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Tantric Yoga
A Study of the Vedic Precursors, Historical Evolution, Literatures,
Cultures, doctrines, and Practices of the 11th Century
Kasmiri Saivite and Buddhist Unexcelled Tantric Yogas
by James Francis Hartzell 
 
Dissertation: not published as book, 1997, (1997, UMI Number: 9723798, http://www.umi.com)

Available from UMI Dissertation Services, 300 North Zeeb Road, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-1346, US

 

A Review by Andy Wistreich (4/2/01)

This is the fourth dissertation which incorporates translation of part of the Kalacakratantra and Vimalaprabha, in this case, part of the Fifth Chapter. Unfortunately, Hartzell did not include his full translation of the chapter because the dissertation would have become too long. It is already 1453 pages! I am trying hard to contact Hartzell, who is said to be raising ayurvedic medicinal plants in South Africa, to ask him for the rest of the translation, but as yet have had no luck. If anyone reading this knows how to contact him, please let me know (andy.wistreich@btinternet.com).

I have met a fellow student of his from Columbia, who says that he was a remarkable student, accomplishing vast scholarship even at the undergraduate level. His dissertation is certainly extremely wide-ranging and interesting to read. Vesna Wallace wrote to me that this dissertation has been withdrawn from the UMI catalogue, which I hope is not the case, because it makes a valuable contribution to the literature.

The actual translation, probably because of the esoteric nature of the original, is for me the most difficult to follow of all the four translations so far published in dissertations (Chapter One John Newman; Chapter Two Jensine Andresen; plus this one). Hartzell describes its subject matter as follows:

The Sanskrit text of the fifth chapter is called the Jnana-patalah, most simply translated as the Intuition Chapter. It is divided into four main sections, or Maha-uddessah: 1) The great teaching on the emanation (according to) the Yogini Tantras etc; 2) The great teaching on the Explanation of the Purification of the Four Bodies, etc; 3) The great teaching called the Perfection of Knowledge of the Supremely Indestructible; 4) The great teaching for the Initiate on the Various Methods. (Hartzell 97 p975)

Because the translation is difficult, other non-scholarly readers, like me, may get more benefit from the commentary which takes up most of the dissertation. However, the translation is very inspiring, and gives one a sense of the depth and enormity of the whole Kalacakratantra.

The main body of the dissertation explores the Vedic roots of tantra, and compares and contrasts the Kalacakra with the Saivite practices. Hartzell, like many other Kalacakra translators has his own theory of the location of Shambhala namely an area of Kashmir, and he suggests that both Kalacakra and Saivite tantras were practised in the same part of the world perhaps between the seventh and eleventh centuries CE, with some overlap and particularly with mutual awareness of the others existence. He explores the works of the Kalacakra scholar Abhayakaragupta and the Saivite scholar Abhinavagupta for much of his source materials, and then goes to their sources. He begins with a most interesting discussion of the Vedic worldview as a backdrop to both traditions.

Hartzell's abstract sums up better than I could, the contents of the whole dissertation:

A wide-ranging, in-depth study of the Saivite and Buddhist Tantric traditions, this dissertation in thirteen chapters covers the historical development of Tantra in the Indian context prior to the Islamic invasions, relying principally on Sanskrit texts. The dissertation provides an introduction to Tantric studies, the Vedic and historical roots of the ideas and emergence of the traditions, the early Tantric literature and social position of the cults, the goals of the practices as understood by their advocates, with considerable technical detail on advanced stages and ultimate goals of Tantric Yoga.

He then goes on to list the contents of all the chapters which I shall not do here, because it would be too long.

I cannot do an objective review of this thesis because I am not familiar with the material. All I can do is to recount how it has helped me as a practitioner to understand certain aspects and qualities of the Kalacakra and to further contextualise it within the society where it was practised in ancient times.

In the introduction quoted above, Hartzell refers to the . Piecing together his research together with some other recent work by Miranda Shaw (Passionate Enlightenment) Keith Dowman (Masters of Mahamudra) and others, one gets a picture of a culture in Eastern India (including present Bengal) and other areas such as Oddiana, of a widespread lay Tantric culture, with clandestine meetings in forests, lonely places, and special temples, on particular nights of the month, for tsogs, initiation ceremonies etc It seems that these meetings were often led by female practitioners, and involved explicit sexual and other taboo practices. Although attempts were made to maintain secrecy (c.f. some of the Tantric vows), nonetheless there were inevitably leaks and scandals, and at times the Tantric circles fell into disrepute. The implication in the dissertation is that it was within this type of culture that the Kalacakra was originally practised in both Shambhala and ancient India. Hartzell's approach is scholarly and he is careful not to make any assertions without evidence. Rather he paints a general picture and leaves the reader to make the connections.

In particular, Hartzell's dissertation is very interesting in its explication of the background to the Kalacakratantra's emphasis on the practice of non-emission of semen. He compares the Kalacakra and Saivite sexual yoga practices and finds that this emphasis is one of the differentiating factors of the Kalacakratantra. Despite the difficulty at times in following the complexity and abstruse language of the originals by Manjushri Yasas and Pundarika, one builds a picture through reading this dissertation, of an authentic practice tradition in which pure practice of sexual yogas by lay people was taught and followed.

Now we have over half of the Vimalaprabha and its root text the brief Kalacakratantra, translated from Sanskrit into English. It is to be hoped that Vesna Wallace's translation of Chapter Four will soon become available at least for practitioners, that the remainder of Chapter One will be translated by John Newman and Ed Henning, and that we can get hold of the remainder of chapter five from James Hartzell.

All of the translations will need continuous improvement. This literature was translated into Tibetan over and over and over again, because the Tibetans were always seeking to improve on previous translations.

However, for the Kalacakra to again become a living practice tradition, the translation into Western languages, especially English, of these texts and later commentaries on them by Indians and Tibetans is essential.

Please share your opinion of this dissertation with us.