The most recommended Tantra books

Who picked these books? Meet our 11 experts.

11 authors created a book list connected to tantra, and here are their favorite tantra books.
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Book cover of Roots of Yoga

Daniel Simpson Author Of The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices

From my list on the truth of yoga.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been studying yoga in various forms since my first trip to India in the 1990s. I began as a curious tourist, attending the world's biggest human gathering (the Kumbh Mela). After working as a foreign correspondent—initially for Reuters then The New York Times—I returned to university, earning a master's degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation. I've since taught courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, on yoga teacher trainings, and via my website. The Truth of Yoga is the book I wish I'd found when I started exploring.

Daniel's book list on the truth of yoga

Daniel Simpson Why did Daniel love this book?

A compendium of extracts from yogic texts, exploring how practices vary in different traditions, and how they developed over 2,000 years. Encyclopaedically written, with detailed notes, its well-structured format makes it easy to dip into. Each chapter covers one part of practice, from definitions of yoga to specific techniques, with introductory essays providing an overview. An essential reference guide.

By James Mallinson (translator), Mark Singleton (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Roots of Yoga as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'An indispensable companion for all interested in yoga, both scholars and practitioners' Professor Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson

Despite yoga's huge global popularity, relatively little of its roots is known among practitioners. This compendium includes a wide range of texts from different schools of yoga, languages and eras: among others, key passages from the early Upanisads and the Mahabharata, and from the Tantric, Buddhist and Jaina traditions, with many pieces in scholarly translation for the first time. Covering yoga's varying definitions, its most important practices, such as posture, breath control, sensory withdrawal and meditation, as well as models of the…


Book cover of The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within

Gabriel Dee Author Of The Power of Death: A Radical Path to Personal Transformation and Spiritual Enlightenment

From my list on spiritual books only a few people read.

Why am I passionate about this?

Gabriel Dee is a mystic, author, spiritual teacher, and the founder of Immortology. At the age of 26, he became a seeker and became enlightened on the 11th of March, 2011. He experienced most of the spiritual methods of the world and traveled to India to learn more about healing, hypnosis, and meditation. His main teaching is making people face their own mortality, and then going beyond it to realize their immortality.

Gabriel's book list on spiritual books only a few people read

Gabriel Dee Why did Gabriel love this book?

The next one on my list of the top 5 spiritual books is The Book of Secrets by Osho. He is my favorite spiritual teacher, and although he never wrote any books, the texts from his speeches were published in several compilations. Everything you read from him can be useful, but this book stands above the rest in its length, depth and practicality.

This book is based on a 5000 year old tantric scripture consisting of 112 meditations to achieve liberation. What Osho basically does is that he adds commentaries and his own experiences to each of the techniques, thereby making them understandable and practical for the modern seeker. If I had to recommend any book on meditation, it would definitely be this one.

By Osho,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Book of Secrets as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this comprehensive and practical guide, the secrets of the ancient science of Tantra become available to a contemporary audience. Confined to small, hidden mystery schools for centuries, and often misunderstood and misinterpreted today. Tantra is not just a collection of techniques to enhance sexual experience. As Osho shows in these pages, it is a complete science of self-realization, based on the cumulative wisdom of centuries of exploration into the meaning of life and consciousness. Tantra-the very word means "technique"-is a set of powerful, transformative tools that can be used to bring new meaning and joy to every aspect of…


Book cover of Tools for Tantra

Swami Saradananda Author Of Sitting Comfortably: Preparing the Mind and Body for Peaceful Meditation

From my list on serious yogis and meditators.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in New York, live in London, have an Indian name, and a Polish grandmother. I’ve lived and worked worldwide, running yoga centers in New York, London, New Delhi, and the Himalayas; I’ve also worked as a spice merchant, magazine editor, and pilgrimage leader. My incentive in writing is to inspire people to practise yoga and meditation – and my books tend to be practical as well as theoretical. In addition to teaching and writing, I’ve spent extensive time doing personal practice in the Himalayas, and I hold an MA degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London.

Swami's book list on serious yogis and meditators

Swami Saradananda Why did Swami love this book?

I have a special interest in yantras, and this book is the best and clearest explanation I’ve found. It inspired me to include yantras in a Teach Meditation course that I give to yoga teachers – and also to write my Master’s dissertation on the Sri Yantra.

