We've ranked the best indian philosophy books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
Autobiography of a Yogi is one of the best-selling spiritual biographies of all time. The book is not merely read it is treasured and cherished by millions of spiritual seekers throughout the world.
Recommended by Steve Jobs, Marc Benioff, Dan Engle, and 2 others.
One book in particular stayed with Jobs his entire life, and Isaacson noted that it was the only book Jobs had downloaded on his iPad 2: “Autobiography of a Yogi,” “the guide to meditation and spirituality that he had first read as a teenager,” Isaacson writes, “then re-read in India and had read once a year ever since.” [source]
Marc Benioff
CEO/Salesforce
If you haven't read it, and if you want to understand Steve Jobs, it's a goood idea to dip into this book. [source]
Dan Engle
One of the more impactful books for me when I was living down in the jungle and experiencing more of the deeper reflections through the medicine space. [source]
I read The Bhagavad Gita, which is something I wasn’t ready for before, but glad to finally understand. [source]
Bernard Tan
The “Tao Te King” by Lao Tzu probably resonated with me the strongest, but others like the “Art of War” by Sun Tzu, “Bhagavad Gita” or Zen Buddhist scriptures were also real eye-openers, even for a non-religious person like myself. [source]
Bill Liao
The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]
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The Upanishads
Eknath Easwara
4.9
The Upanishads, the earliest of which were composed in Sanskrit between 800 and 400 bce by sages and poets, form part of the Vedas - the sacred and ancient scriptures that are the basis of the Hindu religion. Each Upanishad, or lesson, takes up a theme ranging from the attainment of spiritual bliss to karma and rebirth, and collectively they are meditations on life, death and immortality. The essence of their teachings is that truth can by reached by faith rather than by thought, and that the spirit of God is within each of us - we need not fear death as we carry within us the promise of eternal life.
Older cover edition for ISBN 9780140441635.
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Recommended by Caterina Fake.
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The Bodhicaryāvatāra
Santideva
4.5
Written in India in the early 8th century AD, Śāntideva's Bodhicaryāvatāra addresses the profound desire to become a Buddha and rescue all beings from suffering. The person who acts upon such a desire is a Bodhisattva. Śāntideva not only makes plain what the Bodhisattva must do and become, he also invokes the powerful feelings of aspiration that underlie such a commitment, employing language which has inspired Buddists ever since it first appeared. Indeed, his book has long been regarded as one of the most popular accounts of the Buddhist's spiritual path. Important as a manual of training among Mahayana Buddhists, especially in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this text continues to be used as the basis for teaching by modern Buddhist teachers. This new translation from the original language provides detailed annotations explaining allusions and technical references. Also, the Introduction both serve to locate Śāntideva's work in its proper context, and for the first time explain its structure. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
The purpose is not to read cover to cover, the purpose is to find out what is the essence you need in that moment that’s going help you live a happier, healthier life, and in turn to help others lead a healthier and happier life. And that’s enough. I still use the book in that way. [source]
Bryan Van Norden
Despite the intimidating title, it’s actually a readable introduction to a certain kind of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. [source]
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A Source Book in Indian Philosophy
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Charles A. Moore
4.5
Here are the chief riches of more than 3,000 years of Indian philosophical thought-the ancient Vedas, the Upanisads, the epics, the treatises of the heterodox and orthodox systems, the commentaries of the scholastic period, and the contemporary writings. Introductions and interpretive commentaries are provided.
-- "The New York Times"
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The Dhammapada
Gil Fronsdal and Jack Kornfield
4.5
The Dhammapada (Pāli; Prakrit: धम्मपद Dhammapada; Sanskrit: धर्मपद Dharmapada) is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. The original version of the Dhammapada is in the Khuddaka Nikaya, a division of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The Buddhist scholar and commentator Buddhaghosa explains that each saying recorded in the collection was made on a different occasion in response to a unique situation that had arisen in the life of the Buddha and his monastic community. His commentary, the Dhammapada Atthakatha, presents the details of these events and is a rich source of legend for the life and times of the Buddha.
The Dhammapada is one of the greatest psychological works ever written, and certainly one of the greatest before 1900. It is masterful in its understanding of the nature of consciousness, and in particular the way we are always striving and never satisfied. You can turn to it – and people have turned to it throughout the ages – at times of trouble, at times of disappointment, at times of loss, and it takes you out of yourself. It shows you that your problems, your feelings, are just timeless manifestations of the human condition. It also gives specific recommendations for how to deal with those problems, which is to let go, to accept, and to work on yourself. So I think this is a kind of tonic that we ambitious Westerners often need to hear. [source]
The Buddhist collection of sayings. And it begins with, basically, the idea that we create the world with our minds. [source]
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Sri Swami Satchidananda
4.5
This valuable book provides a complete manual for the study and practice of Raja Yoga, the path of concentration and meditation. This new edition of these timeless teachings is a treasure to be read and referred to again and again by seekers treading the spiritual path. The classic Sutras (thought-threads), at least four thousand years old, cover the yogic teachings on ethics, meditation, and physical postures, and provide directions for dealing with situations in daily life. The Sutras are presented here in the purest form, with the original Sanskrit and with translation, transliteration, and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda, one of the most respected and revered contemporary Yoga masters. In this classic context, Sri Swami offers practical advice, based on his own experience, for mastering the mind and achieving physical, mental, and emotional harmony.
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Indian Philosophy, Volume 1
Radhakrishnan
4.4
This classic work is a general introduction to Indian philosophy that covers the Vedic and Epic periods, including expositions on the hymns of the Rig Veda, the Upanisads, Jainism, Buddhism and the theism of the Bhagvadgita. Long acknowledged as a classic, this pioneering survey of Indian thought charts a fascinating course through an intricate history. From the Rig Veda to Ramanuja, Radhakrishnan traces the development of Indian philosophy as a single tradition of thought through the ages. The author showcases ancient philosophical texts and relates them to contemporary issues of philosophy and religion. This second edition with a new Introduction by eminent philosopher J.N. Mohanty, highlights the continuing relevance of the work and the philosophic tradition it represents.
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The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow
Sanjay Patel
4.4
Pixar animator and Academy Award–nominated director Sanjay Patel (Sanjay’s Super Team) brings to life Hinduism’s most important gods and goddesses (and one sacred stone) in fun, full-color illustrations, each accompanied by a short, lively profile. The Little Book of Hindu Deities is chock-full of monsters, demons, noble warriors, and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut his off!); why Kali, the goddess of time, is known as the “Black One” (she’s a bit goth); and what “Hare Krishna” really means.
“Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism.”—USA Today
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I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Nisargadatta Maharaj, Sudhaker S. Dikshit, Maurice Frydman
4.4
This collection of the timeless teachings of one of the greatest sages of India, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, is a testament to the uniqueness of the seer's life and work and is regarded by many as a "modern spiritual classic".
I Am That preserves Maharaj's dialogues with the followers who came from around the world seeking his guidance in destroying false identities. The sage's sole concern was with human suffering and the ending of suffering. It was his mission to guide the individual to an understanding of his true nature and the timelessness of being. He taught that mind must recognize and penetrate its own state of being, "being this or that, here or that, then or now," but just timeless being.
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Recommended by Bill Liao.
Bill Liao
The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]
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The Discovery of India
Jawaharlal Nehru
4.3
In conjunction with the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund in New Delhi, Oxford proudly announces the reissue of Glimpses of World History and The Discovery of India, two famous works by Jawaharlal Nehru. One of modern day's most articulate statesmen, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a on a wide variety of subjects. Describing himself as "a dabbler in many things," he committed his life not only to politics but also to nature and wild life, drama, poetry, history, and science, as well as many other fields. These two volumes help to illuminate the depth of his interests and knowledge and the skill and elegance with which he treated the written word!!
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Recommended by Nitin Pai.
Nitin Pai
The first book you must read to prepare for 2020 is Jawaharlal Nehru’s “Discovery of India”; followed by Tagore’s essays on Nationalism. The rest of the reading list is here, including @Yascha_Mounk’s “The People vs Democracy” #BookRecommendations #2020 https://t.co/2yFweKLz1C [source]
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The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
Nagarjuna, Jay L. Garfield
4.3
The Buddhist saint Nagarjuna, who lived in South India in approximately the second century CE, is undoubtedly the most important, influential, and widely studied Mahayana Buddhist philosopher. His many works include texts addressed to lay audiences, letters of advice to kings, and a set of penetrating metaphysical and epistemological treatises. His greatest philosophical work, the Mulamadhyamikakarika—read and studied by philosophers in all major Buddhist schools of Tibet, China, Japan, and Korea—is one of the most influential works in the history of Indian philosophy. Now, in The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, Jay L. Garfield provides a clear and eminently readable translation of Nagarjuna's seminal work, offering those with little or no prior knowledge of Buddhist philosophy a view into the profound logic of the Mulamadhyamikakarika.
