{"product_id":"renowned-goddess-of-desire-women-sex-and-speech-in-tantra-9780195327830","title":"Renowned Goddess of Desire: Women, Sex, and Speech in Tantra","description":"Tantra is a family of rituals modeled on those of the Vedas and their attendant texts and lineages. These rituals typically involve the visualization of a deity, offerings, and the chanting of his or her mantra. Common variations include visualizing the deity in the act of sexual union with a\u003cbr\u003econsort, visualizing oneself as the deity, and transgressive acts such as token consumption of meat or alcohol. Most notoriously, non-standard or ritualized sex is sometimes practiced. This accounts for Tantra's negative reputation in some quarters and its reception in the West primarily as a\u003cbr\u003ecollection of sexual practices. \u003cbr\u003eAlthough some today extol Tantra's liberating qualities, the role of women remains controversial. Traditionally there are two views of women and Tantra. Either the feminine is a metaphor and actual women are altogether absent, or Tantra involves the transgressive use of women's bodies to serve male\u003cbr\u003einterests. Loriliai Biernacki presents an alternative view, in which women are revered, worshipped, and considered worthy of spiritual attainment. Her primary sources are a collection of eight relatively modern Tantric texts written in Sanskrit from the 15th through the 18th century. Her analysis\u003cbr\u003eof these texts reveals a view of women that is generally positive and empowering. She focuses on four topics: 1) the Kali Practice, in which women appear not only as objects of reverence but as practitioners and gurus; 2) the Tantric sex rite, especially in the case that, contrary to other Tantric\u003cbr\u003etexts, the preference is for wives as ritual consorts; 3) feminine language and the gendered implications of mantra; and 4) images of male violence towards women in tantric myths. Biernacki, by choosing to analyse eight particular Sanskrit texts, argues that within the tradition of Tantra there\u003cbr\u003eexists a representation of women in which the female is an authoritative, powerful, equal participant in the Tantric ritual practice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Loriliai Biernacki\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press, USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/01\/2007\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 312\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.97lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.66d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780195327830\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLoriliai Biernacki\u003c\/strong\u003e is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis title is not returnable\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press, USA","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":39930755743859,"sku":"9.78E+12","price":62.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/products\/img_81ea34a3-5e6a-4d5a-b6fc-2e88941dd620.jpg?v=1647699164","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/products\/renowned-goddess-of-desire-women-sex-and-speech-in-tantra-9780195327830","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}