In case readers are unfamiliar with the term ‘yantra’, it refers to precise geometric constructions that have been used by yoga practitioners for centuries as visual tools for the attainment of inner peace. Johari explains their forms, associated practices, and spiritual applications. Until he wrote this book, this information was mostly unavailable to modern practitioners.

By Harish Johari,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tools for Tantra as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Tantric yantras are precise geometric forms that have been used for centuries as tools for self-realization and the attainment of mystical powers. In Tools for Tantra, Tantric practitioner and scholar Harish Johari has re-created the exact colors and proportions of the primordial yantras along with step-by-step instructions for their accurate construction, coloring, and use.


Book cover of The Life and Teaching of Naropa

Lorne Ladner Author Of The Lost Art of Compassion: Discovering the Practice of Happiness in the Meeting of Buddhism and Psychology

From my list on biographies within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a clinical psychologist who also writes about and teaches Buddhist philosophy, psychology, and meditation. I've had the great good fortune to be closely mentored by a number of elder Tibetan teachers who were educated in old Tibet.  Over the decades, when seeking wisdom and compassion in the midst of life's challenges, I've repeatedly found inspiration, education, solace, and guidance along my own path in the enlightened and enlightening life stories of a number of the great scholar/yogis of the Himalayan Buddhist traditions. 

Lorne's book list on biographies within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition

Lorne Ladner Why did Lorne love this book?

Naropa was an important figure in Indian Tantric Buddhism whose lineages gained great popularity in Tibet. His life story beautifully embodies many archetypal elements of the spiritual journey in a way that has proved compelling, inspiring, and educational for Buddhist practitioners for well over a millenium. He goes from being a great scholar to a seeker who bears many hardships to an enlightened master. If you yourself are someone deeply committed to a spiritual journey, then it's likely that you'll find moments of your own experience reflected back for you in his remarkable story.

By Herbert V. Guenther,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Life and Teaching of Naropa as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the history of Tibetan Buddhism, the eleventh-century Indian mystic Nâropa occupies an unusual position, for his life and teachings mark both the end of a long tradition and the beginning of a new and rich era in Buddhist thought. Nâropa's biography, translated by the world-renowned Buddhist scholar Herbert V. Guenther from hitherto unknown sources, describes with great psychological insight the spiritual development of this scholar-saint. It is unique in that it also contains a detailed analysis of his teaching that has been authoritative for the whole of Tantric Buddhism.

This modern translation is accompanied by a commentary that relates…


Book cover of The Luminous Self: Sacred Yogic Practices and Rituals to Remember Who You Are

Caverly Morgan Author Of A Kids Book About Mindfulness

From my list on finding happiness.

Why am I passionate about this?

The question “Who are you?” has been central to my practice over the last 30 years. This inquiry led me to live in a silent monastery for eight years. If we aren’t who we have been conditioned to see ourselves to be, then who are we? Who are we truly? This inquiry has led to happiness in my own life, it’s led to happiness in the lives of thousands of teens who have been served through the nonprofit I founded–Peace in Schools, and it’s led to happiness with the adults who have come to my workshops and retreats.  

Caverly's book list on finding happiness

Caverly Morgan Why did Caverly love this book?

I was profoundly inspired by this book because it masterfully blends ancient wisdom with contemporary insights on yoga and meditation. I love how Stanley guides readers toward inner peace and spiritual awakening through both accessible and profound techniques.

The book’s focus on deep self-care practices really resonated with me, helping me to cultivate a more balanced and luminous life. Stanley’s approach made it easy for me to deepen my meditation practice while embracing the transformative power of self-care. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to enrich their spiritual journey and achieve a harmonious, vibrant life.

By Tracee Stanley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Luminous Self as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


A guide to self-remembrance with practices, meditations, and self-inquiry questions inspired by yoga and Tantra to help you connect with your inner wisdom, remember your wholeness, and live with clarity and compassion—by the bestselling author of Radiant Rest.

The Luminous Self shares teachings and practices that can help us connect with our true Self and reclaim our inherent power and wisdom—essential for living with purpose and grace in our turbulent world. In this book, Tracee Stanley shares teachings and practices in each chapter—including meditation, yoga nidra, breath work, dreaming rituals, community care practices, journaling, and more—that can help us remember…


Book cover of The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India

Gordan Djurdjevic Author Of Sayings of Gorakhnāth: Annotated Translations of the Gorakh Bānī

From my list on the Nāth Yogis.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was drawn to the subject of Yoga already as a teenager. Much later, I did my Ph.D. Thesis on the subject of the Nāths. I find fascinating the wealth of esoteric ideas and assumptions at the root of their project: the search for the elixir of immortality through internalization of the principles of alchemy. I admire their ethos, their stories, and the whole fabric of legends that surrounds them. I have done some work on translating the poetry attributed to their founder, guru Gorakhnāth, and that made me appreciative of their wisdom and their views, even when I disagreed with some of those.   

