Kirjahaku

Though often associated with sexual practices, traditional Hindu Tantra presents a body of sophisticated psycho-physical techniques for attaining enlightenment. The tradition is often perplexing to the uninitiated due to Tantra's use of metaphors that serve to keep the teachings secret from outsiders. The author reveals the secrets and hidden meanings of important Tantric symbols and distills 50 years of practice and teaching into a form accessible to readers new to the tradition. Drawing on his own experience, the author presents a demystified and simplified version of Tantric practices that any sincere spiritual aspirant East or West can actually do.

A Dutch merchant marine arrives in India in 1612 and is abducted by a mysterious stranger with a horrible secret who claims he is the sailor's immortal teacher and lover from a past life. The two trek together into the Himalayas in search of a secret shrine of the Goddess where the young man is to undergo a blood ritual that will transform him into an immortal. Although aided by supernatural beings, they face a terrifying foe who seems bent on foiling their purpose. They meet many colorful characters and witness miracles, both beautiful and bizarre. Reincarnation and destiny reunites old friends, lovers, and foes over three centuries. Their love faces the ultimate test, and the suspenseful conclusion unravels a mystery that none but the ancient immortal, Kedar Baba, suspected. Hindu philosophy and mythology are woven throughout this uplifting homoerotic adventure that takes the vampire genre to a new level.Author Biography: William Schindler obtained a B.A. in Sanskrit from UC Berkeley (1975), where he also studied Bengali and Hindi, and a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University (1986). He lived in India for two-and-a-half years from 1972-1977 first as a pilgrim, then as a student at Banaras Hindu University, and finally as a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He has written novels, short stories, and numerous essays on gay spirituality. His non-fiction book, GAY TANTRA (Xlibris, 2000), is the definitive work on the topic of traditional Hindu Tantra adapted to the spiritual needs and aptitudes of gay-identified persons. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California, where he offers spiritual instruction and counseling for gay men.

In this volume that follows Gay Tantra (Xlibris 2000) and Essays on Gay Tantra (Xlibris 2000), William Schindler, a.k.a. Brother William, invites the reader into deeper and previously mostly secret aspects of Tantric philosophy and practice. Traditional Tantra teaches methods of spiritual enlightenment-not sexual practices. In traditional Tantra sexuality and other types of sensuality are integrated into a whole-life approach to spirituality. But merely calling a practice or technique "Tantra" does not make it so. Traditional Tantra can only be learned from one who has studied and practiced in a line of enlightened Gurus. Brother William has been studying and practicing traditional Hindu Tantra since 1969 both in India and America, and since 1997, when he founded Ashram West, he has been teaching his adaptation of traditional Tantra for gay-identified persons, making intelligible the esoteric teachings of the ancient tradition.

We gay folk, who inhabit bodies of the type we naturally desire, require a sex-positive spiritual practice that celebrates and utilizes our gay being instead of opposing it. We need a spiritual practice that teaches us how to use our senses instead of merely shutting them off or repressing them. We need a practice that empowers us to integrate all the rejected aspects of self to form a strong, healthy gay identity, which confers a spiritual advantage in deep spiritual practice. We need a spiritual practice that recognizes that gender and gender identity are fluid, that we all contain elements of the masculine and feminine. We need a spiritual practice that recognizes not only that same-sex love is possible, but that our love can powerfully energize a deep quest for Self-awareness and enlightenment. We need to realize that any feeling of shame or unworthiness connected to our gay being shackles our spirit and blocks us from the full realization of God/dess within, for the Divine Being is gay, too.

We gay folk, who inhabit bodies of the type we naturally desire, require a sex-positive spiritual practice that celebrates and utilizes our gay being instead of opposing it. We need a spiritual practice that teaches us how to use our senses instead of merely shutting them off or repressing them. We need a practice that empowers us to integrate all the rejected aspects of self to form a strong, healthy gay identity, which confers a spiritual advantage in deep spiritual practice. We need a spiritual practice that recognizes that gender and gender identity are fluid, that we all contain elements of the masculine and feminine. We need a spiritual practice that recognizes not only that same-sex love is possible, but that our love can powerfully energize a deep quest for Self-awareness and enlightenment. We need to realize that any feeling of shame or unworthiness connected to our gay being shackles our spirit and blocks us from the full realization of God/dess within, for the Divine Being is gay, too.

Integrating sexuality with spirituality has been the specialty of traditional Hindu Tantra for at least 1500 years. The short readings in this book adapt the concepts and methods of the ancient tantric tradition for LGBT persons of all genders living in our modern, rapidly changing world. Gay and gender-non-conforming persons have been condemned or ignored by all major religions, and many LGBT persons may reject religion in general, sometimes substituting sex, drugs, or other diversions. Substitutes for true spirituality ultimately fail to remedy the existential conditions of mortality, isolation, and meaningless- ness as only a deep spiritual practice can. These readings demonstrate various ways LGBT people can tap into the deepest currents of human spirituality while recognizing the special spiritual needs and aptitudes that come with an LGBT identity. Gay Tantra teaches us to attain the heights of spiritual enlightenment utilizing fully our LGBT experiences and ways of being in the world.

Fantasy, adventure, India travel log, Hindu philosophy, and gay romance all wrapped into one. An immortal teacher waits three centuries for the reincarnation of his student to unite them in an adventure quest that takes them from South India to the high Himalayas and then onward to early 20th century America. They seek the transformative shrine of a mysterious Goddess, who alone can grant immortality. A powerful entity seeks to thwart their endeavor at every step. [email protected] says: "A very unusual find. This book contains an amazing amount of information about the Hindu spirituality. If you are a gay vampire fan and interested in Eastern mythology, this book is highly recommended. . . I recommend this book (and find it refreshing) because of its unique take on the vampire mythos." Steven LaVigne says in the White Crane Journal: "Schindler has joined Stoker, Rice, and others with his mesmerizing novel. . . However, Schindler's tome goes several steps further. . . .Blood of the Goddess explores in effectively hallucinatory passages the gay side of Krishna and the dwarf as a magical, mythic being. He probes religious aspects on penis worship as he utilizes his yogic training and learning on India's culture to draw us into a deeply philosophical novel.. . . Blood of the Goddess is a terrific achievement in the realm of the vampire novel."