Proof of
Vedic Culture's Global Existence: This book provides evidence which makes it
clear that most religious history is not what we think it is. It lets you see the
true heritage that has been suppressed for centuries. It shows that there was once
a greatly advanced and ancient culture that was a global society. That was the Vedic
civilization. Even today we can see its influence in any part of the world, which
makes it obvious that before the world became full of distinct and separate cultures,
religions, and countries, it was once united in a common brotherhood of Vedic culture,
with common standards, ideals, language, and representations of God.
An Introduction
to Hinduism (Introduction to Religion): This new introduction to Hinduism is
distinguished by exceptionally useful chapter divisions, good detail combined with
ease of reading, and a particular focus on the integrated quality of the evolution
of Hindu thought....The book's balance between scholarly detail and clear, readable
elucidation of issues is commendable....In all, this is a valuable contribution
to the undergraduate classroom. Libraries whose Hinduism holdings include other
good introductions should, nonetheless, acquire this one." Choice
The
Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms : Michell's discussion
of the meaning and forms of the temple in Hindu society encompasses the awe-inspiring
rock-cut temples at Ellora and Elephanta, the soaring superstructures and extraordinary
sexual exhibitionism of the sculptures at Khajuraho, and the colossal mortuary temple
of Angkor Vat, as well as the tiny iconic shrines that many Hindus wear around their
necks and the simple shrines found under trees or near ponds. George Michell is
the author of Architecture of the Islamic World, Brick Temples of Bengal, and The
Penguin Guide to the Monuments of India, Volume I. A native of Australia, he earned
a Ph.D. in Indian archeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the
University of London.
Hinduism:
A Cultural Perspective (2nd Edition) : The reference provides an overview of
the Hindu religious tradition and describes the essence of the Hindu vision of reality.
Provides a historical and analytical discussion of Hindu mythology, art, rituals,
and social structure; gives extended portraits of important Hindu thinkers and saints;
offers a fuller picture of the role of women in the Hindu religious tradition; shows
how the concepts of Dharama and Moksha conflict with one another and how the Hindu
tradition insists upon both concepts as essential in fulfilling human destiny. A
valuable reference for courses in Asian Religion, Theology, and Asian Philosophy.
Hinduism
: A Very Short Introduction : In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott
combines a succinct and authoritative overview of a major religion with an analysis
of the challenges facing it in the twentieth century. She discusses key preoccupations
of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of brahmins,
gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the importance
of epics such as the Ramayana.
The
Saffron Wave: A brilliant book on Indian politics. . . . The Saffron Wave is
essential reading for anyone interested in India or in democracy, politics, and
social movements. Based on a comprehensive incorporation of previous scholarship
as well as a great deal of field-work primarily in Maharashtra state, Hansen is
in absolute control of his material. Indeed, though the introduction is a bit clogged
with "theoretical" ruminations, even the Lacanianism is put to good use.
Classical
Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskirt Puranas: A.B. van Buitenen is Distinguished
Service Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Chicago. He is currently translating
the full Mahabharata, projected to run eight volumes. Cornelia Dimmitt is Assistant
Professor of Theology at Georgetown University and a Core Faculty Member of the
Washington, D.C. Consortium Program in History of Religions. This is a lengthy,
detailed and dense translation of a wealth of Hindu myths.
Hinduism:
Experiments in the Sacred : An authoritative and colorful glimpse into the Hindu
world! Succinct and authoritative, this detailed introduction to Hinduism brings
into grand focus the history, peoples, traditions, and geography of South Asia.
David Knipe integrates his own study of the basic Hindu texts with his years of
primary research and fieldwork in South Asia. Knipe creates a fivefold model for
presenting the rich complexities of the Hindu world, offering an absorbing survey
of the central Hindu deities, myths, doctrines, rituals, sects, and personalities.
One chapter brings to vivid life the essential features of this fascinating tradition
by narrating a single day in the life of a Hindu woman and the life history of a
forty-year-old man.
Healing
Mantras: Using Sound Affirmations for Personal Power, Creativity, and Healing
: What a revelation! This book has given me incredible insight and is a joy to read
and to study - like magic jumping out of the pages. As a guide for improving one's
life, it is unparalleled. A thorough discussion of the background, lore, history
and application of sound in healing, together with Vedic cosmology and the views
of scientists, as well as pieces on Karma, Astrology and the Chakras.
Into
the Heart of Truth: The Spirit of Relational Yoga : I have been teaching and
practicing yoga for more than 15 years and I was floored to discover all that I
didn't know about yoga. This book reaches into the soul of yoga and extracts a bright,
shining truth: yoga is the path to yourself. (Reviewer: William Arnold from
San Francisco, CA .)
Kiss
of the Yogini: "Tantric Sex" in Its South Asian Contexts :Sweeping away centuries
of misunderstandings and misrepresentations, White returns to original texts, images
and ritual practices to reconstruct the history of South Asian Tantra from the mediaeval
period to the present day. "Kiss of the Yogini" focuses on what White identifies
as the sole truly distinctive feature of South Asian Tantra: sexualized ritual practices,
especially as expressed in the mediaeval Kaula rites.
Be Here
Now : It's easy to dismiss Be Here Now as the relic of a whacked-out '60s acid
tripper. Paging through the center section of the book, with its inch-high print
and psychedelic drawings, you come across lines like: Magic Theatre For madmen only
price of admission your mind Then you turn to the first page of the book, and you
are suddenly sucked into the story of a Harvard psychiatrist who has reached the
pinnacle of success, discovers the mind-expanding powers of acid, and ends up trooping
through India with a 23-year-old holy man from Laguna Beach, California.
Mysteries
of the Sacred Universe : Although classical texts often have outmoded unscientific
cosmologies, India’s Bhagavata Purana, upon closer examination, reveals a sophisticated
cosmological system containing multiple levels of meaning that encode at least four
different astronomical, geographical, and spiritual world models. The author has
extensively investigated ancient Indian astronomy, cosmology, and spirituality,
and he has developed multimedia expositions on these topics. He is the author of
six books on topics ranging from consciousness to archeology and ancient astronomy.
Midnight's
Children :Anyone who has spent time in the developing world will know that one
of Bombay's claims to fame is the enormous film industry that churns out hundreds
of musical fantasies each year. The other, of course, is native son Salman Rushdie--less
prolific, perhaps than Bollywood, but in his own way just as fantastical. Though
Rushdie's novels lack the requisite six musical numbers that punctuate every Bombay
talkie, they often share basic plot points with their cinematic counterparts.
Babaji
and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition (4th edition) : The first authoritative
biography of Babaji, the immortal master made famous by Yogananda's Autobiography
of a Yogi, an all-time best-seller. Babaji lives today near Badrinath, in the upper
Himalayan mountains. His body has not aged since the age of sixteen, when centuries
ago he attained the supreme state of enlightenment and divine transformation. This
followed his initiation into scientific art of Kriya Yoga by two deathless masters,
the siddhas Agastyar and Boganathar, who belonged to the "18 Siddha Tradition",
famous among the Tamil speaking people of southern India.
Am I
A Hindu?/the Hinduism Primer : This gem of a book encapsulates the esoteric
wisdom of one of humanity's oldest religions in an easy-to-understand conversational
format. Covering the entire sweep of Hindu belief, answering questions Westerners
ask about Hindu practice (like what exactly is the law of Karma and reincarnation?
why do Hindu women wear a red dot on their forehead? and why do Hindus worship so
many Gods?) answering life's most enduring questions has been hailed as a much-needed
primer to this major religion.
