Tantra Books: 31 Essential Reads To Enhance Your Practice
Aug 28, 2024
Through specific meditation practices, rituals, and consciousness work, Tantra teaches us to harness the incredible energy of our life force for healing, transformation and ever-deepening states of ecstatic union. The best way to get started with the tantric path is by reading some of the key and best books on tantric teachings.
Keep reading as we dive into the best books on tantra to enhance your practice.
1. Die O Yogi Die - Osho
This tantra book by Osho focuses on Goraknath, who was one of the most brilliant and influential Tantra masters in history. Goraknath played a crucial role in the development of Hatha Yoga, the construction of the famous Khajuraho Temples, the compilation of the oral teachings into the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra text, and the creation of numerous Tantric meditation techniques.
Quote from Die O Yogi Die: “Live joyously, in ecstasy, in bliss, carefree. The divine has given you so much! Dance, hum in tune, sing a song of thanksgiving arising in your heart. That alone is prayer.”
2. Hot Chocolate For The Mystical Lover - Arielle Ford
Hot Chocolate For The Mystical lover presents 101 true stories of soulmates that found each other through divine intervention or real life miracles. This book will ignite awe in the mystery and power of love to bring together souls who are destined to meet and unite.
Quote from the book: “It can be a powerful premonition, a seemingly chance encounter, a voice you can hear only with your heart.”
3. Kali’s Odiyya: A Shaman’s True Story of Initiation - Amarananda Bhairavan
This astonishing book tells the true story of a boy growing up in rural India who is initiated into profound tantra practices by his aunt and other adepts and masters. He recounts stories of mystic powers that are astonishing and revelatory.
Quote from Kali’s Odiyya: “My Goddess. Possess me every moment of my life. Open my heart to your love at all times. Dissolve my little self and smear it across The empyrean spaces of your divine heart. Let me merge in your love, and never separated”
4. Spiritual Sex: Secrets of Tantra from the Ice Age to the New Millennium - Nik Douglas
This is one of the well researched and fascinating tantra books that takes us on a journey. It follows the Tantra path from its inception before recorded history all the way to the modern world. Through this journey, we are left with profound insights about human history and human potential.
Quote from Spiritual Sex: Success is achieved by Tantric Worship Alone. No other path is there to salvation and happiness like that shown by the Tantras, which gives both happiness and liberation.” (Mahanirvana Tantra)
5. Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson - Thomas Maier
Although not directly one of the tantra books, it is one of the best books that explores the history of sex therapy and scientific research into human sexuality. It follows the lives of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the research team who ushered in the sexual revolution. It is excellently researched and written making for a captivating read.
Quote from Masters of Sex: Are clitoral and vaginal orgasm truly separate anatomic entities? they asked. From a biologic point of view, the answer to the question is an unequivocal No!”
6. From Sex to Superconsciousness - Osho
This slim book is one of my recommended tantra books by Osho. It has been read by millions and translated into innumerable languages. Transcribed from his public discourses given in Mumbai India during the 1960’s, what he is saying created a fire of controversy which followed him throughout the rest of his life. These discourses illuminate and enable the subject of sexuality, linking this basic life force energy to love and to spirituality, revealing the path from sex to superconsciousness.
Quote from Sex to Superconsciousness: “If you want a shower of love in your life, renounce this conflict with sex. Accept sex with joy. Acknowledge its sacredness. Receive it gratefully and embrace it more and more deeply. You will be surprised that sex can reveal such sacredness; it will reveal its sacredness to the degree of your acceptance.”
7. Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition - Christopher D Wallis
This book is intricately researched, offering profound insights and revelations about Kashmiri Shaivism and the great Tantra Masters who have left timeless wisdom encapsulated in their sutras and other writings.
Quote from Tantra Illuminated: “The single fusion of thousands of powers that can be seen in different ways is called Siva, supremely free, the upsurge of one’s own heart”.(Mahartha–manjari scripture by Mahesvarananda)”
8. Sexual Secrets: The Alchemy of Ecstasy - Nik Douglas & Penny Slinger
This is one of the classic neo-tantra books that blends together ancient mystical scriptures on tantra with a modern, western approach to sexuality. It is fascinating, illuminating and titillating with a wide plethora of illustrations.