Garfield presents a superb translation of the Tibetan text of Mulamadhyamikakarika in its entirety, and a commentary reflecting the Tibetan tradition through which Nagarjuna's philosophical influence has largely been transmitted. Illuminating the systematic character of Nagarjuna's reasoning, Garfield shows how Nagarjuna develops his doctrine that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, that is, than nothing exists substantially or independently. Despite lacking any essence, he argues, phenomena nonetheless exist conventionally, and that indeed conventional existence and ultimate emptiness are in fact the same thing. This represents the radical understanding of the Buddhist doctrine of the two truths, or two levels of reality. He offers a verse-by-verse commentary that explains Nagarjuna's positions and arguments in the language of Western metaphysics and epistemology, and connects Nagarjuna's concerns to those of Western philosophers such as Sextus, Hume, and Wittgenstein.
An accessible translation of the foundational text for all Mahayana Buddhism, The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way offers insight to all those interested in the nature of reality.
Nagarjuna’s philosophy is centred on the idea of the interdependence of all things and the absence of autonomous essence of anything. [source]
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Indian Philosophy, Volume 2
Radhakrishnan
4.3
This classic work is a general introduction to Indian philosophy that covers the Vedic and Epic periods, including expositions on the hymns of the Rig Veda, the Upanisads, Jainism, Buddhism and the theism of the Bhagvadgita. Long acknowledged as a classic, this pioneering survey of Indian thought charts a fascinating course through an intricate history.From the Rig Veda to Ramanuja, Radhakrishnan traces the development of Indian philosophy as a single tradition of thought through the ages. The author showcases ancient philosophical texts and relates them to contemporary issues of philosophy and religion. This second edition with a new Introduction by eminent philosopher J.N. Mohanty, highlights the continuing relevance of the work and the philosophic tradition it represents.
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What the Buddha Taught
Walpola Rahula
4.3
This indispensable volume is a lucid and faithful account of the Buddha’s teachings. “For years,” says the Journal of the Buddhist Society, “the newcomer to Buddhism has lacked a simple and reliable introduction to the complexities of the subject. Dr. Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught fills the need as only could be done by one having a firm grasp of the vast material to be sifted. It is a model of what a book should be that is addressed first of all to ‘the educated and intelligent reader.’ Authoritative and clear, logical and sober, this study is as comprehensive as it is masterly.”
This edition contains a selection of illustrative texts from the Suttas and the Dhammapada (specially translated by the author), sixteen illustrations, and a bibliography, glossary and index.
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The Principal Upanishads
S. Radhakrishnan
4.3
Believed to hold the secrets of unseen reality, The Upanishads are the most ancient of the Hindu texts. They hold the secrets of the divine and have inspired generations of devotees by their vision and inexhaustible spiritual powers. Now everyone, from serious scholars to spiritual seekers, can glimpse into the texts that have shaped a vital spiritual history.
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Perception: An Essay On Classical Indian Theories Of Knowledge
Bimal Krishna Matilal
4.3
This book is a defence of a form of realism which stands closest to that upheld by the Nyaya-Vaisesika school in classical India. The author presents the Nyaya view and critically examines it against that of its traditional opponent, the Buddhist version of phenomenalism and idealism. His reconstruction of Nyaya arguments meets not only traditional Buddhist objections but also those of modern sense-data representationalists. The dispute between the Buddhist and Nayaya schools of thought lasted over 12 centuries, and although Professor Matilal's approach is mainly historical, it is made in the belief that the philosophical issues raised by this dispute are universal, rather than simply traditional, and have a significant contribution to make to modern philosophical concerns.
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Nagarjuna's Middle Way: Mulamadhyamakakarika
Mark Siderits, Shoryu Katsura
4.3
Winner of the 2014 Khyenste Foundation Translation Prize.
Nagarjuna's renowned twenty-seven-chapter Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way (Mulamadhyamakakarika) is the foundational text of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. It is the definitive, touchstone presentation of the doctrine of emptiness. Professors Siderits and Katsura prepared this translation using the four surviving Indian commentaries in an attempt to reconstruct an interpretation of its enigmatic verses that adheres as closely as possible to that of its earliest proponents. Each verse is accompanied by concise, lively exposition by the authors conveying the explanations of the Indian commentators. The result is a translation that balances the demands for fidelity and accessibility.
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The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma
Gurcharan Das
4.3
In his new book, Gurcharan Das turns to the Mahabharata in order to answer the question, "why be good'', and discovers that the epic's world of moral haziness and uncertainty is closer to our experience as ordinary human beings than the narrow and rigid positions that define most debate in this fundamentalist age of moral certainty.
The Mahabharata is obsessed with the elusive notion of dharma - in essence, doing the right thing. When a hero falters, the action stops and everyone weighs in with a different and often contradictory take on dharma. The epic's characters are flawed, but their incoherent experiences throw light on our familiar dilemmas.
Gurcharan Das's best-selling book India Unbound examined the classical aim of artha, material well being. This, his first book in seven years, dwells on the goal of dharma, moral well being. It addresses the central problem of how to live our lives in an examined way - holding a mirror up to us and forcing us to confront the many ways in which we deceive ourselves and others. What emerges is a doctrine of dharma that we can apply to our business decisions, political strategies and interpersonal relationships - in effect, to life itself.
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Shankara's Crest-Jewel of Discrimination: Timeless Teachings on Nonduality - The Vivekachudamani
Shankara
4.3
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An Introduction to Indian Philosophy
Satishchandra Chatterjee and Dhirendramohan Datta
4.3
An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, termed by Srila Prabhupada as 'very authoritative', while introducing the reader to the spirit, vast ocean of knowledge and outlook of Indian philosophy, also helps him to grasp thoroughly the central ideas. Philosophy, in its widest etymological sense, means 'love of knowledge'. It tries to search for knowledge of himself, the world and God, and describes the Indian way of life as we know it. Indian philosophy denotes the philosophical speculations of all Indian thinkers, ancient or modern, Hindus or non-Hindus, theists or atheists. Some believe 'Indian philosophy' to be synonymous with 'Hindu philosophy', however, this would be true only if the word 'Hindu' were taken in the geographical sense of 'Indian'. But if 'Hindu' means the followers of a particular religious faith known as Hinduism, the supposition would be wrong and misleading. The authors have, with considerable merit, highlighted the significance of Indian views in terms of modern Western thought. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy is a seminal work covering topics as varied as the Carvaka, Jain, Vaisesika, Mimamsa, Buddha, Sankhya Systems, amongst others.
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Indian Philosophy and Meditation: Perspectives on Consciousness
Rahul Banerjee and Amita Chatterjee
4.3
India has a rich tradition of meditative practices designed to study the phenomenon of consciousness. From the distant past to the present, India has evolved a unique psychological culture with grand unifying themes and universal modes of meditative practice.
This book provides a detailed analysis of classical and modern Indian views on consciousness along with their related meditative methods. It offers a critical analysis of three distinct trends of Indian thought, viz., a dualistic mode of understanding and realizing consciousness in Hindu Sāṃkhya, an interactive mode in early Buddhist abhidhamma, and the evolutionary transformational mode in the teachings of the twentieth-century sage Sri Aurobindo. This book explores the unifying features in Indian first person practices with regard to consciousness and the importance of these applied psychological practices and their associated understanding of our conscious inner lives. The most striking feature of the work is that side by side theoretical exposition of consciousness, it includes a number of worksheets which explain how to use meditation to achieve relaxation as well as cognitive 'maps' of the different levels of conscious states and instruction and how one can traverse from one state to another. The final chapter explores Sri Aurobindo who introduced new and decisive Indian spiritual thought and practice to India in the form of Integral Yoga.
This innovative book will be of interest to scholars studying Indian philosophy, Indian religion and the emerging field of contemplation studies.
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Yuganta: The End of an Epoch
Irawati Karve
4.2
Yuganta studies the principal, mythical-heroic figures of the Mahabharata from historical, anthropological and secular perspectives. The usually venerated characters of this ancient Indian epic are here subjected to a rational enquiry that places them in context, unravels their hopes and fears, and imbues them with wholly human motives, thereby making their stories relevant and astonishing to contemporary readers.
Irawati Karve, thus, presents a delightful collection of essays, scientific in spirit, yet appreciative of the literary tradition of the Mahabharata. She challenges the familiar and formulates refreshingly new interpretations, all the while refusing to judge harshly or venerate blindly.
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Recommended by Mostly Offline Send Email Instead.
