Books by Gordan Djurdjevic
Sayings of Gorakhnāth: Annotated Translation of the Gorakh Bānī, 2019
Sayings of Gorakhnath presents a translation of late-medieval texts in Old Hindi, traditionally a... more Sayings of Gorakhnath presents a translation of late-medieval texts in Old Hindi, traditionally attributed to one of the founders of the Order of Nath Yogis. The Naths are associated with the creation and development of hatha yoga, with important historical and ideological links to Hindu tantra and alchemy. The texts gathered in this collection on the one hand provide a criticism of religious authority based on external knowledge lacking personal experience, while on the other hand they celebrate the path of yoga and its methods of engagement with the subtle body and its centres of occult energy and miraculous powers.
The ultimate goal of the style of yoga described in the Sayings of Gorakhnath concerns the attainment of immortality and divinization of its adepts. This is achieved by redirecting the trajectory of the seminal fluid, which in the process transforms into the elixir, the amrt. In order to accomplish that goal, a regime of yogic practices is suggested, consisting of the assumption of a steady posture, breathing exercises, mantra chanting, and meditation. Djudjevic and Singh's translations are preceded by an introduction and accompanied by notes, which contextualize and elucidate the subject matter.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Indian Yoga and Tantra become attractive to some major... more At the beginning of the twentieth century, Indian Yoga and Tantra become attractive to some major exponents of Western occultism. In a gesture typical of the syncretic tendency in Esotericism, Yoga is by these Westerners often identified as an Eastern form of magic: the two disciplines were considered to share similar theoretical perspective, the difference in their methods notwithstanding. India and the Occult explores the reception of Indian spirituality among Western occultists through several case studies. Unlike existing works focusing on the activities of Theosophical Society, it looks at the 'hard-core' occultism, in particular the British twentieth century currents associated with Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, Kenneth Grant, and related individuals and groups. Without denying the specificity of its Western historical manifestation, it suggests that esotericism is a category that may be applied as a conceptual tool in order to interpret aspects of non-Western religious thought and practice.
"The Nāth yogis, with their roots in the tantric milieu of medieval North India, are the instigat... more "The Nāth yogis, with their roots in the tantric milieu of medieval North India, are the instigators of haṭha yoga. Their ultimate goal is the transmutation of sexual fluids into the elixir of immortality. The masters of this yoga are siddhas, the possessors of siddhis, the occult powers that culminate in deification.
Scholars have noticed the importance of the occult and magic among the Nāths, but these categories are rarely given appropriate theoretical considerations. The academic study of esotericism, conversely, directly engages the occult but often restricts itself to Western traditions. This study argues that there are advantages in applying the conceptual vocabulary and theoretical conclusions of esoteric studies to the scholarship on tantra and yoga.
The model of esotericism is applied to the Nāth yogis through a threefold thematic division of the subject matter: their understanding of body and sexuality, speech and rhetoric, and mind and ideology. Yoga is comparable to magic understood as a quest for power, based on the cultivated imagination and the principle of unions. The study concludes by suggesting that esotericism should be seen as a cross-cultural phenomenon.
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Papers by Gordan Djurdjevic
India and the Occult: The Influence of South Asian Spirituality on Modern Western Occultism, 2014
This is the opening chapter of my book "India and the Occult," where I introduce the main subject... more This is the opening chapter of my book "India and the Occult," where I introduce the main subjects treated in the study and argue, inter alia, "family resemblance" between South Asian and Western esotericism and suggest that Western occultists were much more influential in promoting interest in Yoga and Tantra than is generally acknowledged.
