Tantric Quest: An Encounter with Absolute Love

Book Description

The author reveals his passionate experiences with a female Tantric master who taught him the suppressed practices of her ancient order.

In 1968 Daniel Odier left Europe for the Himalayas, searching for a master who could help him go where texts and intellectual searching could no longer take him. He wanted everything: the wisdom and spirituality gained from the life of an ascetic and the beauty, love, and sensuality of a life of passion. He found both in Shivaic Tantrism, the secret spiritual path that seeks to transcend ego and rediscover the divine by embracing the passions. In an isolated Himalayan forest Odier met Devi, a great yogini who would take him on a mystical journey like none he had ever imagined. At times taking him beyond the limits of sexual experience, at times threatening him with destruction, she taught him what it is to truly be alive and to know the divine nature of absolute love.

This is the personal memoir of one of France's most honored writers.

Tantrism is the only ancient philosophy to survive all historical upheavals, invasions, and influences to reach us intact by uninterrupted transmission from master to disciple, and the only one to retain the image of the Great Goddess as the ultimate source of power.

Customer Reviews:

Great on Every Level.......2007-03-22

This book is a great read. It works as a story, as instruction, and as literature. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Deeper into life.......2006-08-18

It says a lot about the personal qualities of Daniel Odier that he was accepted by a skilful teacher from a true tradition of Tantra, and was also able to pursue the teaching, over years of practice, to its realization.

Mystical sex is certainly a part of this book -- Odier makes no secret of this interest as he begins his quest -- but as his learning continues, he and his search grow beyond it. The story is both fascinating and inspiring. When finally he is given his sexual initiation, he has abandoned the sexual quest, so that what he actually receives is an initiation into absolute love. Paradoxically, it is only at this point that he can truly enter the sexual experience -- and truly enter, as well, every other experience of human life.

Although some may wonder if it all really happened, the story rings true because it continually relates the struggle to overcome the ego. The absolute love of Odier's teacher allows her to place her willing but unsuspecting student, time after time, in exactly the situation which will push his ego to its limits. He must give up grabby goals, self-preservation and mental chatter each time. His ultimate reward is the awareness of this love: the great goal of the mystic, a union with all that exists. There are parallels with Buddhist meditation teachings, and the story also recalls certain words of the Bible, for example that perfect love casts out fear, or that we must lose the world in order to gain the Kingdom.

Through it all, the key is perfect awareness of the present moment, inner and outer. There is certainly sex in the book, including a wonderful (and discreet) description of a Tantric sex act which demystifies the subject for Westerners who have only had the works of non-initiates to read up to now. (Western students of tantra-sex who have attended workshops will recall learning to become more fully present to themselves and their partners.) Daniel Odier's story offers this and far more, not only sex but also the constant partners of sex: life, death and above all love.

I read the original French version, but the English translation is also very clear.

one man's spiritual Tantric quest.......2006-04-27

In this story of his personal spiritual quest to find a Tantric master, Odier, a young man, wanders through India where an unusual, sometimes disastrous, sequence of events leads him deep in the forest to yogini Lalita Devi. Over a period of months, Odier undergoes a series of trials, tests, and rituals of purification that culminate in a sacred sex initiation in which he experiences the awakening of the kundalini, and the joining of the divine forces of Shiva and Shakti.

A Gift of Liberation From a Master.......2001-11-15

That is what the essance of Tantra is. Daniel Odier writes about his search to find a Master to recieve this ancient and secretive teaching from. On the verge of giving up he retreats to a small village in India where, almost seemingly by accident, he finds a great Yogini Tantric Master, Devi, in the forest. She agrees to take him on as a student and so begins Daniel's immersion into a whole new way of experiencing the world.

The transmission of Tantric tradition is very personal. Devi puts Daniel through a variety of tests to strengthen the bond and trust between them. She warns him at the outset of this journey that doubts about himself, anger and even hatred of her could manifest during their work together. As Daniel progresses, and the master/student bond is solidified, Devi's teachings become more deep and subtle. The final part of his time spent with Devi involves his initiation into the Tantric ritual sex, the joining of Shiva and Shakti, causing the rising of the Kundalini(a sacred spiritual force that purifies the body for deeper spiritual attainment).

