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The Alchemical Body
Siddha Traditions in Medieval India
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David Gordon White
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
1996
About this book
The Alchemical Body excavates and centers within its Indian context the lost tradition of the medieval Siddhas. Working from previously unexplored alchemical sources, David Gordon White demonstrates for the first time that the medieval disciplines of Hindu alchemy and hatha yoga were practiced by one and the same people, and that they can be understood only when viewed together. White opens the way to a new and more comprehensive understanding of medieval Indian mysticism, within the broader context of south Asian Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam.
"White proves a skillful guide in disentangling historical and theoretical complexities that have thus far bedeviled the study of these influential aspects of medieval Indian culture."—Yoga World
"Anyone seriously interested in finding out more about authentic tantra, original hatha yoga, embodied liberation . . . sacred sexuality, paranormal abilities, healing, and of course alchemy will find White's extraordinary book as fascinating as any Tom Clancy thriller."—Georg Feuerstein, Yoga Journal
"White proves a skillful guide in disentangling historical and theoretical complexities that have thus far bedeviled the study of these influential aspects of medieval Indian culture."—Yoga World
"Anyone seriously interested in finding out more about authentic tantra, original hatha yoga, embodied liberation . . . sacred sexuality, paranormal abilities, healing, and of course alchemy will find White's extraordinary book as fascinating as any Tom Clancy thriller."—Georg Feuerstein, Yoga Journal
Topics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
vii -
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Preface
ix -
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Note on Transliteration
xv -
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Abbreviations
xvii -
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1. Indian Paths to Immortality
1 -
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2. Categories of Indian Thought: The Universe by Numbers
15 -
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3. The Prehistory of Tantric Alchemy
48 -
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4. Sources for the History of Tantric Alchemy in India
78 -
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5. Tantric and Siddha Alchemical Literature
123 -
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6. Tantra in the Rasārṇava
171 -
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7. Corresponding Hierarchies: The Substance of the Alchemical Body
184 -
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8. Homologous Structures of the Alchemical Body
218 -
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9. The Dynamics of Transformation in Siddha Alchemy
263 -
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10. Penetration, Perfection, and Immortality
303 -
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Epilogue. The Siddha Legacy in Modern India
335 -
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Notes
353 -
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Selected Bibliography
521 -
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Index
555
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
July 10, 2012
eBook ISBN:
9780226149349
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
614
Other:
6 line drawings
eBook ISBN:
9780226149349
Keywords for this book
siddha; tradition; traditional; traditions; medieval; middle ages; time period; era; history; historical; india; indian; southeast asia; eastern world; sources; academic; scholarly; research; hindu; alchemy; hatha yoga; mystic; mysticism; context; contextual; hinduism; buddhism; jainism; islam; tantra; culture; cultural; religion; religious studies; mortality; reincarnation
Audience(s) for this book
Professional and scholarly;
