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Tantra: the Yoga of Sex Tantra: The Yoga Of Sex OMAR GARRISON $12.00/PHILOSOPHY (Canada: $16.00) Revealing the ancient secrets and rituals of Hindu wis­ dom, Tantra: The Yoga of Sex teaches modern readers how to gain the mental and physical control over their bodies that will enable them to extend the ecstasy of sexual union far beyond their former experience. Combining philosophical concepts with physical exer­ cises and instructions in mental concentration, Omar V. Garrison explains how to harness the power inherent in sex in order to achieve an elevated state of consciousness - the ultimate union of the spiritual with the sensual. A journey through the wisdom of the ages, as well as a guide to sensual pleasure, Tantra: The Yoga of Sex leads the way to the mystical marriage of God and man. "Never before have I examined a text that presents the sexual union of humans and the preliminary relationships leading up to that goal as lovingly, beautifully, and hopefully as Tantra: The Yoga of Sex. " WILLIAM S. KROGER, M.D. OMAR V. GARRISON is a distinguished foreign correspondent. He studied for holy orders in the Episcopal church before becoming fascinated with Hindu philosophy and Tantra, which he studied in India. Cover design by Barbara Basb ISBN 0-517-54948-4 TANTRA:The Yoga OF Sex OMAR V. GARRISON HARMONY BOOKS/NEW YORK Copyright © MCMLXIV by Omar V. Garrison All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Published by Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers Inc., 201 East 50th Street, New York, New York 10022. Member of the Crown Publishing Group. Random House, Inc. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Garrison, Omar V. Tantra: the yoga of sex by Omar V. Garrison. Bibliography: p. 239-240. 1. Yoga 2. Tantrism. I. Title B132Y6G35 181.45 64-22230 ISBN 0-517-54947-6 (cloth) ISBN 0-517-54948-4 (paper) 10 9 8 1983 Edition For W.W. Contents Preface ix Introduction xv 1. The union of opposites 3 2. Secrets of breath control 13 3. Wheels of ecstasy 27 4. The true beginning 39 5. Secret meaning of color 53 6. Hidden power of sound 65 7. Fragrance of being 79 8. The five true things 89 9. The secret ritual 101 10. The subtle embrace 119 11. The wellspring of youth 135 12. The magic mirrors 149 13. Yoga of the dream state 169 14. The law of return 193 15. Epilogue 205 Appendix: Doctrine of the vital airs 211 Glossary 233 Selected Bibliography 239 Index 241 Preface As a medical man who has practiced gynecology and psy­ chosomatic medicine for more than twenty years and who has had to treat frigidity and impotence, and other sexual problems of many men and women who came to me for help, I can say with conviction that never before have I examined a text that presents the sexual union of humans and the preliminary relationships leading up to that goal as lovingly, beautifully and as hopefully as The Yoga of Sex. In our times we seem to have made more progress in coming face to face with our sexuality than in the im- ix mediately preceding periods. The work of Sigmund Freud and his followers has encouraged the scientific study of sexual taboos and other aspects of social living which had tended to identify the sex life of humans as obscene, degrading and minimizing; to be conducted in dark seclusion in shame. Their effort has been respon­ sible for a great improvement in the more natural and dignified appreciation of the sex function. Because of this, modern psychiatrists, physicians, min­ isters and others whose responsibility is the dissemina­ tion of learning, have been teaching the healthful, hygienic-scientific shamefree approach to sexual rela­ tionships. They have even gone farther along the road by studying the various physical methods of achieving pleasure in the sex act and have developed manuals to dispel biological ignorance and to aid individuals to achieve sex pleasure. These may well be important steps in the right direc­ tion but, as we know, the sexual relationship is also an emotional one and very subjective. It has to be felt as a flow, as part of living and being, rather than only as a lesson learned which will be marked by a teacher for percentage ratings. And we must also consider the fact that for many who have been reared in traditions where the religious plays a signal role, the concept of rational, hygienic sex education is not initially acceptable; in­ voluntarily they tend to withdraw from such proce­ dures. Even when they seem to accept the new freedom and teaching, when they attempt to apply this meth­ odology, because of some seeming inner incompatibility