Daniel not only shares his experience of Devi and what she taught him, but tells how he came back to the 'real world' to use what he learned. Not always an easy task.

A fairly good book, a beautiful story of the student/master relationship, and it's not too wordy either. A basic knowlege of Hinduism is a real plus when reading this.

Excellent story and the teaching.......2000-11-09

Although I have been on my path of `enlightenment' for a very short time, I have had a chance to read through numerous publications (Power of Now, Tao Te Ching, Flow, Wisdom of Vedas) and other, I found this one to be a more realistic teaching. The answer to the eternal question of where to find happiness is answered for you on a very practical level, just like The Lost Gospel (as far as I heard). The difficult part is incorporating the teaching into your every day life that is if you really want to do that in the first place.

Tantric Quest : An Encounter with Absolute Love

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Tantric Quest : An Encounter with Absolute Love
Daniel Odler
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0733800807

Book Description

Doug Keeney. The companion to Gun Camera World War II, Gun Camera Pacific contains many never-before-seen images from the missions that helped win the war.

Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq
Average customer rating:

a comprehensive narrative

Superb Personal Effort, Narrow, Needs Other References

Real Americans need read this

History Filled In

The Best Book on the Bushes

Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq
Robert Parry
Manufacturer: The Media Consortium
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Bush, George | ( B ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
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Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & 'Project Truth'

Armed Madhouse: From Baghdad to New Orleans--Sordid Secrets and Strange Tales of a White House Gone Wild

Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic (American Empire Project)

Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army

9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA, Fourth Edition

ASIN: 1893517012

Book Description

Tracing investigative leads back through three decades, Secrecy & Privilege explores the mystery of how the two George Bushes rose to the pinnacle of American political power -- and what the rise of their dynasty has meant to the nation's democratic principles.

Customer Reviews:

a comprehensive narrative.......2007-08-16

Robert Parry's book establishes a fact-based narrative that is notable in that it deviates in specific areas from what we commonly know (and are told about) the Bush "family". In particular, the elder Bushes' role in post-watergate republican politics, and his connection to Chilean/south American anti-communist operations (OPERATION CONDOR)of the mid-70's are almost never connected to Bush the way Parry has done in this book. Also of note is the role that helpful "Democrats" have played in forward the elder bushes' agenda. The two most notable are Bob Strauss and Lee Hamilton. Bob Strauss' role was to quash democratic investigations into watergate post-nixon resignation. (he still carries water: he was recently quoted in a NYTIMES article in august 2007 related to how the Bush "family" has drawn together and Bush 41 is hurt by the harsh words in the press in the twilight of Bush 43's administration.) Lee Hamilton's role was to quash any investigation of Bush 41's administration after iran-contra and right after Clinton took office.

Mission accomplished.

The test of time will be to see to what extent historians use it as a source when trying to understand this thoroughly corrupt "family"s negative impact on American society in the last half of the 20th century.

Superb Personal Effort, Narrow, Needs Other References.......2007-02-18

This is a superb personal effort by the author, and it does a tremendous job of harvesting both news media stories and key books. It is however a bit anrrow, and I recommend other references.

A simple example: he speaks of the narrow Bush victory in Florida without reference to Greg Palast's PRE-ELECTION reporting, subsequently summarized in the book, "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy," or any understanding of the fact that over a year in advance of the election Jeb Bush stole the election by disenfranchizing over 35,000 black voters whose names were remotely--very remotely--linked to the names of felons from other states (only Florida felows cannot vote, but Jeb Bush wanted this so bad he paid ten times the going rate to a "friendly" company that used Texas felon lists to "disqualify" voters who only found out they were disqualified on election day.

