Kiss of the yoginī

Book Description

In this groundbreaking scholarly work, David Gordon White unveils the authentic heart of South Asian Tantra by examining its most distinctive and misunderstood element: the ritualized exchange of sacred fluids between human practitioners and divine feminine spirits called Yoginis.

White's research reveals how medieval Tantric practitioners engaged in transformative ceremonies centered on receiving the powerful essences of these wild, bird-like and animal-spirited goddesses. Through these intimate ritual encounters, male devotees believed they could transcend ordinary human limitations, gain supernatural abilities, and achieve divine status by joining the family of the supreme deity.

Drawing from his original translations of more than twelve previously untranslated Sanskrit Tantras, White reconstructs a religious tradition that once stood at the center of South Asian spiritual, social, and political life. His work challenges common misconceptions about Tantra, demonstrating how these practices formed the mainstream of religious expression rather than existing on society's margins.

The author argues that understanding these historical sexual rituals is essential for grasping Tantra's continuing influence on contemporary Hindu spirituality, despite modern reform movements that have obscured its original forms. Through careful analysis of primary sources, White offers readers access to authentic Tantric teachings that illuminate both ancient wisdom and ongoing spiritual currents.

This comprehensive study provides serious practitioners and scholars with unprecedented insight into one of South Asia's most influential yet misrepresented spiritual traditions.