Quote from Sexual Secrets: “The union of man and woman is like the mating of heaven and earth. It is because of their correct mating that heaven and earth last forever. Humans have lost this secret and have therefore become mortal. By knowing it, the path to immortality is opened.” (Shang-Ku-San-Tai)”
9. Impact of Tantra on Religion and Art - T.N. Mishra
This scholarly book details the history of Tantra from an Indian perspective, making it one of the excellent tantra books for tantra enthusiasts. If you are keen to know the background of how tantra emerged in India and spread its influence in the world this will make a riveting read.
Quote from Impact of Tantra on Religion and Art: “The union of male and female principles is a symbol of eternal communion and an awareness of oneness through duality.”
10. Tantra, Spirituality and Sex – Osho
This is one of the wonderful tantra books by Osho, and it is a collection of excerpts from his discourses about Tantra. It offers deep insights into the true nature of tantra as a spiritual path.
Quote from Tantra, Spirituality & Sex: “When you are in the embrace, become the embrace, become the kiss. Forget yourself so totally that you can say; “I am no more. Only love exists.” Then the heart is not beating, but love is beating. Then the blood is not circulating, love is circulating. Then eyes are not seeing, love is seeing. Then hands are not moving to touch, love is moving to touch.”
11. The Beloved; Volumes 1 and 2 - Osho
These tantra books by Osho on the Baul Mystics of India are a true treasure trove of inspiration. They describe the sacred path of Tantra from the perspective of the Baul Mystics, a nomadic community of wandering minstrels whose secret Tantric teachings are concealed in their exquisitely beautiful poetry, dances and songs of ecstasy.
Quote from The Beloved: “To a Baul, love is the natural religion. He allows his love to carry him to the next moment, the next happening; and he is welcoming. He plays his musical instrument, sings his song, the totality of his ecstasy is his meditation.”
12. The Male Brain & The Female Brain - Louann Brizendine
These are not directly tantra books, but this pair of books, written by a brain surgeon / scientist, are a true revelation in regards to sexual chemistry and how, brain, body, reproductive urges and our psychology all work together. It shows how all this comes together to make us uniquely male or uniquely female in our orientation toward life.
Quote from The Male Brain: “Early in puberty, when images of breasts and other female body parts naturally take over their brain’s visual cortex, some boys wonder if they’re turning into “pervs.” It takes a little while for them to get used to their new preoccupation with girls, which runs on autopilot. This sexual preoccupation is like a large-screen TV in a sports bar - always on in the background.”
13. Tantra: The Supreme Understanding
This exquisite book offers an in-depth understanding on the teachings of the great Tantra Master, Tilopa. By reading it, you will never be the same again. Osho’s words take us effortlessly beyond duality into the vast blue sky of infinite wisdom.
Quote from Tantra: The Supreme Understanding: “Millions and millions of times deeper, millions and millions of times higher, is Mahamudra. It is a total orgasm with the whole, with the universe. It is melting into the source of being.”
14. The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within - Osho
If one was to be cast away on a deserted island, and you could only take one book with you, this would be THE BOOK. Osho’s commentary on the 112 sutras from the 5000 year old Vigyan Bhairav Tantra offer an unsurpassed wealth of enlightened wisdom.
Quote from tThe Book of Secrets: “The universe has its own laws, and the basic law is that to be real is to be in bliss, to be unreal is to be in misery.”
15. The New Hite Report The Revolutionary Report on Female Sexuality Updated - Shere Hite
This book is a true labor of love. The author had the novel idea, instead of postulating theories about women’s sexuality, to ask women themselves directly. She created an in-depth study spanning several continents and with interviews with women from all ages and all walks of life. The intimate revelations contained in these pages set the record straight on all aspects of women’s eroticism.
Quote from The New Hite Report: “Clitoral stimulation to orgasm is not some lesser form of sexuality! Clitoral stimulation is very erotic and exciting when two people share it and should be celebrated and enjoyed.”
16. The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of The Classic Indian Text - Alain Danielou
The author of this book, well known Sanskrit scholar Alain Danielou has taken on the seemingly impossible task of translating the famed Kama Sutra in it’s entirety. It is incredible to contemplate that thousands of years ago, a sage in India has done such an in-depth study into the vast subject of human sexuality. The findings he came up with are still highly relevant in today’s world.
