$19 Nectar of the Holy Name, by Manindranath Guha. Introduced, translated, and annotated by Neal Delmonico
Guha’s book is a good introduction to an area of theological reflection in Caitanya Vaisnavism called the “theology of the holy name.” In summary the theology of the holy name teaches that the names of the deities, Krishna and Radha, are not different from the deities themselves and thus the names possess a special transformative power for those who speak, whisper, or even merely think of them. Those who repeat those names whether loudly or softly are believed to be purified by the divine presence they represent and are also infused by that presence with divine love for the deities named.
$25 Secrets of Shaktipat: Awakening of Kundalini by the Guru by Ravindra Kumar (now Swami Atmananda) and Jytte Kumar Larsen
This book provides the most comprehensive knowledge of the Shaktipat method with all its intricacies and details – from finding a guru to inner experiences and life in an ashram.
$34 The Tantric Body: The Secret Tradition of Hindu Religion by Gavin Flood
Back cover: Is tantra just about exotic sexual practice or does it amount to something more? This lively and original book contributes to a more complete understanding of tantra. It argues that within the different Hindu traditions, it is ritual and ascetic practice which fully explains corporeality. Without minimizing its sexual dimensions, Flood argues that the tantric body is more than just a sexual entity, and cannot be understood apart from the religious traditions and texts that give it form. Through ritual and yogic practice the body is formed into a pattern determined by these traditions, and the practitioner thereby strives to mould his or her life into the shape of the tradition.
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