they tend to become rigid and automatonlike, and an­ other type of frustration is born. For such persons, as well as many others who may not manifest identical x TANTRA: The Yoga of Sex symptoms, the awareness that the sex act can be loving, beautiful and holy (not merely in the institutional sense but in terms of a dynamic and expanding universe) is an inspiring and liberating force leading to a greater sense of personal security and more natural human func­ tion. And it is not strange when such a sexual transfor­ mation occurs that a similar liberation and advance is experienced in other areas of a person's existence. Modern science, in its eagerness to absorb complete in­ formation about the world we live in and to use this knowledge to advance mankind, has been inclined to overly departmentalize and to separate in their studies both creatures and things from their nature and devel­ opment. In the area of sex this has led to a stage where too many teachers seem to view sex as though it was something that takes place mechanically on purely a rational plane. This error is transmitted to the pupils who proceed to perform the sex role as taught, but in spite of this, wind up without satisfaction and with the feeling of having failed. In The Yoga of Sex the sexual relationship of the male and female is perceived as an integral part of liv­ ing out the human design and a stage of evolutionary development moving towards a more advanced human­ kind. Love-Tenderness-Respect-Dignity and the Holy are recognized a part of mankind as much as are his more obvious physical attributes. The female is not less than the male; one does not antagonize the other - but both seek and achieve a unity which reflects the deeper, fuller and higher joys of living. And The Yoga of Sex provides training and discipline to prepare for this union since, as their teachers believe, each step of the way is connected to the goal, each step as meaningful, xi Preface each step as vital and so, there is a continuity and a wholeness. The breathing exercises described in this book are an important part of the discipline and are unusually healthful and helpful. Followed regularly, as directed, they are both relaxing and invigorating. The quality of relaxation is non-soporific and the reader will discover sources of self-energy available, of which there was no previous awareness. Those who may previously have viewed themselves as unduly passive in the sexual role, will find the desire and ability to actively participate in whatever role is in order. The Yoga of Sex is based on ancient Tantric wisdom. Tantra Yoga is the only Yoga which comes to grips with human sexuality. One of the major criticisms of Yoga by Western scholars has been the emphasis on celibacy and the seeming disregard of the world in which we live, which to the Western mind and culture represents a re­ jection of our present existence. Tantra Yoga regards the present as meaningful and as the only means of achieving tomorrow. This knowledge, according to his­ torians, originally was born in India, but whether it was born in India or was brought from some other early highly developed civilization, what is more important is its truly scientific character. These ancients had a view and an understanding of man which, when added and connected to our Western practical approach and development, can add to our stature, increase our ability to perceive and give us a higher purpose and meaning for living. These concepts provide something we seem desperately to lack, that we seek to satisfy in the acquisition of more and more things - in power over others which we do not know how to use - and instead xii TANTRA: The Yoga of Sex provides us with the means to quiet the frustration of not knowing who we are. It offers joy to replace confu­ sion, hope to replace despair. I cannot conceive of any reasonable, intelligent, sensi­ tive person reading this work not benefitting from its good sense, its many elements of scientific validity and the vision of a more beautiful and meaningful mankind. WILLIAM S. KROGER, M.D. Los Angeles, Calif. August 1964 xiii Preface "As one falls on the ground, one must lift oneself by aid of the ground." - Kularnava Tantra Introduction This book, which will reveal to you some of the closely guarded secrets of a little-known branch of yoga, was written with a two-fold purpose in mind. First was the aim of presenting for the first time in an easy-to-understand text, the basic philosophy and dis­ ciplines of Tantra, a yogic tradition compatible with the Western way of life.
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