Mostly Offline Send Email Instead
Besides meeting the missus and good CV points one great benefit of management school was being introduced to Yuganta. Great book. Time to reread. [source]
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Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
4.2
This translation and commentary are guided by scholarship, and devotion in spirituality, in the line of the greatest Gaudiya Vaishnavas such as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja, the spiritual master of the author, which is directly descending from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which make His comments upon the Gita legitimate.
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Enlightenment
Marshall Govindan
4.2
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Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda 8 Vol. set
Swami Vivekananda
4.2
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Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas On The Middle Way: With Commentary By Gyel-Tsap
Aryadeva, Geshe Sonam Rinchen, Ruth Sonam
4.2
Gyel-tsap Dar-ma-rin-chen states that Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas was written to explain how, according to Nagarjuna, the practice of the stages of yogic deeds enables those with Mahayana motivation to attain Buddhahood. Both Nagarjuna and Aryadeva urge those who want to understand reality to induce direct experience of ultimate truth through philosophic inquiry and reasoning. Aryadeva's text is more than a commentary on Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Middle Way because it also explains the extensive paths associated with conventional truths. The Four Hundred Stanzas is one of the fundamental works of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, and Gyel-tsap's commentary is arguably the most complete and important of the Tibetan commentaries on it.
Mahayana practitioners must eliminate not only obstructions to liberation but also obstructions to the perfect knowledge of all phenomena. This requires a powerful understanding of selflessness, coupled with a vast accumulation of merit, or positive energy, resulting from the kind of love, compassion, and altruistic intention cultivated by bodhisattvas. The first half of the text focuses on the development of merit by showing how to correct distorted ideas about conventional reality and how to overcome disturbing emotions. The second half explains the nature of ultimate reality that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence. Gyel-tsap's commentary on Aryadeva's text takes the form of a lively dialogue that uses the words of Aryadeva to answer hypothetical and actual assertions questions and objections. Geshe Sonam Rinchen has provided additional commentary to the sections on conventional reality, elucidating their relevance for contemporary life.
This is a republished version of Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas.
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A History of Indian Philosophy
Surendranath Dasgupta
4.2
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Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
Sue Hamilton
4.2
India has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and encompassing several major religious traditions.
In this intriguing introduction to Indian philosophy, the diversity of Indian thought is emphasized. It is structured around six schools of thought that have received classic status. Sue Hamilton explores how the traditions have attempted to understand the nature of reality in terms of inner or spiritual quest and introduces distinctively Indian concepts, such as karma and rebirth. She also explains how Indian thinkers have understood issues of reality and knowledge--issues that are also an important part of the Western philosophical tradition.
About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
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Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition
Christopher D Wallis
4.2
Tantra Illuminated takes the reader on a fascinating journey to the very heart of Tantra: its key teachings, foundational lineages, and transformative practices. Since the West s discovery of Tantra 100 years ago, there has been considerable fascination, speculation, and more than a little misinformation about this spiritual movement. Now, for the first time in the English language, Tantra Illuminated presents an accessible introduction to this sacred tradition that began 1,500 years ago in the far north of India. Using translations from from primary Sanskrit sources and offering a profound look at spiritual practice, this book reveals Tantra s rich history and powerful teachings.
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How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali
Swami Prabhavananda, Christopher Isherwood, Patanjali
4.2
The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali is a major work on the practice of yoga and meditation. Through these ancient aphorisms you will learn how to control your mind and achieve inner peace and freedom. Although these methods were taught over 2,000 years ago, they are as alive and effective today as they have ever been. The 2008 edition has been reset and now has an extensive index for reference.
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Thirumandiram: A Classic of Yoga and Tantra (Three Vollume Set)
Thirumoolar, M. Govindan
4.2
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The Soul of the Indian
Charles Alexander (Ohiyesa) Eastman
4.2
In The Soul of the Indian, Eastman brings to life the rich spirituality and morality of the Native Americans as they existed before contact with missionaries and other whites. This is a rare firsthand expression of native religion, without the filters imposed by translators or anthropologists. Rather than a scientific treatise, Eastman has written a book, "as true as I can make it to my childhood teaching and ancestral ideals, but from the human, not the ethnological standpoint." His discussions of the forms of ceremonial and symbolic worship, the unwritten scriptures, and the spirit world emphasize the universal quality and personal appeal of Native American religion.
Excerpt: Thus spoke the great Seneca ora tor, Red Jacket, in his superb reply to Missionary Cram more than a century ago, and I have often heard the same thought expressed by my countrymen.
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Ramana Maharshi's Essence of Self-Realization
David Frawley
4.2
Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi (1878-1950) was probably the most honored Self-realized guru and spiritual master of modern India. He taught the Yoga of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) and the Vedantic path of Advaita or Non-duality, leading us to our true nature as pure consciousness beyond body and mind, death and sorrow.
Though Ramana never left the sacred mountain of Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, South India where he resided, numerous people came from throughout the world to seek his guidance, which he usually gave through silence or through short replies to their questions.
Upadesha Saram, which means the “Essence of Instruction”, is often regarded as his most important written work – an axiomatic text of a mere thirty verses. It summarizes his teachings on the Essence of Self-realization, guiding the disciple along the path to the highest awareness in a systematic manner, pointing out a variety of practices, ways of meditation and approaches to Self-inquiry.
The current translation and interpretation by Acharya Vamadeva Shastri David Frawley), one of the most highly regarded Vedic teachers in the world today, explains each verse clearly and succinctly to reveal the depth of Ramana’s insight for everyone to learn and benefit from.
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The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara: An Introduction with Selected Translations
Richard Salomon
4.2
Discover the fascinating history of a long-hidden Buddhist culture at a historic crossroads.
In the years following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East, a series of empires rose up along the Silk Road. In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas in the second century CE. Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about twenty years ago, almost nothing was known about its literature. The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition. The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.
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Caitanya Vaisnava Philosophy: Tradition, Reason and Devotion
Ravi M. Gupt
4.2
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Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker
Pavan K Varma
4.2
What is Brahman? What is its relationship to Atman? What is an individual’s place in the cosmos? Is a personalised god and ritualistic worship the only path to attain moksha? Does caste matter when a human is engaging with the metaphysical world?
The answers to these perennial questions sparkle with clarity in this seminal account of a man, and a saint, who revived Hinduism and gave to Upanishadic insights a rigorously structured and sublimely appealing philosophy.
Jagad Guru Adi Shankaracharya (788–820 CE) was born in Kerala and died in Kedarnath, traversing the length of India in his search for the ultimate truth. In a short life of thirty-two years, Shankaracharya not only revived Hinduism, but also created the organisational structure for its perpetuation through the mathas he established in Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri, and Joshimatha.
Adi Shankaracharaya: Hinduism’s Greatest Thinker is a meticulously researched and comprehensive account of his life and philosophy. Highly readable, and including a select anthology of Shankaracharya’s seminal writing, the book also examines the startling endorsement that contemporary science is giving to his ideas today. A must-read for people across the ideological spectrum, this book reminds readers about the remarkable philosophical underpinning of Hinduism, making it one of the most vibrant religions in the world.
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Self-Knowledge: Sankara's "Atmabodha"
Swami Nikhilananda
4.2
From the author of The Complete Commentary by Sankara on the Yoga Sutras, this book deals with the karma-yoga meditation practice and the realization of the supreme self as described in the Bhagava Gita yoga.
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A History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. 3 (Classic Reprint)
Surendranath Dasgupta
4.2
Excerpt from A History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. 3 The second volume of this work was published as long ago as 1932. Among the many reasons which delayed the publication of this volume, one must count the excessive administrative and teaching work with which the writer is saddled; his continued illness; the regrettable failure of one eye through strenuous work, which often makes him depend on the assistance of others; and the long distance between the place of publication and Calcutta. The manuscript of the fourth volume is happily ready. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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Tattvartha Sutra: That Which Is (Sacred Literature)
Umasvati
4.2
That Which Is, known as the Tattvartha Sutra to Jains, is recognized by all four Jaina traditions as the earliest, most authoritative and comprehensive summary of their religion. Unique in bringing together classical commentaries from each tradition, this translation of the Tattvartha Sutra provides in one volume a detailed explanation of the universe, the place of humanity within it, and the path through it to liberation. Spiritual leaders and scholars of all Jaina sects have overseen the selections and translation of this extraordinary book. Included is the classical commentary of the original author, Umasvati, as well as those of later philosophers from both main sects. Also presented are essays by translator Dr. Nathmal Tatia and chief advisor professor Padmanabh S. Jaini. This excellent introduction to Jaina belief is illuminated by thirteen diagrams and is an invaluable resource for understanding one of the oldest religious traditions in India. Sponsored by the Institute of Jainology.