Appropriating the Dao: The Euro-American Esoteric Reception of China , 2024
India and the Occult: The Influence of South Asian Spirituality on Modern Western Occultism, 2014
In many respects, Violet Mary Firth, better known as Dion Fortune (1890–1946), occupies a controv... more In many respects, Violet Mary Firth, better known as Dion Fortune (1890–1946), occupies a controversial position among these case studies, for she openly and frequently distanced herself from those Western occultists who felt drawn toward Eastern spiritual traditions. Fortune was quite explicit in her contention that “[c]ultures do not spring out of nothing” (1976: 1) and that she would “recommend to the white races the traditional Western system, which is admirably adapted to their psychic constitution” (1976: 6). There are several reasons, however, which justify her inclusion in the present study. Strategically, her position serves the role of a counterpoint, a differing voice, which needs to be taken into consideration. Fortune is not alone in her insistence that spiritual orientation is tied to cultural particulars and constraints, and that one needs to remain faithful to local traditions. Despite this, she has provided some important comments on Yoga and yogic esoteric anatomy, in particular with respect to the subject of cakras and their role in occult practice.1 In addition, she drew a correlation between Yoga and Kabbalah, arguing that the latter represents the “Yoga of the West” (1976: 1, 20). And finally, in her fiction and in her more guarded statements, as well as in the perception of some other occultists such as Kenneth Grant, she was giving voice to, and in a sense incarnating, a particular expression of feminine spiritual force that has both implicit and explicit similarity with the tantric concept of śakti.
Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, 2015
Ora et Labora: An OTO Research Journal, 2022
Jordan Belson (1926-2011) was an American filmmaker and painter whose, sometimes hand-painted, ab... more Jordan Belson (1926-2011) was an American filmmaker and painter whose, sometimes hand-painted, abstract films were as much influenced by the meditative and spiritual subjects and experiences as they were able
to produce the correspondent states of mind in the receptive viewer. A friend of Harry Smith and other early American experimental filmmakers, Belson rose to prominence in the late 1950s when he was employed as the
visual director of the San Francisco Planetarium—a position which gave him an opportunity to project moving imagery on huge screens accompanied by electronic music, a practice that gave rise to what was aptly
described as the visual music. His later films, typically short visual contemplations on spiritual subjects, often carried evocative titles such Samadhi (1967), Meditation (1971), Chakra (1972), Music of the Spheres (1977), and Bardo (2001). In my paper, I provide an overview of Belson’s artistic oeuvre and emphasize its esoteric nature.
Sayings of Gorakhnāth, 2019
The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Secrecy, 2022
The chapter provides an overview of the presence and significance of the category of secrecy in S... more The chapter provides an overview of the presence and significance of the category of secrecy in South Asian Hindu traditions. Secrecy is important, even essential, in Indian culture, both as a social mechanism that determines inclusion or exclusion, of certain groups and individuals, into and from domains of knowledge and communal ascendency, and as a perceived aspect of the chosen field of study and practice. While these mechanisms are arguably cross-cultural universals, I interrogate culturally and historically specific ways and means that they have been conceptualized and deployed in South Asian religions. The subtitle of the chapter, a quote from the Upaniṣads, refers to the important contention that the coherence and functionality of the perceptible universe hinges on the secret web of connections (bandhu) and that to know this secret, to have access to this secret knowledge, is salvific in nature: to know the secret of reality means to be liberated from its bondage. In terms of historical chronology, the chapter covers the ancient, classical, and medieval Hinduism; thematically, it provides illustrative examples of various forms of secrecy as encountered in the Vedas, the Upaniṣads, and in the devotional, Yogic, and Tantric traditions.
A paper presented at the 2008 International Conference, London, UK. Preliminary text, copyrighted... more A paper presented at the 2008 International Conference, London, UK. Preliminary text, copyrighted by the author. Please do not quote without seeking the author’s written consent. CESNUR reproduces or quotes documents from the media and different sources on a number of religious issues. Unless otherwise indicated, the opinions expressed are those of the document's author(s), not of CESNUR or its directors.
Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism, 2019
Aleister Crowley was considerably influenced by the doctrines of Theravāda Buddhism, which he stu... more Aleister Crowley was considerably influenced by the doctrines of Theravāda Buddhism, which he studied in his youth, both theoretically and practically. He correlated its principles to the principles of scientific agnosticism and considered that its objectives could also be achieved through the practice of ceremonial magic. His eventual acceptance of Thelema’s religious philosophy led to his ultimate renunciation of Buddhism as a worldview. This essay examines Crowley’s early writings on the subject of Buddhism and suggests that the presence of Buddhist theories remains quite significant in his formulation of the doctrine of Thelema.