Another example: he has a great (but dated) appendix on CIA and who it has funded as intermediaries and end recipients of CIA cash all over the world, but he completely misses the same necessary information for Wall Street, the 40,000 non-profits created to hide wealth and manage perceptions (as well as lure people off land with gold, see "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man").

There are many other books on the Nazi, mafia, and Saudi corruption ties of the Bush family, and there are also other books that are more comprehensive and current on the problems we face today because of young Bush II and his war criminal vice President. See for example, "Crossing the Rubicon," "Rule by Secrecy," and my personal favority, "VICE: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency."

Robert Parry is a gifted investigative reporter. His first book, "Lost History," remains among my favorites. In this book, what may be his most important message is this: the extremists Republicans (I am an estranged moderate Republican disgusted with Karl Rove's hijacking of the party) have combined secrecy, lies, and "perception management" to completely confuse and mislead the public, while carrying out high crimes and misdimeanors against the government, the treasury, the military, and the people.

From Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon to Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and the young (and rather stupid) George Bush II, this book paints a very ugly and accurate picture of the pathological abuse of power and of the public purse by these people. Most of them need to be tried, convicted, and jailed. None of them are fit for public office in a moral informed democracy, but then, as the author makes clear, we do not live in a moral, informed democracy. We live in a "Cheating Culture" where most Americans cannot identify all the states around their own, much less other countries. We have gotten the government we deserve.

One final observation: this book is super but in isolation. I am increasingly persauded that Amazon should digitize ALL books, so that customers can "buy" composite renditions of information that honor copyright at the paragraph and page level, while creating unique original visualizations and summarizations that are free of copyright and can be bought on their own. I would pay $1,000 for a visualization--a poster--of all of the criminal, dictator, and immoral connections of George Bush II and his evil former master, Dick Cheney (whose Secret Service nickname is "Edgar," for the guy that managed the puppet). Bush has finally figured out, way too late, that Cheney hijacked and destroyed the first six years.

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil
Rule by Secrecy: The Hidden History That Connects the Trilateral Commission, the Freemasons, and the Great Pyramids
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & 'Project Truth'
Bush's Brain
9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA, Fourth Edition
Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy

Real Americans need read this.......2007-01-13

Excellent expose of the madness behind Bush dynasty. So good it hurts... Every American should read this book. Unfortunately, most won't--and those who do will do so too late to stop the Bush family from leaving an appalling blemish on history. Generations of Americans will suffer from the Bush blight on our constitutional landscape. Americans must get the facts about this political family. And then we must act to save what's left of our country from their continuing avarice.

History Filled In.......2005-03-20

Robert Parry gives us insight into why everything has seemed so odd for so long. No matter which side of the aisle you sit, it helps fill in the history that the mainstream press failed to give us.

The Best Book on the Bushes.......2005-02-07

Why is it the best? Because no author has taken the Bush "dynasty" rise the way Bob Parry has - - and no other author could. Parry has been looking under rocks and sneaking behind closed doors to find the truth for almost three decades. Only Parry has had the sources, found the documents, and cogently compiled the despicable history of how the Bush politicians have deliberately buried, under multiple layers of secrecy, the truth of some of the most significant events in recent history. He is the only author who followed the Bush footprints when they were still fresh, often before the impact of the truth was known and could be hidden. In a phrase - - Bob Parry was there.

For at least the past 25-30 years, Bob Parry has been the only journalist with the integrity to follow a story no matter where it went, and to report the truth no matter who it implicated. Of, course, as the saying goes, "No good deed goes unpunished." For his dedicated efforts - - with AP, Newsweek, Frontline and other news outlets - to tell the American people about the crimes, actual violations of federal criminal statutes, by members of the Reagan, Bush 1, and the current Bush administration, he became a pariah. But following a moral compass that knows only one direction, he never lost a beat. And to this day, with his sons, they issue of the some of the most insightful political views of this day on his blog, Consortium News.

