresentations, offering a balanced and engaging thematic introduction to the ideas, practices, and history of Hindu Tantra. Tantric Knowledge explores what the Tantric traditions are, their origin and formation, and what they mean for us today.

Tantric traditions claim to possess knowledge about the nature of the universe, the nature of ourselves as human beings, and how we fit into the wider cosmos around us. This book is about this Tantric knowledge in the texts and traditions that profess it. The study of these traditions raises important questions of both historical and existential importance.

Professor Gavin Flood FBA is the Dean of Academic Affairs at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Senior Research Fellow at Campion Hall, Oxford University. He is the author of works on Hinduism and Comparative Religion including Religion and the Philosophy of Life and The Truth Within: A History of Inwardness in Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is an academy for the study of Hindu cultures, societies, philosophies, religions, and languages. The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Mandala Publishing Series offers authoritative yet accessible introductions to a wide range of subjects in Hindu Studies. Each book in the series aims to present its subject matter in a form that is engaging and readily comprehensible to persons of all backgrounds – academic or otherwise – without compromising scholarly rigour. The series thus bridges the divide between academic and popular writing by preserving and utilising the best elements of both.

General Editor: Lucian Wong
Editorial Board: John Brockington, Avni Chag, James Madaio, and Valters Negribs

For information on Continuing Education Courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, visit www.ochsonline.org