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The Disinterested Witness: A Fragment of Advaita Vedanta Phenomenology
Bina Gupta
4.2
The Disinterested Witness is a detailed, contextual, and interpretive study of the concept of saksin (or that which directly or immediately perceives) in Advaita Vedanta, and a fascinating and significant comparison of the philosophies of the East and West. Addressing a wide range of epistemological dilemmas, as well as perceived commonalities and differences between Eastern and Western philosophy, it is a major contribution to comparative philosophy and forms a vantage point for cross-cultural comparison.
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Self, No Self?: Perspectives from Analytical, Phenomenological, and Indian Traditions
Mark Siderits, Evan Thompson, et al.
4.2
The nature and reality of self is a subject of increasing prominence among Western philosophers of mind and cognitive scientists. It has also been central to Indian and Tibetan philosophical traditions for over two thousand years. It is time to bring the rich resources of these traditions into the contemporary debate about the nature of self. This volume is the first of its kind. Leading philosophical scholars of the Indian and Tibetan traditions join with leading Western philosophers of mind and phenomenologists to explore issues about consciousness and selfhood from these multiple perspectives. Self, No Self? is not a collection of historical or comparative essays. It takes problem-solving and conceptual and phenomenological analysis as central to philosophy. The essays mobilize the argumentative resources of diverse philosophical traditions to address issues about the self in the context of contemporary philosophy and cognitive science. Self, No Self? will be essential reading for philosophers and cognitive scientists interested in the nature of the self and consciousness, and will offer a valuable way into the subject for students.
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Essence of the Bhagavad Gita: A Contemporary Guide to Yoga, Meditation, and Indian Philosophy
Eknath Easwaran
4.2
The Bhagavad Gita opens with a crisis — Prince Arjuna despairs on the battlefield, unsure if he should fight his kinsmen in a dreadful war. For Easwaran, the Gita’s epic battle represents the war in our own hearts and Arjuna’s anguish reflects the human condition: torn between opposing forces, confused about how to live. Sri Krishna’s timeless guidance, Easwaran argues, can shed light on our dilemmas today.
Placing the Gita’s teachings in a modern context, Easwaran explores the nature of reality, the illusion of separateness, the search for identity, the meaning of yoga, and how to heal the unconscious. The key message of the Gita is how to resolve our conflicts and live in harmony with the deep unity of life, through the practice of meditation and spiritual disciplines.
Sri Krishna doesn’t tell Arjuna what to do. He points out the prince’s choices, and then leaves it to Arjuna to decide. Easwaran shows us clearly how these teachings still apply — and how, like Arjuna, we must take courage and act wisely if we want our world to thrive.
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The Thomas Indian School and the Irredeemable Children of New York
Keith R. Burich
4.1
The story of the Thomas Indian School has been overlooked by history and historians even though it predated, lasted longer, and affected a larger number of Indian children than most of the more well-known federal boarding schools. Founded by the Presbyterian missionaries on the Cattaraugus Seneca Reservation in western New York, the Thomas Asylum for Orphan and Destitute Indian Children, as it was formally named, shared many of the characteristics of the government-operated Indian schools. However, its students were driven to its doors not by Indian agents, but by desperation. Forcibly removed from their land, Iroquois families suffered from poverty, disease, and disruptions in their traditional ways of life, leaving behind many abandoned children.
The story of the Thomas Indian School is the story of the Iroquois people and the suffering and despair of the children who found themselves trapped in an institution from which there was little chance for escape. Although the school began as a refuge for children, it also served as a mechanism for "civilizing" and converting native children to Christianity. As the school's population swelled and financial support dried up, the founders were forced to turn the school over to the state of New York. Under the State Board of Charities, children were subjected to prejudice, poor treatment, and long-term institutionalization, resulting in alienation from their families and cultures. In this harrowing yet essential book, Burich offers new and important insights into the role and nature of boarding schools and their destructive effect on generations of indigenous populations.
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Nine Lives
William Dalrymple
4.1
From the author of The Last Mughal and In Xanadu, comes a mesmerizing book that explores how traditional religions are observed in today’s India, revealing ways of life that we might otherwise never have known.
A middle-class woman from Calcutta finds unexpected fulfillment living as a Tantric in an isolated, skull-filled cremation ground . . . A prison warder from Kerala is worshipped as an incarnate deity for two months of every year . . . A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment watching her closest friend ritually starve herself to death . . . The twenty-third in a centuries-old line of idol makers struggles to reconcile with his son’s wish to study computer engineering . . . An illiterate goatherd keeps alive in his memory an ancient 200,000-stanza sacred epic . . . A temple prostitute, who resisted her own initiation into sex work, pushes her daughters into the trade she nonetheless regards as a sacred calling.
William Dalrymple tells these stories, among others, with expansive insight and a spellbinding evocation of remarkable circumstance, giving us a dazzling travelogue of both place and spirit
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The Political Spirituality of Cesar Chavez: Crossing Religious Borders
Luis D. Leo
4.1
The Political Spirituality of Cesar Chavez: Crossing Religious Borders maps and challenges many of the mythologies that surround the late iconic labor leader. Focusing on Chavez's own writings, Leon argues that La Causa can be fruitfully understood as a quasi-religious movement based on Chavez's charismatic leadership, which he modeled after Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. Chavez recognized that spiritual prophecy, or political spirituality, was the key to disrupting centuries-old dehumanizing narratives that conflated religion with race. Chavez's body became emblematic for Chicano identity and enfleshed a living revolution. While there is much debate and truth-seeking around how he is remembered, through investigating the leader's construction of his own public memory, the author probes the meaning of the discrepancies. By refocusing Chavez's life and beliefs into three broad movements--mythology, prophecy, and religion--Leon brings us a moral and spiritual agent to match the political leader.
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The Arthashastra
Kautilya
4.1
The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in Sanskrit. It identifies its author by the names 'Kauṭilya' and 'Vishnugupta', both names that are traditionally identified with Chanakya (c. 350–283 BC), who was a scholar at Takshashila and the teacher and guardian of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, founder of the Mauryan Empire. The text was influential until the 12th century, when it disappeared. It was rediscovered in 1904 by R. Shamasastry, who published it in 1909. The first English translation was published in 1915.
Roger Boesche describes the Arthaśāstra as "a book of political realism, a book analysing how the political world does work and not very often stating how it ought to work, a book that frequently discloses to a king what calculating and sometimes brutal measures he must carry out to preserve the state and the common good."
Centrally, Arthaśāstra argues how in an autocracy an efficient and solid economy can be managed. It discusses the ethics of economics and the duties and obligations of a king. The scope of Arthaśāstra is, however, far wider than statecraft, and it offers an outline of the entire legal and bureaucratic framework for administering a kingdom, with a wealth of descriptive cultural detail on topics such as mineralogy, mining and metals, agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine and the use of wildlife. The Arthaśāstra also focuses on issues of welfare (for instance, redistribution of wealth during a famine) and the collective ethics that hold a society together.
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Indian Philosophy in English: From Renaissance to Independence
Nalini Bhushan, Jay L. Garfield
4.1
This book publishes, for the first time in decades, and in many cases, for the first time in a readily accessible edition, English language philosophical literature written in India during the period of British rule. Bhushan's and Garfield's own essays on the work of this period contextualize the philosophical essays collected and connect them to broader intellectual, artistic and political movements in India. This volume yields a new understanding of cosmopolitan consciousness in a colonial context, of the intellectual agency of colonial academic communities, and of the roots of cross-cultural philosophy as it is practiced today. It transforms the canon of global philosophy, presenting for the first time a usable collection and a systematic study of Anglophone Indian philosophy.
Many historians of Indian philosophy see a radical disjuncture between traditional Indian philosophy and contemporary Indian academic philosophy that has abandoned its roots amid globalization. This volume provides a corrective to this common view. The literature collected and studied in this volume is at the same time Indian and global, demonstrating that the colonial Indian philosophical communities were important participants in global dialogues, and revealing the roots of contemporary Indian philosophical thought.
The scholars whose work is published here will be unfamiliar to many contemporary philosophers. But the reader will discover that their work is creative, exciting, and original, and introduces distinctive voices into global conversations. These were the teachers who trained the best Indian scholars of the post-Independence period. They engaged creatively both with the classical Indian tradition and with the philosophy of the West, forging a new Indian philosophical idiom to which contemporary Indian and global philosophy are indebted.
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The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo
4.1
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Essays on the Gita
Sri Aurobindo
4.1
A masterly exposition of the pre-eminent Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. It was after reading these essays, in particular, that in the 1930's President Wilson's daughter went to Sri Aurobindo and devoted her life - receiving the name Nishtha via his vision in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry. Index.
