---
product_id: 3652925
title: "Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition"
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---

# Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition

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Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition [Wallis, Christopher D] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition

Review: Mind Operating Instructions - I owe a great debt to this author. Reading this was just what I needed to awaken a brighter and more compassionate outlook on life. I've been a seeker for most of my life devouring the great spiritual classics from A(midism) to Z(oroastrianism) and I can say, hands down, that Tantra Illuminated is a spiritual work of art that can hold its own with any of world's spiritual classics and scriptures. Tantra Illuminated is not just an exciting and scholarly book about Tantra it is a true work of Tantra. If Abhinavagupta ever gets the fame and study he deserves in the West this book will likely have played a role in bringing that change about. It's true rocket fuel for the spirit and imaginal faculty. The last section on practice was probably my favorite part of the book. It helped me gain some new insights regarding human psychology and how to best operate the mind. Previously I had finished a few books on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy* and the connections / simmilarities between Stoic and CBT Thought. When reading this section I couldn't help but draw numerous parallels. The intimate connection between thought or cognition and emotion as well as some of the methods for taking advantage of this fact for self reprogramming being the most obvious. I would think that Kashmir Shaiva practitioners and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy practitioners would be mutually enriched by cross study. The author took a risk by leaving the realm of pseudo-objectivity often demanded in religious studies and instead wrote it from an unambiguously practitioner perspective. Thanks to this fact the book was not only scholarly and informative but also transformative. I hope more academic authors follow this trend. * My counselors enlisted the help of CBT techniques to help me overcome my drug addiction in the past so I was interested in learning more. CBT and some of the Stoic exercises helped save my life.
Review: The Definitive Guide to Classical Saiva Tantra - Christopher (Hareesh) Wallis has written THE definitive, modern day work on classical non-dual Saiva Tantra (NST). This book is simply masterful. The author manages to write with a scholarly breadth, but in an easily accessible and engaging style. Many books on Tantra fall into two unfortunate categories. Either they are written in a dense, academic prose that does not lend itself well to the non-scholar, or else they are purporting the bastardized version of "Neo-Tantra" with its overt and almost exclusive emphasis on sexuality. The author manages to avoid both of these pitfalls and the result is an easily readable and enjoyable ride that delivers accurate, scholarly, and practical information on one of the most profound religious philosophies ever developed. In the book, the author manages to tackle the daunting task of actually defining, or at least delimiting, Tantra. This is no mean feat - scholars have been debating the meaning of Tantra for decades. After clearly presenting what Tantra is and what it is not, he delves into the philosophy of Tantra. What the author is calling non-dual Saiva Tantra (NST) is the Kuala variant of a Trika/Krama synthesis of Saiva Tanta as per Abhinavagupta, at least insofar as the philosophy is concerned. He carefully details the major "western" philosophical components of NST as well as the major philosophical points of interest inherent to NST. This section of the book is simply amazing. There is nowhere else that you can find all of the major philosophical components of classical Tantra in one place and that are explained so eloquently. After the philosophy section, the author gives a detailed, but generalized, accounting of the history of Saiva Tantra. A lot of his work is based off of Alexis Sanderson, who is the pre-eminent scholar of Saiva Tantra. Not only do we learn the genesis and development of the classical Tantra, but we also learn that the Tantra subsumed many elements of Patanjali's Yoga to produce Hatha Yoga, which he clearly shows has its roots in the Tantra. It is from Hatha Yoga that we obtained the Modern Postural Yoga. So not only do we get to learn about this history of classical Tantra, but we also learn about the Tantric roots of modern day yoga practice. The history is both relevant and fascinating. Finally, the author covers the practice of NST in the modern day context. He covers the three "Means" to awakening and gives a detailed analysis of how one can use many of these practices today. In summary, this is THE one-stop shop for the most relevant and useful information regarding classical Saiva Tantra. As a student-practitioner-teacher, I feel confident in saying that no other currently available book in the English language comes close to the status of Tantra Illuminated as literal "Bible" in the field.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #54,045 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #12 in Indian Eastern Philosophy #74 in Spiritualism #112 in Ancient Greek & Roman Philosophy |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (802) |
| Dimensions  | 7.5 x 1.4 x 8.5 inches |
| Edition  | 2nd |
| ISBN-10  | 0989761304 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0989761307 |
| Item Weight  | 2.09 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 516 pages |
| Publication date  | August 15, 2013 |
| Publisher  | Mattamayura Press |

## Images

![Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/3193Bx-aldL.jpg)
![Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512E4G7+bwL.jpg)
![Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZHRkeruFL.jpg)
![Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71cADCsR9mL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mind Operating Instructions
*by A***A on March 9, 2016*