Quote from The Complete Kama Sutra: “In order to seduce a woman, it is necessary to know erotic technique. The penis should not be introduced without preparation. To achieve one’s end preliminaries are indispensable, the methods of which will be indicated.”
17. Tantric Transformation: When Love Meets Meditation - Osho
This exciting and timeless book tells the Enlightenment story of the great Tantra Master Saraha and how he initiated and transformed an entire kingdom through the art of ecstatic Tantra. It one of the tantra books not to be missed for all Tantra enthusiasts.
Quote from Tantric Transformation: “Tantra trusts in your body. Tantra trusts in your senses. Tantra trusts in your energy. Tantra trusts in you – in toto. Tantra does not deny anything but transforms everything.”
18. The Path of the Mystic Lover; Baul Songs of Passion and Ecstasy - Bhaskar Bhattacharyya
The Baul Mystics of Bengal offer an embodied path of enlightened Tantric Wisdom through their joyous way of life. Their Mystic transmission is offered through unique music, dance and modes of worship. This richly illustrated book leads us into the heart of the Baul Mystic approach to life, love and spirituality.
Quote from The Path of the Mystic Lover: “The six-petaled lotus, the sexual centre has a inverted stalk with its roots in the void. Those who wish to ‘pick’ this flower must be prepared to go through the labyrinth of emotions. Only true renunciates can bear the ordeal, for having surrendered to the divine will, they have no expectations or goals to achieve.
19. The Art of Sexual Ecstasy: The Path of Sacred Sexuality for Western Lovers - Margot Anand
This groundbreaking book by Margot Anand, blends the Eastern mystic approach to Tantra and human sexuality with Western psychology. It offers a detailed step by step understanding and methodology for living our ecstatic potential.
Quote from The Art of Sexual Ecstasy: “Never think for a moment that you can possess ecstasy. For the truth is, you can only be possessed by it.”
20. The Phallus: Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power - Alien Danielou
This fascinating and richly illustrated book traces the history and symbology of phallus worship down the ages and its relevance in today’s world.
Quote from The Phallus: “The symbol of the cosmic man, Purusha, the archetype the universal plan present in all things, is the male emblem, the phallus. The symbol of energy, which is the world’s substance, the generator of all that exists, is the female organ, the yoni.” (Lingopasana Rahasya)
21. The Sexual Teachings of the White Tigress: Secrets of the Female Taoist Master - Hsi Lai
This unique book reveals to the world for the first time, the secret teachings of Female Taoist masters and adepts. This lineage, passed down from time immemorial, holds within it, mystic and practical keys for reversing aging and attaining to the dimension of immortality.
Quote from The Sexual Teachings of The White Tigress: “Women, the Goddess of Heaven, seek to descend towards earth to acquire the Yang essence of males to maintain their Goddess position, as men seek to ascend upwards to Heaven from Earth, to attain the Yin essences of females, to become Gods.”
22. The Tantra Experience - Osho
This life is a gift to be fully lived and enjoyed, yet societal demands often lead to unfulfilled potential, frustration, and guilt instead of joyful presence. The world of Tantra recognizes no divide between higher and lower, transforming even mundane acts like chores or lovemaking into gateways to great consciousness and freedom when approached with complete engagement, as Osho illuminates.
Quote from The Tantra Experience: “The most basic thing about Tantra is this – and very radical, revolutionary, rebellious – the basic vision is that the world is not divided into the lower and the higher, but that the world is one piece. The higher and the lower are holding hands.”
23. The Tantric Way: Art, Science, Ritual
This richly illustrated and intricately researched book takes the reader on a pilgrimage into the heart and soul of Tantra.
Quote from The Tantric Way: “Through planned meditative practices of sexo-yogic asanas, Kundalini, the psychic force lying dormant in the human body, is roused towards its upward move, from Muladhara Chakra to the brain center, Sahasrara, to unite with cosmic consciousness.”
24. The Tao of Sexual Massage: A Step-by-Step Guide to Exciting, Enduring, Loving Pleasure - Stephen Russel
Taoist Tantra Massage is a very refined art for balancing the yin and yang elements in the body and discovering how these blossom into a fully awakened sexual and spiritual integration. This book offers a step by step guide into this divinely inspired massage technique.