Consider this: Parry covers the year, 1976, when George H.W. Bush was Director of Central Intgelligence, the head of the CIA. While few paid attention at the time, certain anti-Castro Cuban exiles, many with past and current ties to the CIA, were the only terrorists ever to export terrorism from the United States. In 1977, the CIA reported that these terrorists killed more people in 1976 than all of the Middle East terrorist groups combined. Yet when the FBI asked DCI Bush for help in quelling the Cuban exile attacks, he slammed down a brick wall on anything that might have come out of Miami. And those secrets are still sealed. That alone may give an unbiased observer a reason to understand the overwhelming support the Bush family receives from the Cuban-Americans in Miami.

If you want to know the real story about how and why the Bush family has achieved their astounding political success, given that none of them have ever succeeded in any profession, vocation or position outside of politics, you must read this book. When Bob Parry takes you behind the curtain from Watergate until Bush II, the images of deceit and deception are ugly -- but true.

Book Description

This book is the first to provide a comprehensive treatment of the fourteen members of the genus Saxicola—the stonechats and bushchats. The group is distributed throughout the Old World and includes some familiar and widespread species as well as island endemics and extreme rarities. These charismatic birds are eye-catching in both appearance and behavior but are often hard to identify. The text details all aspects of identification, including plumages, voice, behavior, seasonal movements, and distribution. There are also discussions about issues of speciation and racial variation within the genus, based on new DNA research to assess taxonomic relationships within the group, as well as explanations of conservation issues affecting the group. The book presents an impressive collection of photographs and line drawings, accompanied by an exceptionally beautiful set of thirteen color plates that show each species in a variety of plumages.

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STONECHAT [NO. 1]
Eds. Jon Flint and Krishnan Venkatesh
Manufacturer: Stonechat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K6TTII

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Stonechats (Helm Identification Guides)
Ewan Urquhart
Manufacturer: Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Divorce in the Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae).(SHORT COMMUNICATIONS)(Author Abstract): An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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Divorce in the Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae).(SHORT COMMUNICATIONS)(Author Abstract): An article from: Wilson Bulletin
Juan Carlos Illera
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1534 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: I report the first case of divorce for the Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae), an endemic bird species of the semiarid island of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain). I studied 72 pairs during three breeding seasons (2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003). In 2001-2002, a female divorced after a successful first nesting. This female settled in a neighboring territory where the owner was unpaired, built a new nest, and laid four eggs. The low rate of divorce (1.4%) suggests that unforced mate changes by Canary Islands Stonechats are rare. Received 22 July 2004, accepted 31 May 2005.

Citation Details
Title: Divorce in the Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae).(SHORT COMMUNICATIONS)(Author Abstract)
Author: Juan Carlos Illera
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 117 Issue: 3 Page: 317(3)

Article Type: Author Abstract

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The hormonal response of female European Stonechats to a territorial intrusion: the role of the male partner [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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The hormonal response of female European Stonechats to a territorial intrusion: the role of the male partner [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
V. Canoine , and E. Gwinner
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR3PUI

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
In many bird species, the female participates in defending a pair's breeding territory, however, the endocrine control mechanism of female aggressive behavior is largely unknown. The general statement that androgens are involved in the regulation of aggressive behavior is based on studies conducted only in males. Here, we tested whether paired female stonechats show a hormonal response to a simulated male territorial intruder. Since in males of territorial bird species androgen levels usually increase following a male-male encounter, we measured androgen-levels before and after a simulated male intrusion. In addition, we measured estradiol, the main gonadal hormone in females, and corticosterone, a stress hormone. The results show that a male intruder does not affect any of the measured hormones in females. In a second experiment, we also tested whether the endocrine state of the male partner affects the hormonal response of females to a male intruder by comparing the hormonal response of females paired with pharmacologically castrated males and females paired with control males. Females paired with pharmacologically castrated males had lower corticosterone levels both before and after the intrusion than females paired with control males. Additionally, in both groups, female corticosterone levels were increased following a male intrusion. We suggest that the differences found between females paired with pharmacologically castrated males and females paired with control males are due to differences in intra-pair interactions.