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Texts in Context: Traditional Hermeneutics in South Asia
Jeffrey R. Timm
4.1
The major religious traditions of South Asia are 'religions of the book'. All accept basic arrays of texts of scriptures, often seen as sacred reservoirs of meaning and power. The West has viewed these texts as 'bibles' of their respective traditions, projecting onto them Western values and concerns. This book challenges such misconceptions by revealing the complex character of scripture and its interpretation in South Asian religions.
Texts in Context explores the hermeneutical traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism. The question of how we should understand the diversity of text-traditions is approached by asking "How have traditional thinkers -- the exegetes within these traditions --understood and utilized scripture?" The answers, though remarkably diverse, do reveal important similarities and take the discussion of scripture in India to a deeper level.
This book makes accessible to the non-specialist sensibilities and approaches that have previously received little attention in the West, but have formed the basis for traditional efforts to understand and utilize scripture. It is a collaboration between contemporary thinkers and their traditional counterparts, whose voices emerge as they consider the sacred words of the religious traditions of South Asia.
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Philosophy of the Bhagavadgita: A Study Based on the Evaluation of the Commentaries of Samkara, Ramanuja & Madhva
S.M. Srinivasa Chari
4.1
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The Bhagavad-Gita for the Modern Reader: History, interpretations and philosophy
M. V. Nadkarni
4.1
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Meditations from the Tantras
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
4.1
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54
Ayurveda, Nature's Medicine
David Dr. Frawley and Subhash Dr. Ranade
4.1
Ayurveda Natures Medicine Ayurveda, Natures Medicine is an excellent introduction to the full field of Ayurvedic Medicine from diet and herbs to yoga and massage. It has a notable emphasis on practical self-care and daily life regimens that makes it helpful for everyone seeking health and wholeness. The book is an excellent primer for students beginning in the field and who wish to have a firm foundation to understand the entire system.
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Bhaja Govindam
Swami Parthasarathy
4.1
Of all the religious lyrics in Sanskrit, Bhaja Govindam of Sri Sankaracharya is probably the most popular. The highest truths of Vedanta, so essential for man's mental and spiritual health, have been set into mnemonic verses in very simple language. No wonder, in all parts of India- this little and lovely lyric is chanted and sung whole-heartedly by innumerable people for their hearts' solace.
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Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology
Devdutt Pattanaik
4.1
A decoding of Hindu mythology, Hindus have one God. They also have 330 million gods: male gods, female gods, personal gods, family gods, household gods, village gods, gods of space and time, gods for specific castes and particular professions, gods who reside in trees, in animals, in minerals, in geometrical patterns and in man-made objects. Then there are a whole host of demons. But no Devil. In this groundbreaking book Dr Devdutt Pattanaik, one of India’s most popular mythologists, seeks an answer to these apparent paradoxes and unravels an inherited truth about life and death, nature and culture, perfection and possibility. He retells sacred Hindu stories and decodes Hindu symbols and rituals, using a unique style of commentary, illustrations and diagrams. We discover why the villainous Kauravas went to heaven and the virtuous Pandavas (all except Yudhishtira) were sent to hell; why Rama despite abandoning the innocent Sita remains the model king; why the blood-drinking Kali is another form of the milk-giving Gauri and why Shiva wrenched off the fifth head of Brahma. Constructed over generations, Hindu myths serve as windows to the soul, and provide an understanding of the world around us. The aim is not to outgrow myth, but to be enriched and empowered by its ancient, potent and still relevant language
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Presuppositions of India's Philosophies
Karl H. Potter
4.1
First published in 1963 Presuppositions of India's Philosophies in intended as an introductory text for courses in the philosophical systems of classical Indian thought. A brief account of karma and transmigration is followed by an introduction to Indian ways of assessing arguments. The body of the work canvasses the systems of Nyaya Vaisesika, Buddhism, Jainism, Samkhya and Advaita Vedanta.
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Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga Of Love And Devotion
Vivekananda Swami
4.1
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Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 9 Vols.
Swami Vivekananda
4.1
All the nine published volumes of Swami Vivekananda's works are available here. All proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to Advaita Ashrama, founded by Swami Vivekananda.
In these volumes we have not only a principles to the world at large, but also, to its own children, the Charter of the Hindu faith. For the first time in history, Hinduism itself forms here the subject of generalization of a Hindu mind of the highest order. What Hinduism had needed was the organizing and consolidating of its own idea, a rock where she could lie at anchor, and an authoritative utterance in which she might recognise herself. What the world had needed was a faith that had no fear of truth. Both are found in the words and writings of Swami Vivekananda. It is the latest principles or beliefs of a modern Prophet of religion and spirituality to the mankind.
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The Path of Perfection
Bahram Elahi M.D.
4.1
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Fundamentals of Indian Philosophy
R Puligandla
4.1
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62
The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions
Karen Armstrong
4.1
In the ninth century BCE, the peoples of four distinct regions of the civilized world created the religious and philosophical traditions that have continued to nourish humanity to the present day: Confucianism and Daoism in China, Hinduism and Buddhism in India, monotheism in Israel, and philosophical rationalism in Greece. Later generations further developed these initial insights, but we have never grown beyond them. Rabbinic Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, for example, were all secondary flowerings of the original Israelite vision. Now, in The Great Transformation, Karen Armstrong reveals how the sages of this pivotal "Axial Age" can speak clearly and helpfully to the violence and desperation that we experience in our own times.
Armstrong traces the development of the Axial Age chronologically, examining the contributions of such figures as the Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the mystics of the Upanishads, Mencius, and Euripides. All of the Axial Age faiths began in principled and visceral recoil from the unprecedented violence of their time. Despite some differences of emphasis, there was a remarkable consensus in their call for an abandonment of selfishness and a spirituality of compassion. With regard to dealing with fear, despair, hatred, rage, and violence, the Axial sages gave their people and give us, Armstrong says, two important pieces of advice: first there must be personal responsibility and self-criticism, and it must be followed by practical, effective action.
In her introduction and concluding chapter, Armstrong urges us to consider how these spiritualities challenge the way we are religious today. In our various institutions, we sometimes seem to be attempting to create exactly the kind of religion that Axial sages and prophets had hoped to eliminate. We often equate faith with doctrinal conformity, but the traditions of the Axial Age were not about dogma. All insisted on the primacy of compassion even in the midst of suffering. In each Axial Age case, a disciplined revulsion from violence and hatred proved to be the major catalyst of spiritual change.
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Ayurveda and the Mind
David Dr. Frawley
4.1
AYURVEDA AND THE MIND is perhaps the first book published in the West that explores specifically the psychological aspect of this great system. The book explores how to heal our minds on all levels from the subconscious to the superconscious, along with the role of diet, impressions, mantra, meditation, yoga and many other methods to create wholeness. "Opens the doors to a new energetic psychology," says Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D.
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64
Sāṁkhyakārikā: Le strofe del Sāṁkhya
Isvarakrsna
4.1
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Advaita Vedanta: A Philosophical Reconstruction
Eliot Deutsch
4.1
Advaita Vedanta is the most important philosophical system in India. It involves a discipline of spiritual experience as well as a technical philosophy, and since the time of Samkara in the ninth century some of the greatest intellects in India have contributed to its development.
In his reconstruction of Advaita Vedanta, Eliot Deutsch has lifted the system out of its historical/cultural context and has concentrated attention on those ideas which have enduring philosophical value. He has sought to formulate systematically one's understanding of what is of universal philosophical interest in Vedantic thought. Professor Deutsch's work covers the basic metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical ideas of Vedanta.
Students and scholars of Western as well as of Indian philosophy will be interested in the lucid, organized manner in which the material is presented and in the fresh interpretations given. The book is written in a critical rather than simply pious spirit and should thus also be of interest to anyone interested in deepening his or her appreciation and understanding of the richness of Indian thought.
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Seven Works of Shankaracharya
Shraddhesh Chaturvedi
4.1
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Yoga as Philosophy and Religion
Surendranath Dasgupta
4.1
A practical guide by an experienced teacher, this book shows how the highest form of yoga, the Rājayoga espoused by the great sage Patanjali, serves as a path to the kind of mental steadiness that ultimately yields self-realization. It explains the foundation of yoga practices — their philosophical, psychological, cosmological, ethical, and religious doctrines — and compares the essential features of Rājayoga with other yoga systems. The first of its two parts deals with yoga metaphysics, delineating the characteristics and functions of Prakrti and Purusa, the reality of the external world, and the process of evolution. The second part expounds yoga ethics and practice, with emphasis on yoga method, stages of samādhi, and related topics. Both beginners and experienced yoga practitioners will find this classic volume a useful and inspiring reference.
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68
Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land: A Trickster Methodology for Decolonizing Environmental Ethics and Indigenous Futures
Brian Burkhart
4.1
Land is key to the operations of coloniality, but the power of the land is also the key anticolonial force that grounds Indigenous liberation. This work is an attempt to articulate the nature of land as a material, conceptual, and ontological foundation for Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and valuing. As a foundation of valuing, land forms the framework for a conceptualization of Indigenous environmental ethics as an anticolonial force for sovereign Indigenous futures. This text is an important contribution in the efforts to Indigenize Western philosophy, particularly in the context of settler colonialism in the United States. It breaks significant ground in articulating Indigenous ways of knowing and valuing to Western philosophy—not as artifact that Western philosophy can incorporate into its canon, but rather as a force of anticolonial Indigenous liberation. Ultimately, Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land shines light on a possible road for epistemically, ontologically, and morally sovereign Indigenous futures.
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69
Emptiness of Emptiness: An Introduction to Early Indian Mādhyamika
C. W. Huntington Jr., Namgyal Wangchen
4.1
The Emptiness of Emptiness presents the first English translation of the complete text of the Madhyamakāvatāra (Entry into the Middle Way) a sixth century Sanskrit Buddhist composition that was widely studied in Tibet and, presumably, in its native India as well. In his lengthy introduction to the translation, Huntington offers a judiciously crafted, highly original discussion of the central philosophy of Mahāyāna Buddhism. He lays out the principal ideas of emptiness and dependent origination not as abstract philosophical concepts, but rather as powerful tools for restructuring the nature of human experience at the most fundamental level.
Drawing on a variety of Indian and Western sources, both ancient and modern, Huntington gradually leads the reader toward an understanding of how it is that sophisticated philosophical thinking can serve as a means for breaking down attachment to any idea, opinion or belief. All of this on the Buddhist premise that habitual, unreflective identification with ideas, opinions, or beliefs compromises our appreciation of the ungraspable miracle that lies at the heart of everyday, conventional reality. The author shows how the spiritual path of the bodhisattva works to transform the individual personality from a knot of clinging into a vehicle for the expression of profound wisdom (praj�ā) and unconditional love (karuṇā).
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70
An Introduction to Madhva Vedanta (Ashgate World Philosophies Series)
Deepak Sarma
4.1
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71
The Vedas: The Samhitas of the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva
Anonymous, Jon W Fergus, et al.
4.1
The present volume is an unabridged compilation of all four Vedas (Rig, White and Black Yajur, Sama and Atharva). Four of the translations are from Ralph Griffith, with the remaining (black yajur) from Arthur Keith. The texts have been proofed and all Sanskrit terms updated and synced between versions.
An Index-Dictionary of Sanskrit terms has been published as a second volume: ISBN: 978-1541304079.
The Vedas (from the root vid, "to know," or "divine knowledge") are the most ancient of all the Hindu scriptures. There were originally three Vedas-the Laws of Manu always speaks of the three, as do the oldest (Mukhya) Upanishads-but a later work called the Atharvaveda has been added to these, to now constitute the fourth. The name Rigveda signifies "Veda of verses," from rig, a spoken stanza; Samaveda, the "Veda of chants," from saman, a song or chant; Yajurveda, the "Veda of sacrificial formulas," from yajus, a sacrificial text. The Atharvaveda derives its name from the sage Atharvan, who is represented as a Prajapati, the edlest son of Brahma, and who is said to have been the first to institute the fire-sacrifices. The complex nature of the Vedas and the array of texts associated with them may be briefly outlined as follows:
"The Rig-Veda is the original work, the Yajur-Veda and Sama-Veda in their mantric portions are different arrangements of its hymns for special purposes. The Vedas are divided into two parts, the Mantra and Brahmana. The Mantra part is composed of suktas (hymns in verse); the Brahmana part consists of liturgical, ritualistic, exegetical, and mystic treatises in prose. The Mantra or verse portion is considered more ancient than the prose works; and the books in which the hymns are collected are called samhitas (collections). More or less closely connected with the Brahmanans (and in a few exceptional cases with the Mantra part) are two classes of treatises in prose and verse called Aranyaka and Upanishad. The Vedic writings are again divided into two great divisions, exoteric and esoteric, the former called the karma-kanda (the section of works) and the latter the jnana-kanda (section of wisdom)." (Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary)
The great antiquity of the Vedas is sufficiently proven by the fact that they are written in such an ancient form of Sanskrit, so different from the Sanskrit now used, that there is no other work like them in the literature of this "eldest sister" of all the known languages, as Prof. Max Muller calls it. Only the most learned of the Brahman Pundits can read the Vedas in their original. Furthermore, the Vedas cannot be viewed as singular works by singular authors, but rather as compilations, assembled over a great and unknown period of time. "Almost every hymn or division of a Veda is ascribed to various authors. It is generally believed that these subdivisions were revealed orally to the rishis or sages whose respective names they bear; hence the body of the Veda is known as sruti (what was heard) or divine revelation. The very names of these Vedic sages, such as Vasishtha, Visvamitra, and Narada, all of which belong to men born in far distant ages, shows that millennia must have elapsed between the different dates of their composition." (Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary)
It is generally agreed that the Vedas were finally arranged and compiled around fourteen centuries before our era; but this interferes in no way with their great antiquity, as they are acknowledged to have been long taught and passed down orally, perhaps for thousands of years, perhaps for far longer, before being finally compiled and recorded (the latter is traditionally said to have occurred on the shores of Lake Manasarovara, beyond the Himalayas).
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72
Lectures on Bhagavad Gita
Swami Vivekananda
4.1
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73
Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality
Eknath Easwaran
4.1
Through his interpretation of one important Upanishad, an ancient wisdom text, Eknath Easwaran shows how the timeless Indian tradition offers guidance on how to live today. Lyrical, dramatic, and inspiring, the Katha Upanishad presents the core ideas of Indian mysticism in a mythic story all can relate to — the adventure of a young hero, Nachiketa, who passes into the kingdom of Death in search of immortality. The King of Death tests his resolve, but the teenager stands firm, demanding answers to the age-old questions, "What is the purpose of life? What happens to me when I die?" Death emerges as the perfect spiritual guide — direct, uncompromising, and challenging. Easwaran’s approach to the Katha is both practical and universal. He explains key Sanskrit terms like karma and prana, illustrating them through everyday anecdotes and entertaining analogies while placing Indian spirituality into the broader context of world mysticism.
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74
Why I am a Hindu
Shashi Tharoor
4.1
In Why I Am a Hindu, one of India’s finest public intellectuals gives us a profound book about one of the world’s oldest and greatest religions. Starting with a close examination of his own belief in Hinduism, he ranges far and wide in his study of the faith. He talks about the Great Souls of Hinduism, Adi Shankara, Patanjali, Ramanuja, Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and many others who made major contributions to the essence of Hinduism. He delves deep into Hinduism’s most important schools of thought (such as the Advaita Vedanta). He explains, in easily accessible language, important aspects and concepts of Hindu philosophy like the Purusharthas and Bhakti, masterfully summarizes the lessons of the Gita and Vivekananda’s ecumenism, and explores with sympathy the ‘Hinduism of habit’ practised by ordinary believers. He looks at the myriad manifestations of political Hinduism in the modern era, including violence committed in the name of the faith by right-wing organizations and their adherents. He analyzes Hindutva, explains its rise and dwells at length on the philosophy of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, its most significant ideologue. He is unsparing in his criticism of extremist ‘bhakts’, and unequivocal in his belief that everything that makes India a great and distinctive culture and country will be imperiled if religious ‘fundamentalists’ are allowed to take the upper hand. However, he also makes the point that it is precisely because Hindus form the majority that India has survived as a plural, secular democracy.
A book that will be read and debated now and in the future, Why I Am a Hindu is a revelatory and original masterwork.
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75
More Than Real: A History of the Imagination in South India
David Shulman
4.1
From the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, the major cultures of southern India underwent a revolution in sensibility reminiscent of what had occurred in Renaissance Italy. During this time, the imagination came to be recognized as the defining feature of human beings. More than Real draws our attention to a period in Indian history that signified major civilizational change and the emergence of a new, proto-modern vision.
In general, India conceived of the imagination as a causative agent: things we perceive are real because we imagine them. David Shulman illuminates this distinctiveness and shows how it differed radically from Western notions of reality and models of the mind. Shulman's explication offers insightful points of comparison with ancient Greek, medieval Islamic, and early modern European theories of mind, and returns Indology to its rightful position of intellectual relevance in the humanities.
At a time when contemporary ideologies and language wars threaten to segregate the study of pre-modern India into linguistic silos, Shulman demonstrates through his virtuoso readings of important literary works--works translated lyrically by the author from Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam--that Sanskrit and the classical languages of southern India have been intimately interwoven for centuries.
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76
A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy
Wing-Tsit Chan
4.1
A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is a milestone along the complex and difficult road to significant understanding by Westerners of the Asian peoples and a monumental contribution to the cause of philosophy. It is the first anthology of Chinese philosophy to cover its entire historical development. It provides substantial selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period--ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary--and includes in their entirety some of the most important classical texts. It deals with the fundamental and technical as well as the more general aspects of Chinese thought. With its new translation of source materials (some translated for the first time), its explanatory aids where necessary, its thoroughgoing scholarly documentation, this volume will be an indispensable guide for scholars, for college students, for serious readers interested in knowing the real China.
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77
Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Chinmayananda Saraswati
4.1
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78
Yoga: Immortality and Freedom
Mircea Eliade, Willard R. Trask
4.0
In this landmark book the renowned scholar of religion Mircea Eliade lays the groundwork for a Western understanding of Yoga, exploring how its guiding principle, that of freedom, involves remaining in the world without letting oneself be exhausted by such conditionings as time and history. Drawing on years of study and experience in India, Eliade provides a comprehensive survey of Yoga in theory and practice from its earliest foreshadowings in the Vedas through the twentieth century. The subjects discussed include Pata�jali, author of the Yoga-sutras; yogic techniques, such as concentration on a Single Point, postures, and respiratory discipline; and Yoga in relation to Brahmanism, Buddhism, Tantrism, Oriental alchemy, mystical erotism, and shamanism.
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79
Classical Indian Philosophy: An Introductory Text
Jitendranath Mohanty
4.0
In this comprehensive textbook, renowned philosopher J. N. Mohanty examines the range of Indian philosophy from the Sutra period through the 17th century Navya Nyaya. Classical Indian Philosophy is divided into three parts that cover epistemology, metaphysics, and the attempt to transcend the distinction between subject and object. Instead of concentrating on the different systems, Mohanty focuses on the major concepts and problems dealt with in Indian philosophy. The book includes discussions of Indian ethics and social philosophy, as well as of Indian law and aesthetics. Classical Indian Philosophy is essential reading for students of Indian philosophy at every level.
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80
Nationalism
Rabindranath Tagore
4.0
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81
Sri Sankara Bhagavatpadacarya's Saundaryalahari =: Saundaryalahari (Bhavan's book university) (Bhavan's book university)
Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
4.0
Here we have a meeting of two great minds a meeting of two great spirits here we have deep calling deep the saundaryalahari is by sri sankara bhagavatpada adi sankara and its exposition is by pujyasri chandrasekharendra sarasvati svami the sage of kanchi widely known as the mahasvami adi sankara is celebrated all over the world as a great bhasyakara as a commentator of the upanisads the brahmasutra the bhagavadgita and other texts here we have a bhasya of a great hymn composed by the bhasyakara and what we call an exposition of the saundaryalahari is indeed an inspired and inspirin work a classic in its own right the mahasvami speaks with the heart of a poet with the penetrating insight of a philosopher and metaphysician and with the vision of a mystic there are passages that move you with their unobtrusive eloquence passages in which abstruse ideas are explained in a masterly fashion there is poetry in this exposition there is the fervor of devotion as well as profundity of thought that is oceanic in its vastness and depth here we have a synthesis of bhakti and jnana of advaita and the sakta doctrine when the sage of kanchi speaks of beauty he takes yu to the sublime realm of aesthetic delight how loft must be his mystic vision as revealed in his identification of beauty with love and compassion he speaks of many laharis many waves and his own bhasya of the sandaryalahari is a flood of beauty that traverses various systems of thought he harmonizes them as only he can proving again that he is an acharya with rate insights and with an original and creative mind
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82
Sure Ways to Self Realization
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
4.0
Offers the reader different systems of meditation from cultures world wide.
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83
Yoga: Pathway to the Divine
Paramahamsa Prajnanananda
4.0
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84
How It Is: The Native American Philosophy of V. F. Cordova
V. F. Cordova, Kathleen Dean Moore, et al.
4.0
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85
Handbook of Local Anesthesia
Stanley F. Malamed DDS
4.0
Learn to prevent, recognize, and manage complications of local anesthesia administration. Written by Dr. Stanley Malamed, the leading expert on anesthesia in dentistry, the Handbook of Local Anesthesia, 7th Edition covers all the latest advances in science, instrumentation, and pain control techniques. From basic concepts to specific injection techniques, from dosage charts to the proper care and handling of equipment, this how-to guide provides in-depth, full-color coverage of key anesthesia topics, including specific hazards and errors in technique that may result in complications. Recognized as THE local anesthesia textbook in dentistry for over 30 years, the seventh edition has been thoroughly updated with the latest in safe anesthesia practices in dentistry.
Written by Dr. Stanley Malamed, one of the most in-demand and globally recognized experts on dental anesthesia and sedation. Full-color photographs and line drawings enhance important points throughout book.
Step-by-step procedures cover the techniques for administering intraoral anesthesia.
Detailed descriptions of routes of anesthesia administration included throughout text.
Logical Organization of content divides book into four parts including -Drugs, The Armamentarium, Techniques of Regional Anesthesia in Dentistry, and Complications, Legal Considerations, Questions, and the Future
NEW! Updated and enhanced content throughout reflects latest research evidence. NEW! Two added chapters coverproblems in achieving pain control and their solutions; and recent advances in local anesthesia.
NEW! Addition of an Expert Consult Site allows you to search the entire book electronically.
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86
Foundations of Dharmakirti's Philosophy
John D. Dunne
4.0
Throughout the history of Buddhism, few philosophers have attained the stature of Dharmakirti, the "Lord of Reason" who has influenced virtually every systematic Buddhist thinker since his time.
Dharmakirti's renowned works, written in India during the philosophically rich seventh century, argue that the true test of knowledge is its efficacy, and likewise that only the efficacious is knowable and real. Around this central theme is woven an intricate web of interrelated theories concerning perception, reason, language, and the justification of knowledge. Masterfully unpacking these foundations of Dharmakirti's system, John Dunne presents the first major study of the most vexing issues in Dharmakirti's thought within its Indian philosophical context. Lucid and carefully argued, Dunne's work serves both as an introduction to Dharmakirti for students of Buddhism and a groundbreaking resource for scholars of Buddhist thought.
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87
Banaras: City of Light
Diana Eck
4.0
This is the acclaimed study and interpretation of Banaras, the holy place of the Hindus.
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88
The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga: Notes of the Seminar Given in 1932
C. G. Jung
4.0
"Kundalini yoga presented Jung with a model of something that was almost completely lacking in Western psychology--an account of the development phases of higher consciousness.... Jung's insistence on the psychogenic and symbolic significance of such states is even more timely now than then. As R. D. Laing stated... 'It was Jung who broke the ground here, but few followed him.'"--From the introduction by Sonu Shamdasani
Jung's seminar on Kundalini yoga, presented to the Psychological Club in Zurich in 1932, has been widely regarded as a milestone in the psychological understanding of Eastern thought and of the symbolic transformations of inner experience. Kundalini yoga presented Jung with a model for the developmental phases of higher consciousness, and he interpreted its symbols in terms of the process of individuation. With sensitivity toward a new generation's interest in alternative religions and psychological exploration, Sonu Shamdasani has brought together the lectures and discussions from this seminar. In this volume, he re-creates for today's reader the fascination with which many intellectuals of prewar Europe regarded Eastern spirituality as they discovered more and more of its resources, from yoga to tantric texts. Reconstructing this seminar through new documentation, Shamdasani explains, in his introduction, why Jung thought that the comprehension of Eastern thought was essential if Western psychology was to develop. He goes on to orient today's audience toward an appreciation of some of the questions that stirred the minds of Jung and his seminar group: What is the relation between Eastern schools of liberation and Western psychotherapy? What connection is there between esoteric religious traditions and spontaneous individual experience? What light do the symbols of Kundalini yoga shed on conditions diagnosed as psychotic? Not only were these questions important to analysts in the 1930s but, as Shamdasani stresses, they continue to have psychological relevance for readers on the threshold of the twenty-first century. This volume also offers newly translated material from Jung's German language seminars, a seminar by the indologist Wilhelm Hauer presented in conjunction with that of Jung, illustrations of the cakras, and Sir John Woodroffe's classic translation of the tantric text, the Sat-cakra Nirupana. ?
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89
The Philosophy Of Rabindranath Tagore (1918)
S. Radhakrishnan
4.0
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
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90
തത്വമസി [Tatvamasi]
布萊德·史托伯格(Brad Stulberg) and 史蒂夫·麥格尼斯(SteveMagness)
4.0
അനശ്വര മഹിമാവാർന്ന ഒരു തത്ത്വജ്ഞാനത്തിന്റെ നേരെ തന്റെ ഹൃദയം കാലത്തികവിൽ സമർപ്പിക്കുന്ന കൃതജ്ഞതയുടെയും കൃതാർത്ഥതയുടെയും ഉപഹാരമാണ് അഴീക്കോടിന്റെ തത്ത്വമസി. പാരാവാരസദൃശമായ വേദോപനിഷത്തുകളുടെ സാരസംഗ്രഹമാണ് ഈ കൃതി.
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91
The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering (2 Volumes)
Ramesh Menon
4.0
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92
A Rasa Reader: Classical Indian Aesthetics
Sheldon Pollock
4.0
From the early years of the Common Era to 1700, Indian intellectuals explored with unparalleled subtlety the place of emotion in art. Their investigations led to the deconstruction of art's formal structures and broader inquiries into the pleasure of tragic tales. Rasa, or taste, was the word they chose to describe art's aesthetics, and their passionate effort to pin down these phenomena became its own remarkable act of creation.
This book is the first in any language to follow the evolution of rasa from its origins in dramaturgical thought--a concept for the stage--to its flourishing in literary thought--a concept for the page. A Rasa Reader incorporates primary texts by every significant thinker on classical Indian aesthetics, many never translated before. The arrangement of the selections captures the intellectual dynamism that has powered this debate for centuries. Headnotes explain the meaning and significance of each text, a comprehensive introduction summarizes major threads in intellectual-historical terms, and critical endnotes and an extensive bibliography add further depth to the selections. The Sanskrit theory of emotion in art is one of the most sophisticated in the ancient world, a precursor of the work being done today by critics and philosophers of aesthetics. A Rasa Reader's conceptual detail, historical precision, and clarity will appeal to any scholar interested in a full portrait of global intellectual development.
A Rasa Reader is the inaugural book in the Historical Sourcebooks in Classical Indian Thought series, edited by Sheldon Pollock. These text-based books guide readers through the most important forms of classical Indian thought, from epistemology, rhetoric, and hermeneutics to astral science, yoga, and medicine. Each volume provides fresh translations of key works, headnotes to contextualize selections, a comprehensive analysis of major lines of development within the discipline, and exegetical and text-critical endnotes, as well as a bibliography. Designed for comparativists and interested general readers, Historical Sourcebooks is also a great resource for advanced scholars seeking authoritative commentary on challenging works.
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93
The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice
Georg Feuerstein, Ken Wilber
4.0
From the foremost living authority on Yoga comes the most comprehensive and reliable treatment of the subject available today. This is a work of impeccable scholarship by a person who has dedicated his life to the understanding and practice of yoga. The book offers a complete overview of every Yogic tradition, from the familiar to the lesser-known forms. It also covers all aspects of Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina Yoga, including history, philosophy, literature, psychology and practice. In addition, included are translations of twenty Yoga treatises and the first translation of the Goraksha Paddhati.
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94
The Voice of Babaji: A Trilogy on Kriya Yoga
V. T. Neelakantan, S.A.A. Ramaiah, Babaji Nagaraj
4.0
Profound and important statements from one of the world's greatest living spiritual masters. The author, Satguru Kriya Babaji Nagaraj, predicted thaqt they would eventually be a powerful source of inspiration and support for the Mission of Kriya Yog: unity in diversity, world peace and God-realization. These works are rare gems, which will inspire all who aspire for a higher life.
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95
A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy
Chandradhar Sharma
4.0
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96
The Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu Of Rūpa Goswāmin
David Haberman & Kapila Vatsyayan, Kapila Vatsayan
4.0
Bhakti or devotional love is the way of directly encountering the rasa in human experience. The aesthetic experience of rasa which is available to human beings was somehow not fully manifested and established from the 'intellectual' point of view. A glimpse of the rasa accomplished is available in the encounter of Uddhava and the Gopis. Humans by nature are rational and logical beings. They prefer logical conclusions which have universal applicability. To logically establish the path of rasa was the endeavour of the seekers and thinkers of Vrindavan, which emerged as the 16th century intellectual, cultural and spiritual centre of the Vraja region. Śṛī Rūpa Goswāmin, a direct disciple of Śṛī Caitanya, was a shining member of the team of six Goswāmins. For him the emotionally experienced bhakti-prema-rasa is equally knowable and communicable. The human consciousness could reach the ocean of rasa through Śṛī Rūpa Goswāmin's unique work, Śṛī Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu. If there is an experience, it can be expressed and for an expression to be meaningful it has to be guided by 'grammar' or a śāstra. The famous trilogy of Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu, Ujjvalanīlamaṇi and Nāṭakacandrika of Śṛī Rūpa Goswāmin provided for the first time a total śāstra of bhaktirasa.
It is felt that the Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu be made available to the English-knowing world as well. Dr. David Haberman has fulfilled this need by undertaking the stupendous task of translating this definitive text on bhaktirasa into English. The present edition includes the original Sanskrit in Devanāgarī, Dr. Haberman's translation and exegetical notes explaining all the intricate points of the text. An exhaustive table of contents and elaborate introduction, glossary and bibliography have greatly enhanced the value of the edition.
In the Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu, the bhaktirasa is totally uncovered and consecrated in its own right. The human intellect drank to its heart's content this pure, unadulterated rasa through this text. This comprehension gets manifested in the rich poetic, musical, dramatic, ritualistic and architectural traditions of the 16th century Vraja. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has covered some of these manifestations in the following Vraja Nathadwara Prakalpa studies: "Evening Blossoms - The Temple Tradition of Sanjhi in Vṛṇdāvana" (1996); "Govindadeva - A Dialogue in Stone" (1996); "In Favour of Govindadevi - Historical documents relating to a deity of Vṛṇdāvana and Eastern Rajasthan" (1999). In the Vraja Prakalpa it is a major commitment to make available this wisdom of rasa tradition, the tradition of Śṛīmad Bhāgavata and the Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharat culminating in the text of Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu by Śṛī Rūpa Goswāmin. The late Dr. Premlata Sharma, an esteemed scholar of rasa-śāstra, undertook the responsibility of translating this famous rasa trilogy into Hindi. Her Hindi translation of the Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu is being published. The English translation of the same text has been undertaken by Dr. David Haberman.
Dr. Haberman is currently (2003) on the faculty of College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Religious Studies, Indiana University. His translation of the Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu not only shows his academic capability but also speaks his being soaken in the rasa paramparā. Not only his two decade long physical journeys in the forests of Vraja-Vṛṇdāvana but also several of his well acclaimed published works on the cultural spiritual traditions of Vraja bear testimony to that.
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97
India: A Sacred Geography
Diana L Eck
4.0
In India: A Sacred Geography, renowned Harvard scholar Diana Eck offers an extraordinary spiritual journey through the pilgrimage places of the world's most religiously vibrant culture and reveals that it is, in fact, through these sacred pilgrimages that India’s very sense of nation has emerged.
No matter where one goes in India, one will find a landscape in which mountains, rivers, forests, and villages are elaborately linked to the stories of the gods and heroes of Indian culture. Every place in this vast landscape has its story, and conversely, every story of Hindu myth and legend has its place. Likewise, these places are inextricably tied to one another—not simply in the past, but in the present—through the local, regional, and transregional practices of pilgrimage.
India: A Sacred Geography tells the story of the pilgrim’s India. In these pages, Diana Eck takes the reader on an extraordinary spiritual journey through the living landscape of this fascinating country –its mountains, rivers, and seacoasts, its ancient and powerful temples and shrines. Seeking to fully understand the sacred places of pilgrimage from the ground up, with their stories, connections and layers of meaning, she acutely examines Hindu religious ideas and narratives and shows how they have been deeply inscribed in the land itself. Ultimately, Eck shows us that from these networks of pilgrimage places, India’s very sense of region and nation has emerged. This is the astonishing and fascinating picture of a land linked for centuries not by the power of kings and governments, but by the footsteps of pilgrims.
India: A Sacred Geography offers a unique perspective on India, both as a complex religious culture and as a nation. Based on her extensive knowledge and her many decades of wide-ranging travel and research, Eck's piercing insights and a sweeping grasp of history ensure that this work will be in demand for many years to come.
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98
Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition
Marshall Govindan
4.0
Reveals the stories of the deathless masters, the siddhas Agastyar and Boganathar, who belonged to the '18 Siddha Tradition', famous among the Tamil speaking people of southern India and Babaji, the immortal master made famous by Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi.
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99
Kriya Yoga: The Scientific Process of Soul Culture and the Essence of All Religions
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