Quote from The Tao of Sexual Massage: “Conflict in the social, mental, spiritual, or physical body manifests as illness. The aim, the path, and the quest of Taoist sexual practice is to integrate all these aspects of consciousness and the physical functions of the body, to work as a unified being.”
25. The Yoni: Sacred Symbol of Female Creative Power
This richly illustrated and fascinating book reveals the history, mystical symbolism and ancient and modern practices which honor and revere the female vulva as the source of life.
Quote from The Yoni: “I must practice devotion to women until I realise the essence of enlightenment.” (Candamaharosana Tantra)
26. Tools for Tantra - Harish Johari
This wonderful and richly illustrated book highlights the sacred symbolism of Yantra and Goddess Worship within the context of Tantra.
Quote from Tools for Tantra: “Tantra is the study of the universal from the point of view of the individual. The practicality of Tantric doctrines makes Tantra a select science that links all sciences and uses their essence in preparing workable formulae. Tantra is not limited to the study of any one branch of the tree of life. It is the study of the tree of life.”
27. Vagina: A New Biography - Naomi Wolf
This masterpiece of a book is one which every human being should read in order to be well educated on the vast subject of women’s sexuality. The author has done an extensive research on the subject of the intricacies of female sexual anatomy. She has interviewed doctors, scientists and delved even deeper through many case studies and interviews of women and Tantra practitioners.
Quote from Vagina: A New Biography: “The vagina serves, physiologically, to activate this matrix of chemicals that feel, to the female brain, like the Goddess - that is, like an awareness of one’s own great dignity, and of great self-love as a woman, as a radiant part of the universal feminine.”
28. Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love - Barbara Pease
This book is both humorous and highly informative on the subject of the biology of the mating game. The vast subject of sexuality, love and relationship is condensed and packaged in a way which is easy for the layperson to understand and enjoy. The information contained in this book will help you to really understand how we are wired biologically and how that affects our psychology when it comes to intimate relationship.
Quote from Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love: “In this fascinating book, the authors translate science and cutting–edge research into a powerful yet entertaining read.”
29. Tantric Quest - Daniele Odier
This deceptively small pocket book is packed with pearls of wisdom, written in the form of a story about Daniel’s meeting and study with a Female Tantra Master in the Himalayas. Reading it does truly send the reader on a quest, to know his or her ultimate potential as an ecstatic human being.
Quote from Tantric Quest: “For the first time, I succeeded in practicing dream yoga regularly. This form of yoga allows one to become conscious of dreams and to enter meditation, thus replacing the dream with the mandala or directly with non dualistic contemplation. When I awakened, this mediation left a sensation of great freshness, of deep rest free of the anarchic activities of consciousness; the mind was lucid and open.”
Ma Ananda Sarita’s Tantra Books
Tantra Alchemy: Sexuality, Love and Meditation as a Spiritual Path - Ma Ananda Sarita
This book contains the wisdom to alchemize your love life, attaining fulfilling sex, harmonious intimacy, enlightened consciousness, and the electrifying reunion with your eternal soul mate. Through dedicated tantric practice, each caress becomes a portal to higher realms of blissful awakening. No longer must life's greatest treasures remain untapped - the map to unleashing your erotic energies into a profound force for awakening awaits within these pages.
Quote from Tantra Alchemy: “By going deep into meditation you learn that all life resonates in the frequency we call love; by bringing meditation to the dimension of human love, we can touch the essential nature of the Universe.”
Divine Sexuality: The Joy of Tantra - Ma Ananda Sarita
This erotic guide to Tantra reveals arousing insights and practices to elevate your lovemaking to a transcendent art form, regardless of experience level. Explore the spicy secrets of self-pleasure, foreplay, creative positions and mind blowing orgasms through artful images and photographs that will ignite your passion. But Tantra is about more than just technique - it's a pathway to reuniting sex and spirit into one consecrated act of divine union. Within these pages, you'll discover the esoteric wisdom to strengthen the physical, emotional and spiritual bonds of sacred intimacy.
Quote from Divine Sexuality: “The book you now hold in your hands is a result of 36 years of experience on the Tantra Path, as a devotee of Osho, and since his departure from the physical plane, as a teacher of Tantra. I began this path because I was burning to discover ecstatic love and enduring wisdom in life. After 16 years of intense personal transformation, in the dimensions of sex, love and meditation, I had dug a deep well into the very center of my being.”
