By David Gordon White
"White proves a skillful consultant in disentangling ancient and theoretical complexities that experience to this point bedeviled the research of those influential facets of medieval Indian culture."—Yoga World
"Anyone heavily drawn to checking out extra approximately genuine tantra, unique hatha yoga, embodied liberation . . . sacred sexuality, paranormal talents, therapeutic, and naturally alchemy will locate White's awesome e-book as interesting as any Tom Clancy thriller."—Georg Feuerstein, Yoga Journal
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Additional info for The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India
217 From those, the pilgrims west-to-east growth first passes during the Jain temple complexes, by way of shrines dedicated to the Hindu goddess Ambä (on the 1st top) and different mainstream Hindu deities; at the moment top is a Näth shrine (Gorakh at Girnar; Gopicand at Abu);218 and either pilgrimage routes terminate or culminate, at their easternmost issues, at websites pointed out with Dattätreya. This final height is termed Guru Sikhara, the "Guru's Pinnacle," at Abu, whereas it really is easily referred to as Dattätreya at Girnar. So too, the primary top at Girnar is pointed out now not as Gorakh kl Dhüni (Gorakhnäth's Fireplace), that is technically extra distinctive, yet easily as Gorakhnäth. the cause of those Girnar toponyms is going again, i feel, to the archaic Buddhist and Hindu cults of divine Siddhas and Vidyädharas, who have been denizens not just of the atmospheric areas, but additionally, within the Hindu renowned mind's eye, of mountaintops. The Girnar peaks of Gorakhnäth and Dattätreya are so known as now not simply because they function shrines to those Näth Siddhas, yet simply because they're those Siddhas. 219 in reality, one may well particularly aptly summarize the legacy of the Näth Siddhas by means of calling theirs a conquest of excessive areas. From identifications with the Siddhas and Vidyä- Sources for the heritage of Tantric Alchemy dharas pointed out with such heights, to Päsupata spells to realize energy over an identical Vidyädharas, to the yogic cultivation of the facility of flight (khecara), to the declare they've got laid to the excessive areas of the Indian subcontinent, to the frequent perform of utilizing hashish as a way to "getting excessive" 220 the Näth Siddhas have constantly been upward certain. The Jain temples at Abu and Girnar alike characteristic vast pictures of Nemlnätha (in black stone) and Pärsvanätha, who're thought of to were the twenty-second and twenty-third tirthamkaras ofthat religion. will probably be recalled that it was once a brilliant photo of the previous that used to be hired via Nägärjuna to supply an alchemical elixir within the Jain legend mentioned within the Prabandhakosa. Pärsvanäth s identify can in truth be easily learn as "Lord of the Touchstone" (pärsva, päras), making the alchemical connection an seen one. there's one other size, notwithstanding to this determine and his successor, which additionally aids us in figuring out the obvious JainNäth Siddha symbiosis encountered at Abu and Girnar. this is often the physique of Näth legend that transforms Pärsva and Nemi into Näth Siddha sons of Matsyendra. In a version at the vintage fantasy of Matsyendra's brush with loss of life within the kind of sexual dissipation within the country of girls in Assam, Matsyendra turns into a king in Simhala (generally pointed out with Sri Lanka), and fathers sons, Pärsvanäth (or Pärasnäth) and Nemlnäth (or Nlmnäth). In a vintage ruse, Gorakh seeks to "disenchant" Matsyendra by means of killing the 2 boys, skinning them, and putting their hides out to dry. whilst Matsyendra grieves for his sons, Gorakh decries his attachment to the gross physically husk and revives the 2 boys. Matsyendra returns to the yogic course and initiates his sons as Näth Siddhas.