Preface ix
Introduction: Tantra, the Great Spiritual Synthesis of India 1

1. Samsara: Cyclic Existence 20
2. Time, Bondage, and the Goddess Kali 32
3. This Is the Other World: Samsara Equals Nirvana 42
4. The Secret of Embodiment: As Above, So Below 52
5. The Divine Play of Shiva and Shakti 70
6. The Guru Principle: Shiva Incarnate 85
7. Initiation: Bringing Down the Light 95
8. Discipleship: The Ordeal of Self-Transformation 110
9. The Tantric Path: Ritual and Spontaneity 120
10. The Subtle Body and Its Environment 139
11. Awakening the Serpent Power 165
12. Mantra: The Potency of Sound 184
13. Creating Sacred Space: Nyasa, Mudra, Yantra 201
14. The Transmutation of Desire 224
15. Enlightenment and the Hidden Powers of the Mind 250

Epilogue: Tantra Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 268
Notes 275
Select Bibliography 295
Index 301
About the Author 315