Stonechats: a guide to the genus Saxicola.(Book Review): An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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Stonechats: a guide to the genus Saxicola.(Book Review): An article from: Wilson Bulletin
David Brewer
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B0008E7FGA
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 682 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Stonechats: a guide to the genus Saxicola.(Book Review)
Author: David Brewer
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2003
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 115 Issue: 1 Page: 108(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Testosterone and corticosterone during the breeding cycle of equatorial and European stonechats (Saxicola torquata axillaris and S. t. rubicola) [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Testosterone and corticosterone during the breeding cycle of equatorial and European stonechats (Saxicola torquata axillaris and S. t. rubicola) [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
W. Goymann , D. Geue , I. Schwabl , H. Flinks , and Schmid
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000PC098G

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Northern-temperate male birds show seasonal changes in testosterone concentrations with a peak during the breeding season. Many tropical birds express much lower concentrations of testosterone with slight elevations during breeding. Here we describe testosterone and corticosterone concentrations of male stonechats from equatorial Kenya during different substages of breeding and molt. This tropical species has a short breeding season of approximately 3 months. We compare their hormone concentrations to previously published data of males of a northern-temperate relative, the European stonechat, also a seasonal breeder but with a breeding season of approximately 5 months. Equatorial stonechats show a pronounced peak of testosterone during the nest-building and laying stage. During all other stages, testosterone concentrations are low, similar to other year-round territorial tropical bird species. Corticosterone concentrations peak also during the nest-building and laying stage suggesting that this period of maximum female fecundity is a demanding period for the male. Equatorial stonechats have significantly lower concentrations of testosterone than European stonechats during all stages, except during the nest-building and laying stage. During this stage of maximum female fertility, testosterone levels tend to be higher in equatorial than in European stonechats. Our results suggest that equatorial stonechats belong to a group of tropical bird species that are characterized by a short breeding season and a brief high peak of testosterone during the female's fertile period. Such brief, but substantial peaks of testosterone may be common in tropical birds, but they may easily be missed if the exact breeding stage of individual birds is not known.

Testosterone, reproductive stage, and territorial behavior of male and female European stonechats Saxicola torquata [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Testosterone, reproductive stage, and territorial behavior of male and female European stonechats Saxicola torquata [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
H. Schwabl , H. Flinks , and E. Gwinner
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR3PSA

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
We investigated territorial behavior and circulating testosterone (T) levels in a multiple-brooded population of the European stonechat, a socially monogamous passerine bird with biparental care. Between arrival at and departure from the breeding territories, we (1) quantified behavior of both sexes in response to a simulated territorial intrusion (STI) of a male conspecific and (2) measured plasma T concentrations in males and females. Male response scores to a STI and male T concentrations varied with phase, but there was no temporal association between plasma T levels and the intensity of territorial behavior. During both two sexual and two parental phases, at least half of the tested males showed aggressive responses. About 20% of the tested males responded with courtship prior to laying of the first clutch, but none of the males courted during later phases. Age had a positive overall effect on male plasma T. Females also reacted to the STI of a male, but their responses did not vary with breeding phase. Female plasma T varied with phase, being elevated during production of the first but not of the second clutch. As with males, female responses to the STI were not correlated with T levels. Responses of pair partners were positively correlated with each other. We conclude that modulation of male territorial aggression with breeding phase is not regulated by changes of plasma T concentrations. In light of other studies showing reduced male aggression by pharmacological inhibition of cellular actions of T, we propose that T is permissive for male territorial aggression, but does not mediate short-term changes associated with breeding phase. The function of the high female plasma T concentrations during formation of first clutches could be related to the production of eggs with high concentrations of androgens.

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Stonechat: Ten Devon Poets
Christopher Southgate
Manufacturer: Stride Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1873012241

Stonechats A Guide to the Genus Saxicola

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Stonechats A Guide to the Genus Saxicola
Ewan/ Bowley, Adam (ILT) Urquhart
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSHVUK

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