Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition Paperback – Illustrated, August 15, 2013

I’ve searched for a good introductory book on Kashmir Shaivism / Tantra for a long, long time…. And this is it! I’m only 75 pages in and it’s already worth the price! Christopher Wallis has an amazing talent of taking complex philosophical and religious topics and explaining them in an easy-to-understand manner that motivates and excites you to incorporate them into your spiritual life. I sincerely believe this book is going to be life-changing for me, and I cannot thank the author enough! Highly, highly, HIGHLY and enthusiastically recommended!!!

One of the first authors I've ever read who has been able to make the myriad terms within this philosophical system truly clear and cogent in English. The history, development, and philosophy of this amazing tradition finally articulated in a wonderfully written book. I find myself deeply resonant with this perspective. Both of his book have a true treasure to read, as I'm in the midst of the Recognition Sutras now. But this is the first book and the introduction to the second.

I have read it a few times. Each time I learn something new about history, about philosophy, about religion, about myself. There is a lot in this book. It has many layers.

Christopher (Hareesh) Wallis has written THE definitive, modern day work on classical non-dual Saiva Tantra (NST). This book is simply masterful. The author manages to write with a scholarly breadth, but in an easily accessible and engaging style. Many books on Tantra fall into two unfortunate categories. Either they are written in a dense, academic prose that does not lend itself well to the non-scholar, or else they are purporting the bastardized version of "Neo-Tantra" with its overt and almost exclusive emphasis on sexuality. The author manages to avoid both of these pitfalls and the result is an easily readable and enjoyable ride that delivers accurate, scholarly, and practical information on one of the most profound religious philosophies ever developed.In the book, the author manages to tackle the daunting task of actually defining, or at least delimiting, Tantra. This is no mean feat - scholars have been debating the meaning of Tantra for decades. After clearly presenting what Tantra is and what it is not, he delves into the philosophy of Tantra. What the author is calling non-dual Saiva Tantra (NST) is the Kuala variant of a Trika/Krama synthesis of Saiva Tanta as per Abhinavagupta, at least insofar as the philosophy is concerned. He carefully details the major "western" philosophical components of NST as well as the major philosophical points of interest inherent to NST. This section of the book is simply amazing. There is nowhere else that you can find all of the major philosophical components of classical Tantra in one place and that are explained so eloquently.After the philosophy section, the author gives a detailed, but generalized, accounting of the history of Saiva Tantra. A lot of his work is based off of Alexis Sanderson, who is the pre-eminent scholar of Saiva Tantra. Not only do we learn the genesis and development of the classical Tantra, but we also learn that the Tantra subsumed many elements of Patanjali's Yoga to produce Hatha Yoga, which he clearly shows has its roots in the Tantra. It is from Hatha Yoga that we obtained the Modern Postural Yoga. So not only do we get to learn about this history of classical Tantra, but we also learn about the Tantric roots of modern day yoga practice. The history is both relevant and fascinating.Finally, the author covers the practice of NST in the modern day context. He covers the three "Means" to awakening and gives a detailed analysis of how one can use many of these practices today. In summary, this is THE one-stop shop for the most relevant and useful information regarding classical Saiva Tantra. As a student-practitioner-teacher, I feel confident in saying that no other currently available book in the English language comes close to the status of Tantra Illuminated as literal "Bible" in the field.

The book can be deep and a little difficult to process, that said, it is worth reading 2-3 times just to soak up all the information. Be patient with yourself. Many concepts covered, well worth the time to understand them all. This book is a must read for anyone on a spiritual journey.

I like this book. I originally listened to the Audible book but found the amount of material to be too difficult to integrate. The Audible book lacks essential figures and tables although it does have chants and features that make for a good companion to the print book.The book has three major sections. First is the essential elements of nondual saiva tantra (NŚT). This is difficult material to convey due to the philosophical nature of the teachings and the experiential aspect of understanding. Reading and meditation are recommended. The recommended steps are invaluable in understanding the subtle nature.The second section is a description of major NŚT schools of thought, the deities, and unique practices. The reading here is interesting.The third section is about the practice. The practical descriptions are accurate but brief.The book also includes valuable end material including Christopher Wallis’ biography and spiritual heritage, and a very helpful guide in pronunciation of Sanskrit words.

It’s been eye opening!

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