Clavis: Journal of Occult Arts, Letters and Experience no. 2; http://clavisjournal.com/journal/, Oct 22, 2013
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Books by Gordan Djurdjevic
The ultimate goal of the style of yoga described in the Sayings of Gorakhnath concerns the attainment of immortality and divinization of its adepts. This is achieved by redirecting the trajectory of the seminal fluid, which in the process transforms into the elixir, the amrt. In order to accomplish that goal, a regime of yogic practices is suggested, consisting of the assumption of a steady posture, breathing exercises, mantra chanting, and meditation. Djudjevic and Singh's translations are preceded by an introduction and accompanied by notes, which contextualize and elucidate the subject matter.
Scholars have noticed the importance of the occult and magic among the Nāths, but these categories are rarely given appropriate theoretical considerations. The academic study of esotericism, conversely, directly engages the occult but often restricts itself to Western traditions. This study argues that there are advantages in applying the conceptual vocabulary and theoretical conclusions of esoteric studies to the scholarship on tantra and yoga.
The model of esotericism is applied to the Nāth yogis through a threefold thematic division of the subject matter: their understanding of body and sexuality, speech and rhetoric, and mind and ideology. Yoga is comparable to magic understood as a quest for power, based on the cultivated imagination and the principle of unions. The study concludes by suggesting that esotericism should be seen as a cross-cultural phenomenon.
"
Papers by Gordan Djurdjevic
to produce the correspondent states of mind in the receptive viewer. A friend of Harry Smith and other early American experimental filmmakers, Belson rose to prominence in the late 1950s when he was employed as the
visual director of the San Francisco Planetarium—a position which gave him an opportunity to project moving imagery on huge screens accompanied by electronic music, a practice that gave rise to what was aptly
described as the visual music. His later films, typically short visual contemplations on spiritual subjects, often carried evocative titles such Samadhi (1967), Meditation (1971), Chakra (1972), Music of the Spheres (1977), and Bardo (2001). In my paper, I provide an overview of Belson’s artistic oeuvre and emphasize its esoteric nature.
The ultimate goal of the style of yoga described in the Sayings of Gorakhnath concerns the attainment of immortality and divinization of its adepts. This is achieved by redirecting the trajectory of the seminal fluid, which in the process transforms into the elixir, the amrt. In order to accomplish that goal, a regime of yogic practices is suggested, consisting of the assumption of a steady posture, breathing exercises, mantra chanting, and meditation. Djudjevic and Singh's translations are preceded by an introduction and accompanied by notes, which contextualize and elucidate the subject matter.
Scholars have noticed the importance of the occult and magic among the Nāths, but these categories are rarely given appropriate theoretical considerations. The academic study of esotericism, conversely, directly engages the occult but often restricts itself to Western traditions. This study argues that there are advantages in applying the conceptual vocabulary and theoretical conclusions of esoteric studies to the scholarship on tantra and yoga.
The model of esotericism is applied to the Nāth yogis through a threefold thematic division of the subject matter: their understanding of body and sexuality, speech and rhetoric, and mind and ideology. Yoga is comparable to magic understood as a quest for power, based on the cultivated imagination and the principle of unions. The study concludes by suggesting that esotericism should be seen as a cross-cultural phenomenon.
"
to produce the correspondent states of mind in the receptive viewer. A friend of Harry Smith and other early American experimental filmmakers, Belson rose to prominence in the late 1950s when he was employed as the
visual director of the San Francisco Planetarium—a position which gave him an opportunity to project moving imagery on huge screens accompanied by electronic music, a practice that gave rise to what was aptly
described as the visual music. His later films, typically short visual contemplations on spiritual subjects, often carried evocative titles such Samadhi (1967), Meditation (1971), Chakra (1972), Music of the Spheres (1977), and Bardo (2001). In my paper, I provide an overview of Belson’s artistic oeuvre and emphasize its esoteric nature.