I owe a great debt to this author. Reading this was just what I needed to awaken a brighter and more compassionate outlook on life. I've been a seeker for most of my life devouring the great spiritual classics from A(midism) to Z(oroastrianism) and I can say, hands down, that Tantra Illuminated is a spiritual work of art that can hold its own with any of world's spiritual classics and scriptures. Tantra Illuminated is not just an exciting and scholarly book about Tantra it is a true work of Tantra. If Abhinavagupta ever gets the fame and study he deserves in the West this book will likely have played a role in bringing that change about. It's true rocket fuel for the spirit and imaginal faculty. The last section on practice was probably my favorite part of the book. It helped me gain some new insights regarding human psychology and how to best operate the mind. Previously I had finished a few books on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy* and the connections / simmilarities between Stoic and CBT Thought. When reading this section I couldn't help but draw numerous parallels. The intimate connection between thought or cognition and emotion as well as some of the methods for taking advantage of this fact for self reprogramming being the most obvious. I would think that Kashmir Shaiva practitioners and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy practitioners would be mutually enriched by cross study. The author took a risk by leaving the realm of pseudo-objectivity often demanded in religious studies and instead wrote it from an unambiguously practitioner perspective. Thanks to this fact the book was not only scholarly and informative but also transformative. I hope more academic authors follow this trend. * My counselors enlisted the help of CBT techniques to help me overcome my drug addiction in the past so I was interested in learning more. CBT and some of the Stoic exercises helped save my life.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Definitive Guide to Classical Saiva Tantra
*by B***L on November 21, 2012*

Christopher (Hareesh) Wallis has written THE definitive, modern day work on classical non-dual Saiva Tantra (NST). This book is simply masterful. The author manages to write with a scholarly breadth, but in an easily accessible and engaging style. Many books on Tantra fall into two unfortunate categories. Either they are written in a dense, academic prose that does not lend itself well to the non-scholar, or else they are purporting the bastardized version of "Neo-Tantra" with its overt and almost exclusive emphasis on sexuality. The author manages to avoid both of these pitfalls and the result is an easily readable and enjoyable ride that delivers accurate, scholarly, and practical information on one of the most profound religious philosophies ever developed. In the book, the author manages to tackle the daunting task of actually defining, or at least delimiting, Tantra. This is no mean feat - scholars have been debating the meaning of Tantra for decades. After clearly presenting what Tantra is and what it is not, he delves into the philosophy of Tantra. What the author is calling non-dual Saiva Tantra (NST) is the Kuala variant of a Trika/Krama synthesis of Saiva Tanta as per Abhinavagupta, at least insofar as the philosophy is concerned. He carefully details the major "western" philosophical components of NST as well as the major philosophical points of interest inherent to NST. This section of the book is simply amazing. There is nowhere else that you can find all of the major philosophical components of classical Tantra in one place and that are explained so eloquently. After the philosophy section, the author gives a detailed, but generalized, accounting of the history of Saiva Tantra. A lot of his work is based off of Alexis Sanderson, who is the pre-eminent scholar of Saiva Tantra. Not only do we learn the genesis and development of the classical Tantra, but we also learn that the Tantra subsumed many elements of Patanjali's Yoga to produce Hatha Yoga, which he clearly shows has its roots in the Tantra. It is from Hatha Yoga that we obtained the Modern Postural Yoga. So not only do we get to learn about this history of classical Tantra, but we also learn about the Tantric roots of modern day yoga practice. The history is both relevant and fascinating. Finally, the author covers the practice of NST in the modern day context. He covers the three "Means" to awakening and gives a detailed analysis of how one can use many of these practices today. In summary, this is THE one-stop shop for the most relevant and useful information regarding classical Saiva Tantra. As a student-practitioner-teacher, I feel confident in saying that no other currently available book in the English language comes close to the status of Tantra Illuminated as literal "Bible" in the field.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must-read for anyone who considers him/herself a Tantrik practitioner!
*by A***R on September 27, 2017*

I am a Tantra Yoga teacher, and whenever someone asks me "So what is Tantra, anyway?" and is genuinely curious to know the answer, I recommend he or she read this book (or listen to the audiobook). It is a masterfully interwoven overview of the history and practices of various traditional Tantrik lineages, complete with techniques which might be beneficial for the modern reader/practitioner. Both informative in an academic sense and relevant for a non-scholastic audience, Christopher Wallis has created a masterpiece for modern Tantrik practitioners to educate and inform themselves of the deep and rich tradition of Shaiva (Śaiva) Tantra, and all the changes it has undergone over time. I consider it a must-read for anyone considering themselves a Tantrik or Tāntrika, especially in these modern times where Tantra is widely misunderstood, and "New Age" and "Neo-Tantra" movements have influenced (and muddled) our current understanding of this ancient philosophy and spiritual path to self-realization. When I read it, I thought, "Oh great, someone already wrote the book I would have devoted my life to compose!" It has inspired me to study the Sanskrit language academically to deepen my understanding of Tantra Yoga. And I am so happy to start his second book, "The Recognition Sutras"! I recommend for readers who are not accustomed to scholarly works (or those who are reading this as their introduction to Tantra) to listen to the audiobook and just let it wash over you without getting hung up on the Sanskrit words or philosophical concepts. It seems there is something for everyone in this book, so I imagine any reader or listener will find some aspect inspiring or rewarding for their insight meditation or personal practice.

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*Last updated: 2026-02-21*