New Books Network Gavin Flood, "The Concept of Mind in Hindu Tantra" (Routledge, 2024)
Oct 30, 2025
Gavin Flood, a Professor of Hindu Studies at Oxford and author, shares insights from his latest work, exploring the concept of mind in Hindu Tantra. He discusses the tension between dualism and mind-body models, highlighting distinctions between atman and jiva. Flood delves into the historical journey of mind from Vedic texts to Tantric thought and connects it to comparative philosophy. His reflections on non-dual Shaivism reveal a cosmos infused with divine consciousness, emphasizing the importance of world-affirmation in Hinduism.
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Genesis In Comparative Question
- Herbert Guenther's question inspired Flood to compare tantric and Buddhist conceptions of mind across traditions.
- This framed the book as a cross-traditional history of mentalistic language and its translatability.
Mind-Body As A Complex
- Tantra treats mind and body as a cohesive complex within which the deeper self (Atman/jiva) persists.
- The tradition distinguishes gross and subtle bodies, holding mental phenomena as part of the subtle sharira.
Dualism Versus Nondual Shaiva Views
- Shaiva Siddhanta posits a plural, dualist ontology where jivas are distinct from mind-body complexes.
- Non-dualist Shaivism rejects plural souls and identifies true self with universal Shiva consciousness.