Gordan's book list on the Nāth Yogis

Gordan Djurdjevic Why did Gordan love this book?

I love the extraordinarily intricate ideology of the Nāth Yogis, or Siddhas, magisterially described in this study brimful with historical and religious data.

This is one of those books that blow your mind and leave you in awe. I am especially captivated by the efforts to translate the methodology of Indian alchemy into the practice of Yoga that the book describes. “As in metal, so in the body” was the motto of Indian Siddha practitioners who strived to imitate the process of perfecting the metals by perfecting the body.

It was exactly this book that set me on the path of doing Ph.D. research with a focus on the Nāth Yogis.  

By David Gordon White,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Alchemical Body as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

David Gordon White excavates and seeks to centre within its broader Indian context the lost tradition of the medieval Siddhas. This comprehensive study draws upon the ancient Sanskrit and medieval Hindu materials and asserts medieval traditions of Hindu alchemy and "hatha yoga" were practiced by one and the same people, and that they can only be understood when viewed together.


Book cover of Tantra

Gordan Djurdjevic Author Of India and the Occult

From my list on India and the occult.

Why am I passionate about this?

I discovered Indian Yoga and Western occultism as a teenager, and it turned into a lifelong obsession. I tend to relate to various forms of esotericism more naturally than to established religions; I find the lack of rigidity in the former’s metaphysical and ethical constructs more appealing. I obtained a Ph.D. in Asian Studies with a Thesis on the Nāth Yogis and pursued my interest in Aleister Crowley, his religious movement of Thelema, and Western occultism. What I find attractive in these systems is the vision of the human potential that promises to be able to transcend limitations associated with the consensus reality.        

Gordan's book list on India and the occult

Gordan Djurdjevic Why did Gordan love this book?

Urban was among the first scholars who took seriously connections between Indian Tantra and some strands of Western occultism, even while remaining critical of the latter’s take on the former.

This book is a study of Western fascinations with (often amounting to a series of misunderstandings about) Tantra and its conflation with sex, in the process of which it is misconstrued as “the cult of ecstasy.” Urban applies to the Victorian discovery and captivation with Tantra, the well-known Foucault’s contention about sexuality–that, far from being repressed by a scandalized silence, it is, in fact, incessantly and obsessively talked about. 

By Hugh B. Urban,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tantra as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A complex body of religious practices that spread throughout the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions; a form of spirituality that seemingly combines sexuality, sensual pleasure, and the full range of physical experience with the religious life - Tantra has held a central yet conflicted role within the Western imagination ever since the first 'discovery' of Indian religions by European scholars. Always radical, always extremely Other, Tantra has proven a key factor in the imagining of India. This book offers a critical account of how the phenomenon has come to be. Tracing the complex genealogy of Tantra as a category within…


Book cover of The Transparency of Things: Contemplating the Nature of Experience

Todd Mitchell Author Of Breakthrough: How to Overcome Doubt, Fear, and Resistance to Be Your Ultimate Creative Self

From my list on fulfilling, successful, and enjoyable creative life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a creative writing professor and the author of five award-winning YA and MG novels. Nevertheless, for decades no matter what I accomplished, I felt like a failure who wasn’t doing enough. Eventually, I drove myself to a breakdown. Having a breakdown (my lucky break!) gave me an opportunity to reassess what creativity is, and to discover better ways to go about it. I’ve since spent the past 5+ years researching creativity, and how to make creative endeavors more effective and enjoyable. I wrote Breakthrough to share some of the life-changing insights and techniques that helped me. Here are a few books that might prove useful in shifting your creative paradigms and enhancing your life. Happy creating!

Todd's book list on fulfilling, successful, and enjoyable creative life

Todd Mitchell Why did Todd love this book?

I’ll confess right off the bat that I’m the only person I know who genuinely enjoys reading Spira’s books. His philosophical, highly conceptual, contemplative chapters might not be for everyone. But if you take the time to carefully read and contemplate what Spira discusses, his books can be deeply impactful.

Spira is a “Direct Path” teacher, who conveys some of the deeper teachings of Tantra, Advaita Vedanta, Sufism, and other nondual traditions in a secular, direct, philosophical way. If you want to dive deep into what experience is, what can make life a struggle, and how to experience greater happiness, Spira can be a powerful teacher. The Transparency of Things is a great introduction to his work, but the concepts Spira discusses cannot be understood intellectually. Ultimately, they must be directly experienced to be grasped, and that can take a bit of time, work, and luck.

By Rupert Spira,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Transparency of Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The purpose of The Transparency of Things is to look clearly and simply at the nature of experience, without any attempt to change it.

A series of contemplations leads us gently but directly to see that our essential nature is neither a body nor a mind. It is the conscious Presence that is aware of this current experience. As such, it is nothing that can be experienced as an object, and yet it is undeniably present.

However, these contemplations go much further than this. As we take our stand knowingly as this conscious Presence that we always already are, and…


Book cover of Hindu, Buddhist and Tantric Gods and Goddesses, Ritual Objects and Religious Symbols

Alan Mercel-Sanca Author Of Nepal - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

From my list on people learning about each other's cultures.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an intercultural educationalist, having many years of direct Prime Ministers, Culture Ministers, Ambassador of Nepal to the UK/Ireland/Malta, experts, and grassroots community organizations relationships with Nepal and Nepali diasporas (UK and Ireland) regarding research, reports, and major intercultural projects, as well as a published writer on Nepali culture and editor and lead content contributor for internationally respected online Nepal culture information resources (see Nepali Cultural Heritage and Foods of Nepal). An active member of the decolonization movement, I have provided live BBC TV News interviews on the UK Government–Gurkha dispute and led the enablement of a historically important Nepal–England football match. 

Alan's book list on people learning about each other's cultures

Alan Mercel-Sanca Why did Alan love this book?

In late 2013, during one of my many visits to Kathmandu as the lead of the UK Nepal Friendship Society, I was privileged to be engaged and presented with a copy of this just-published book.

For any non-South Asian person with a passion for learning about the esoteric and spiritual heritages of South Asia, this book is a true, precious treasure of the rarest and highest kind for students of those precious and vibrant heritages in which the spiritual concepts of profound ethical, personal self-development, and respect for the unique role in both of the latter regarding Nature in all her profound manifestations (including sexual love) and of global value and significance! 

By Trilok Chandra Majupuria,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hindu, Buddhist and Tantric Gods and Goddesses, Ritual Objects and Religious Symbols as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

English 130 (Throughout B/W Illustrations)Why This Book?This book has been written for those who would like to know about gods and goddesses in Hinduism, Buddhism and Tantrism, in a nutshell. Tibetan deities as well as those associated with sutras (esoteric discourses) are also dealt with in detail. It would be of special interest to visitors who come to Nepal for a short visit. Since most of the sculptures, paintings are based on religious mythologies; therefore, basic facts about religions are also necessary.Authors have been interacting for 56 years with visitors of Nepal and giving them lectures mainly about religions and…


Book cover of A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses: Tales of the Feminine Divine from India and Beyond

Caleb Simmons Author Of Singing the Goddess into Place: Locality, Myth, and Social Change in Chamundi of the Hill, a Kannada Folk Ballad

From my list on goddesses in India.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been intrigued by the Hindu goddess traditions since I first read Is the Goddess a Feminist as an undergraduate student. After reading this book, I changed my course of study and life, writing my Ph.D. dissertation and my first few books on Indian goddess traditions. Now, I continue to share my passion for Indian goddesses as a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Arizona.

Caleb's book list on goddesses in India

Caleb Simmons Why did Caleb love this book?

This book takes an interesting approach to regional goddesses in India by looking at the seeds of their cults and how they grow and flower into powerful traditions in lived and literary traditions. I particularly love this approach because it not only spans the different regions of India, but it also spans the scope of time connecting ancient and medieval traditions with pan-Indian and local understandings of the goddess. 

By Michael Slouber (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Imagining the divine as female is rare-even controversial-in most religions. Hinduism, by contrast, preserves a rich and continuous tradition of goddess worship. A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses conveys the diversity of this tradition by bringing together a fresh array of captivating and largely overlooked Hindu goddess tales from different regions. As the first such anthology of goddess narratives in translation, this collection highlights a range of sources from ancient myths to modern lore. The goddesses featured here battle demons, perform miracles, and grant rare Tantric visions to their devotees. Each translation is paired with a short essay that explains the…


Book cover of Roots of Yoga
Book cover of The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within
Book cover of Tools for Tantra

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