TANTRA A WAY OF LIVING AND LOVING

Radha C. Luglio describes her personal journey of spiritual transformation in which she discovers the basic principles of Tantra’s devotion, receptivity, naturalness, meditation and sensuality through a variety of intense experiences. Each chapter is a transmission of Tantric understanding to the reader. Each begins with a quote from a different enlightened mystic and ends with a Tantric meditation technique. While telling her story, Radha draws on a variety of sources, such as Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, one of the oldest Hindu scriptures, and the sayings of ancient Buddhist Tantra masters such as Tilopa, Naropa and Saraha. She describes her initiation as a disciple to an Indian mystic, Osho, whom she regards as a modern Tantra master, and the personal guidance she receives from him. She applies this guidance to her life as a seeker, which includes periods of celibacy, discipline and hard work contrasted with times of intense sexual exploration and freedom. As one of Osho’s chief mediums, Radha participates in high-powered experiments with Tantric energy that she compares with cases of spiritual possession among Christian nuns in medieval Europe. Later, she describes her farewell to her spiritual master and her decision to develop and offer her own Tantra work. Radha’s approach to Tantra is unique. She conveys the essence of Tantra as a way of life, a spiritual path and a support for love, sex and intimacy. She explains the origins of Tantra, the context in which it flourished and the reasons why it died. She points out the pitfalls that face people today, including over-emphasis on sexual technique, and explains how Tantra can give the world a new direction, offering a holistic vision that heals the age-old split between body and soul.