Preface
Fourteen years back while the author of this present volume had been engaged in studying and discussing works on different systems of Indian philosophy such as Samkhya-Yoga, Vedanta, Bauddha etc., he felt the urge for a systematic presentation of a comprehensive stream of Indian philosophy and culture called Tantras in general. This stream forms a significant part of India's tradition, culture and spiritual practices from time immemorial.
In spite of some commendable spade works on Tantras from historical point of view by Sir John Woodroffe and his foundation of Agama Anusandhana Samiti and its publications, works on Kasmira Saivism by J.C. Chatterjee, K.C. Pandey and other distinguished scholars, some works on Tamil School of Saivism called Saiva Sidihanta and outstanding contributions made by M. M. Pandit Gopinath Kaviraj, Swami Pratyagatmananda Sarasvati, Sri Aurobindo and others on Sakta view of life and spiritual practice (Sadhana), it is still the least understood, and misinterpreted system of Indian culture and thought.
It is true that Tantras are essentially Sadhana Sastras but that does not stand in the way of interpreting its fundamental concepts in a rational way. Every system of Indian philosophy such as, Samkhya-Yoga, Nyaya-Vaisesika, Vedanta and Buddha etc. has got a distinctive spiritual side of its own but each of its speculative part is also very much developed. Hundreds of Commentaries and Critical Notes have been written on each of these schools. Why not then the Fundamental Concepts of Tantras should be made intelligible to the educated public? Philosophy that is relevant to life is always a living analysis of experience, an account of the experiential possession at every step of analysis, as much as at the natural level as at the level of Transcendence, and Tantra is exactly that II a sort of Phenomenology enlivening ...
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