prem+saran

Prem Saran is a person of unique aesthetic sensibilities derived from his professional study and practice of Tantra, an ancient Indian yogic tradition. From this experiential base he seeks to strategically complement management theory with an ethos of playfulness- -both intellectual and existential. Nominally he is a senior bureaucrat in the Indian Administrative Service. He also has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (my own alma mater), and he did a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Univ of California. Here is a synopsis of his recent book - Yoga, Bhoga and Ardhanariswara: Individuality, Wellbeing and Gender in Tantra:

"This book is a social-scientific interpretation of the 15 centuries-old Hindu and Buddhist traditions of Tantra. It is a self-reflexive study, informed by an insider's empathy and the apprehension of an Indologist-cum-anthropologist who is also a mystic and an initiated practitioner of the cult himself." "Using his personal praxis to inform his research, the author examines three core themes of Tantra: a 'holonic'/ mandallo individuality that conduces to the mystical experience; a positive valorisation of pleasure and play; and cultural attitudes of gender-mutuality and complementarity, as neatly encapsulated in the icon of Shiva as Ardhanariswara." [|PremSaranCVmale.pdf]