A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra (Meeting the Buddhas)

A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra is a fascinating insight into a subject that has captivated the imagination of many but remains mysterious and exotic to all but a few. Tantric deities? Who are they and what do they do? This volume focuses on the deities whose mantra recitation and colorful visualizations lie at the heart of the Tantra. We meet goddesses of wisdom, the prince of purity, the lotus-born guru Padmasambhava, and dakinis wild-haired women who dance in the flames of freedom. All, the peaceful and the wrathful alike, urge the reader to break through to wisdom, pointing out the true nature of reality with uncompromising vigor. Devoid of pop culture misperceptions, this guide is a window into the sometimes mysterious world of Buddhist Tantra. Vessantara explores the key characteristics of the Tantra in this magical fusion of the practical and the imaginativegiving us a direct insight in into the poetry and the power of the Tantra. A much-published and well-respected Buddhist author, meditator, and teacher, Vessantara is a senior member of the Western Buddhist Order. He holds a particular love for Tibetan Buddhism and is well-known as an effective storyteller. This is one of three volumes looking at Buddha figures in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition. "This book is an insight into a subject that has captured the imagination of many but remains mysterious and exotic to all but a few." "This volume focuses on the deities whose mantra recitation and colourful visualizations lie at the heart of the Tantra. We meet goddesses of wisdom, the prince of purity, the lotus-born Padmasambhava, and dakinis - sky walkers who dance in the flames of freedom. All of them, peaceful and wrathful alike, urge the reader to break through to wisdom, pointing out the true nature of reality with uncompromising vigour." "Devoid of pop culture misperceptions, this guide is a window into the sometimes mysterious world of Buddhist Tantra. Vessantara explores the key characteristics of the Tantra in this magical fusion of the practical and the imaginative - giving us a direct insight into the poetry and the power of the Tantra."--Jacket Focuses on the deities whose mantra recitation and colourful visualizations lie at the heart of the Tantra. This book includes descriptions of goddesses of wisdom; the lotus-born guru Padmasambhava and dakinis - wild-haired women who dance in the flames of freedom. A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra is a fascinating insight into a subject that has captured the imagination of many but remains mysterious and exotic to all but a few.