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Tools for Tantra
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.
- GenresSpiritualityReligion
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 21, 2010
This is a great guide for creating yantras and using them for meditation. It is also a great introduction to Tantra, the use of mantra, and the goddesses (and yantras associated with them) of the Mahavidyas.
October 9, 2026
2.75/5 stars, setting aside the empirical aspect of things.
It’s remarkably easy to mislead the uninformed with half-baked information, even when the subject revolves around tantra and mysticism.
The book does have certain aspects worthy of appreciation, such as its illustrations and explanations of yantra symbols and designs, but it falls short when it comes to explaining the underlying principles and practicalities. For instance, if a yajna is to be performed, what qualifications or characteristics must the initiator possess? At what time of day should it be performed? What offerings are required? How does the entire process begin, proceed, and conclude, and what’s the time for each? These are some of the fundamental questions the book fails to address. Anyone can look up the Das Mahavidyas on Wikipedia and read about their mythological origins (or their Yantras), but what about the practical aspects?
I wouldn’t go so far as to call the book a disappointment, as a complete novice might still find some information worth pondering. However, for anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of the subject, the book’s shortcomings become fairly apparent.
And as for the scientific argument, well, that’s an entirely different discussion.
It’s remarkably easy to mislead the uninformed with half-baked information, even when the subject revolves around tantra and mysticism.
The book does have certain aspects worthy of appreciation, such as its illustrations and explanations of yantra symbols and designs, but it falls short when it comes to explaining the underlying principles and practicalities. For instance, if a yajna is to be performed, what qualifications or characteristics must the initiator possess? At what time of day should it be performed? What offerings are required? How does the entire process begin, proceed, and conclude, and what’s the time for each? These are some of the fundamental questions the book fails to address. Anyone can look up the Das Mahavidyas on Wikipedia and read about their mythological origins (or their Yantras), but what about the practical aspects?
I wouldn’t go so far as to call the book a disappointment, as a complete novice might still find some information worth pondering. However, for anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of the subject, the book’s shortcomings become fairly apparent.
And as for the scientific argument, well, that’s an entirely different discussion.
February 27, 2019
Brilliant write-up. This book is for the intermediate.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews