Code Name God: The Spiritual Odyssey of a Man of Science

Book Description

Bhaumik offers us his remarkable rags to riches story, his understanding of the true nature of science, and his vision of spirituality as that which gives meaning to our lives.

Customer Reviews:

East + West = "God".......2007-09-13

We live today in a world so divided by disparate religious ideas that there is a very real possibility that we as humans won't survive these differences.

The spectrum of this divde is great and varied. Extreme Christian fundamentalists longing for a biblical Armageddon promote political choices that could bring on an ultimate nuclear holocaust. More moderate Christians eschew science in favor of a literal reading of the Bible and turn a blind eye to scientific "theories" as varied as global warming, the evolution of our species or the age of the universe.

Extreme Islamic fundamentalists scoff at earthly political goals altogether and wish only to live in a world governed entirely by the Koran. Unfortunately, like the Judeo/Christian Bible, interpretation of these sacred scriptures is subject to whoever perceives that he/she has been selected by his or her god to do so. This has resulted, in many instances, in the wide-scale destruction of people by those convinced by these chosen spokesmen that they will achieve heavenly rewards by their own and their victims' deaths.

Obviously, examples like these can be found everywhere in the world and in many other religions as well.

In a fervent desire to get beyond religious misconceptions of basic spiritual concepts, many thoughtful people have followed one of two divergent philosophical paths of inquiry concerning the universe and our place in it.

Science and spirituality (as opposed to religion) both seek the answers to this most fundamental question. While never quite at physical odds with each other, proponents look askance at each other for the others' naive understandings of reality. Yet a few individuals in both camps have been able to take a "quantum leap" of understanding and realize that science and spirituality should not just "agree to disagree".

For some scientists, David Bohm, Rupert Sheldrake, Karl Pribram and others, the deeper science goes towards discovering the most fundamental nature of Matter and Energy, the more the paths of science and spirituality merge into one.

On the spiritual side, a person such as the Dalai Lama honors the discoveries being made by science; to the extent that he says that if science proves a concept that is counter to his own Buddhist tradition, then the Buddhist idea must succumb to science! Truly a remarkable statement in view of most religious orthodoxies.

Mani Bhaumik is one of these "leapers", whose early life happened to be suffused in mystical Hindu traditions. Yet, the talents for science and mathematics he displayed at a young age allowed him to escape the poverty and ignorance epidemic in his community.

Finding his way to the West and his subsequent invention of the Exemer Laser (known commercially as Lasek) culminated in his enjoying a fabled lifestyle of the rich and famous; coincidentally the name of a popular television show of the day in which he displayed his wealth. His Hollywood star-studded life of parties and luxury in Beverly Hills is the stuff of dreams.

But somewhere along the way, the dream ended. Like many others throughout history, he finally had to ask himself, is this all there is?

Even while climbing the ladder of success, however, he never forgot the ground below from where he began. His political and spiritual grounding as an acquaintance of the "living saint" Mahatma Ghandi (in the political struggle for independence by the Indians against Great Britain) demonstrated to him how true spirituality can be manifested in the everyday world.

Throughout his early life in America he used his practice of Hindu meditation as primarily a method of remaining calm and centered in the high-flying academic and business worlds he was increasingly a part of.

But when he began to ask whether "this is all there is", he wanted to explore the deeper realms of reality found through mediation; those spoken of in the Gitas, the sacred writings of his religious tradition.

As a man with one foot in Western science and one foot in mystical Hinduism, he came to realize that it was perhaps his dharma to create a bridge between the two.

The result is the narrative of a wonderful, poetic journey through his own life before he begins the even more fantastic journey into the realms of quantum theory and sublime mystical states.

In the process, he does a truly amazing thing. He makes the underlying scientific field of all physical reality--which is, in fact, non-reality--move so closely towards the highest mystical states that it makes the a non-belief in "god" the most non-rational and least plausible conclusion one could make for a human being.

As a formerly agnostic seeker of knowledge, I've spent the past few years, trying to reconcile the remarkable scientific discoveries of DNA, quantum theory and consciousness with the fantastic realms of mind explored and written about by mystics, shamans, artists, users of entheogenic plants and others throughout the ages.

Mani Bhaumik's journey is a wonderful stepping stone on our own journey through a life that offers so many unanswerable questions. I've found that the most wonderful thing about our journey is that once a stepping stone is reached, another one appears almost magically.

And it's only one step away.

Good thing I'm familiar with these physics topics.......2007-07-13

I think this book is wonderful approach to the science of God's existence. If you've ever seen the "Elegant Universe" (I think it is called) on PBS where they delve into String Theory and explain quantum physics to the layman, this book is a perfect follow-up. I think that because I had seen this show, I absorbed much of the physics he presented very quickly. I remember stopping at one point and thinking, "this is some scientific stuff."

Even if you've never heard of String Theory or Quantum Mechanics, it is worth reading this book. Dr. Bhaumik's book presents complicated physics theories in simple terms, and then ties those principles into his statement that everything from human consciousness, to the farthest stars, to the smallest particles are all interrelated and have a single name: God.

When I got to certain points in the book, I could hear my brain frying ;-) These were some increbile points he was making and I was blown away.

The only reason I gave it four stars is because he spends a little too much time in my opinion on his upbringing in India. Yes, it helps set the stage for the life eventually goes onto, and underscores several of his ideas, but it should have been cut shorter.

We Are One.......2007-05-21

Dr. Bhaumik's book should be required reading for all religions! Using the discoveries of Quantum Physics and other areas of science, he proves how the universe we know all comes from one source, Code Name God, beginning with the Big Bang. He explains the seemingly conscious evolution of elements and the universal laws that permeate and guide our universe. Then he shows that we are all made of the same material (a nucleus consisting of one up quark and one down quark and electrons). In proving the oneness and interconnectedness of all, he shows how we are truly brothers and sisters. Perhaps if we all got that, we would stop our senseless fighting revere this beautiful home we have been given and live in peace.

A Must-Read for Inquiring Minds.......2007-04-11

This book has been most helpful in deepening my understanding of Hinduism and Christianity and their Common Ground. I am very thankful Bhaumik has committed himself to integrating his backgound of East and West, of science and mystery, and presenting his knowledge and insights in ways the lay person can begin to grasp. Now the scriptures have become fully believable, though I do not claim to comprehend it all. I am scheduled to review the book for a study group and I have recommended it to several friends.

EXCEPTIONAL.......2006-12-02

How often does a book captivate you to the point of altering your schedule, tracking down its author, and spending hours with him in order to engage in dialogue about the subject after you've read the book? This is exactly the effect Dr. Mani Bhaumik's "Code Name God" had on me.
Actually, it was the subtitle, "The spiritual odyessey of a man of science," that first grabbed my attention and made me buy the first of 30 copies. I needed something "smart" to pass on to my intellectual, over-achieving and under-believing agnostic friends and colleagues.
However, the one whose eyes were opened the most were perhaps my own.

Mani Bhaumik was a devestatingly impoverished child from the Indian province of Bengal. His beloved grandmother died before his very eyes when she gave Mani her ration of food so that he may live. The entire village sold what meager belongings they possessed in order to send the unusually gifted youngster to UCLA. As a result, today hundreds of poor children from India are enjoying higher education and radically improved lives not only for themselves but those from their communities as well, thanks to his efforts and numerous scholarships; and, millions of people around the world literally "see" because of his accomplishments. Dr. Bhaumik is best known for being the co-inventor of the excimer laser--the class of laser than made LASIK corrective eye surgery possible. Eventually, the dirt poor Indian boy became a Bel-Air mega-millionaire, found himself featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," and even dated the Paris Hilton of his day, Ava Gabor.

As fate would usually have it, success, position, awards, wealth and fame wasn't enough. A void ensued in his soul that required all else to be put into question and in perspective. It is this journey that makes the rest of his extraordinary life experiences pale by comparison. It is a journey that I hope you too will want to read about...one that will alter the course of your destiny as well.

Julie Chrystyn,
author of "Body Transformation"

Kamasutra, Introduction by Chaturvedi Badrinath

Average customer rating:

Excellent information on sex and relationships, but get another translation
Great classic-to-ebook conversion
Kama Sorry Sutra
Real bad

Kamasutra, Introduction by Chaturvedi Badrinath
Vatsyayana
Manufacturer: Roli Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 8174360824

Book Description

Written over 2000 years ago, the Kama Sutra's relevance is perennial, since, all of life's expressions, sexual gratification remains one of the most fundamental. Brilliantly illustrated with rare minatures, gouache and tantric paintings, and sculptures on ivory panels, the book imbibes the magic of the Kama Sutra and examines the life force or prana of which the physical and the spiritual are equally potent aspects.

Download Description

The complete, unabridged Indian classic of life and sexuality, in the classic Sir Richard Burton Translation

Customer Reviews:

Excellent information on sex and relationships, but get another translation.......2005-07-12

The Kama Sutra has a huge reputation based on only one of its five sections. The positions would be Part 2 and only one chapter of the ten in that section. Most books with Kama Sutra in the title are just going to be some porn structured around that chapter. The entire book is not so much useful in describing the physics of sex as for describing the psychology of sex. (It is good for physical stuff too. At one point it gives a method to get to the G-spot with the fingers, so I have to give Indian medicine props there.)

The five sections are as follows:
Part 1 - Describes how to be attractive. You should bathe before you will be meeting the opposite sex and do something to get your breath smelling better. Also clean your apartment. People call it ritual, but it is excellent advice on not being a slob. For women it gives a listing of the 64 arts which will let you be the favorite in the harem. They are fun. Who wouldn't love a woman who does yoga, can inlay a marble table and knows how to design and build irrigation systems? Much more fun to try to be than the Proverbs 31 woman, but on the other hand kind of a strange laundry list of talents.
Part 2 - The positions, hugging, kissing, scratching and oral. Size of the man and the woman and which positions are better to even thing out in that regard.
Part 3 - How to negotiate an arranged marriage (not so useful now). How to devirginize your bride. You won't be sexing her until about two weeks into the marriage. Its all about gaining her trust and her being comfortable so she won't have hang ups about men, and sadly it doesn't apply to most marriages or devirginizations today.
Part 4 - Handling your harem. How the harem women should treat one another and how to keep them one big happy family.
Part 5 - Other men's wives/concubines and how to sneak around with them.
Part 6 - Courtesans. Kind of like etiquette for prostitutes, except courtesans aren't prostitutes. For example there is some etiquette on how to handle the courtesan living with you and your wives.
Part 7 - Being a hottie. How to make some aprodisiacs and some nice little tricks. This section is probably better advice for the sex life than the positions in that the anatomy is here.

I highly recommend the Kama Sutra but not to people who are looking for the book by reputation as sex sex sex. The book is very much about sex, but more about the whole world of etiquette surrounding male female relations. Virgin marriages (virgin women anyway) are taken for granted and one whole section is about devirginizing the woman AFTER THE MARRIAGE. The advice is very good because it tells how to go about building relationships not how to have one night stands.

Get this book to study and think about and view it as relationship advice and not physical sex advice. So much of the book is about communication and is dead on that it is no wonder it is a classic and likewise shows how important communication is to good sex. In terms of this specific translation, just go for a modern translation of the whole book. The Richard Burton translation is very stilted. He calls the section on oral sex "On holding the lingam in the mouth" So you will be doing a bit of translating of your own as you read prim Victorian descriptions of acts that the Victorians were unlikely to ever mention around company. It seems that the Alain Daniélou translation is good, but I have not read that specific one.

Great classic-to-ebook conversion.......2001-03-26

This is a great conversion into Microsoft Reader format of the classic translation by Richard Burton (No no not the one that was married to Elizabeth Taylor, the one that was married to Isabel Arundell!). Although some people think of the Kama Sutra as a catalog of "positions" it's much more than that - a substantial guide and commentary to human sexuality/sensuality. The publisher takes advantage of all the features that make Microsoft Reader the premier ebook reader program. Clicking any item on the Contents page jumps you to that chapter. Clicking on a footnote in the text jumps you to that footnote - and clicking on the footnote number from there returns you to the text.

The work itself sometimes states the obvious, "Now good looks, good qualities, youth, and liberality are the chief and most natural means of making a person agreeable in the eyes of others," which is no help to craggly, old, broke guy like me. On the other hand, I have to agree completely with Burton's observation that, "It is a work that should be studied by all, both old and young; the former will find in it real truths, gathered by experience, and already tested by themselves, while the latter will derive the great advantage of learning things, which some perhaps may otherwise never learn at all, or which they may only learn when it is too late."

There are no illustrations in this version - no need for them, in my opinion. This isn't supposed to be an aid for...uh...self titillation. Besides, illos would have just increased the download time. 5 stars.

Kama Sorry Sutra.......2001-01-04

This book is not a Kama Sutra. There are no illustrations. The whole purpose of this book is to enhance ones love life. I personally don't see how this particular book could do it. Men need to see pictures. It is known in psychology circles that men need visuals.

Real bad.......2000-06-01

After reading this book for a week, I came to have an inherent dislike in the concepts taught. I believe that the book is thought out and written by a bunch of male chauvinists.

In the chapter of 'On certain forms of marriage' in the section of 'On the acquisition of a wife', it is stated that a man should obtain a girl by means of disparaging the man the girl was supposed to be married to in the mind of the girl's mother. The man who liked a girl should intoxicate her and after that, take her to a secure place and enjoy her. This is disgusting.

Then it goes on to talk about women resorting to prostitution and the various ways in which a courtesan could gain wealth from men.

Perhaps I was being ignorant about the culture of those days and the society in which they lived in but I believe that it is not much different than it is in this present society.

From the point of a woman, there are a lot of things that I do not agree with morally.

I guess the most enjoyable part of this book is perhaps the description of various possible formats of sexual intercourse.

Amazon.com

The galaxy of pleasures in Alain Daniélou's translation of the Kama Sutra takes you back to an India where sexuality was an integral part of life and an avenue to spiritual bliss. As Devadatta Shastri says in his commentary: "At the moment when the peak of bliss is attained, the internal and external world vanish. The man and woman cease to be separate entities and lose themselves in the beatitudes of being." Daniélou's elegant rendering includes not only the entire sutra, much of which is excluded in other versions, but two essential commentaries as well. More than just a pillow book, the Kama Sutra is a guide to the labyrinth of sexual etiquette, from how to bathe before meeting a lover to how lovers should entertain each other after making love. Admittedly, the text is dated and culture bound in places; it can be chauvinistic, bizarre, and even violent. The commentators are careful to point out, however, that the work is an overview of all sexual practices, some of which are not recommended. Take from this encyclopedia of amour what you will and let it keep you moving down the path of spiritual practice. --Brian Bruya

Book Description

This definitive volume is the first modern translation of Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra to include two essential commentaries: the Jayamangala of Yashodhara and the modern Hindi commentary by Devadatta Shastri. Alain Danilou spent four years comparing versions of the Kama Sutra in Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, and English, drawing on his intimate experience of India, to preserve the full explicitness of the original. I wanted to demystify India, he writes, to show that a period of great civilization, of high culture, is forcibly a period of great liberty.

Customer Reviews:

The Complete Kama Sutra.......2007-09-09

An excellent informative book.
Must be approached as a religion and not a list of sexual positions.
otherwise you will be disappointed.

D

Non Fiction.......2007-09-03

The Kama-Sutra is an entertaining instructional manual, if you like. A lot of the stuff in there of course is ancient, and now will seem quite absurd, as though it was out of a story about witches and wizards cooking up potions and other stuff like that. Apart from that, though, it is quite amusing to see what they came up with.

A book on relationships .......2007-07-26

This book is a full translation of the ancient Indian text. Most individuals only think of the Kama Sutra as being only about sex, which is what it is the most famous for the world over. In fact, the Kama Sutra is a text that is about relationships. It gives much insight into the views of the old Indian culture on marriage, and romantic relationships in general. It's very insightful and is perfect for anyone looking for information on the culture of much of India.

Alot of information..........2005-09-29

If you are interested of the teaching of the Kama Sutra in a no pectoral version, then this book will teach you every thing you have ever wanted to know about Kama Sutra, just with all those dirty pictures.

disappointed.......2005-08-22

More of a research tool. Unless your planning on becoming a "kept woman" or keeping one half the book is useless--doesn't pertain much to a married couple. Completely disappointed.

Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self

Average customer rating:

Awesome book!!!
She was and is ahead of her time!
Eastern Body, Western Mind
Fascinating insights
Profound - And Needed

Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self
Anodea Judith
Manufacturer: Celestial Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Chakras | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0890878153

Book Description

In EASTERN BODY, WESTERN MIND, chakra authority Anodea Judith brought a fresh approach to the yoga-based Eastern chakra system, adapting it to the Western framework of Jungian psychology, somatic therapy, childhood developmental theory, and metaphysics. This groundbreaking work in transpersonal psychology has been revised and redesigned for a more accessible presentation. Arranged schematically, the book uses the inherent structure of the chakra system as a map upon which to chart our Western understanding of individual development. Each chapter focuses on a single chakra, starting with a description of its characteristics, then exploring its particular childhood developmental patterns, traumas and abuses, and how to heal and maintain balance. Illuminated with personal anecdotes and case studies, EASTERN BODY, WESTERN MIND seamlessly merges the East and West, science and philosophy, and psychology and spirituality into a compelling interpretation of the chakra system and its relevance for Westerners today.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome book!!!.......2007-08-17

This is really helpful and gives you a load of information regarding the energy (chakras) in the body. Great for a bodyworker trained in eastern concepts. I will defintely reach for this book for years to come.

She was and is ahead of her time!.......2007-06-08

This is one of the most comprehensive books I have read on the chakras, energy vibrations, and overall developmental systems. I highly recommend it!

Eastern Body, Western Mind.......2007-02-17

The information in this book literally freed me from the bondage of childhood abuse. This should be required reading in high school. It offers real life assistance in overcoming the damage done to young people by careless, neglectful, and sometimes downright abusive parents, thoughtless teachers, and ignorant peers. Anodea, GOOD WORK!!!!

Warm blessings, Linda Quest

Fascinating insights.......2007-01-10

Gave me a new way of looking at the physical structure and presentation of myself and others.

Profound - And Needed.......2005-06-16

I have to say, this author knows her stuff.

As I've learned from reading many of her books, she has long had a history of studying the chakra system. Through personal experience, she has adapted some of the esoteric systems with her own style, which are discussed more fully within her books.

This book in particular is an important one. In our culture, we all suffer abuses of some kind or another, even abuses we probably wouldn't consider abuse. Take noise pollution for example - it's a real assault on your senses, although we drown it out and let our body deal with the consequences.

But this book deals with the heavier stuff too - relationship issues, physical or sexual abuse, eating disorders, mental imbalances, whatever it may be, it's probably covered in this book. And what I have noticed is this author really knows what she's talking about - she provides insights I have not heard come from anyone else in my entire life.

I strongly encourage this book to everyone, regardless of who you are. This is a book for humanity.

Average customer rating:

Mapping Tantra
Unacknowledged contributors
The choice of topics misses the heart of tantra
Good overview...
Forgets to focus on the central idea of tantra

Tantra in Practice

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

China | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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Nepal | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0691057788

Book Description

As David White explains in the Introduction to Tantra in Practice, Tantra is an Asian body of beliefs and practices that seeks to channel the divine energy that grounds the universe, in creative and liberating ways. The subsequent chapters reflect the wide geographical and temporal scope of Tantra by examining thirty-six texts from China, India, Japan, Nepal, and Tibet, ranging from the seventh century to the present day, and representing the full range of Tantric experience--Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and even Islamic. Each text has been chosen and translated, often for the first time, by an international expert in the field who also provides detailed background material. Students of Asian religions and general readers alike will find the book rich and informative.

The book includes plays, transcribed interviews, poetry, parodies, inscriptions, instructional texts, scriptures, philosophical conjectures, dreams, and astronomical speculations, each text illustrating one of the diverse traditions and practices of Tantra. Thus, the nineteenth-century Indian Buddhist Garland of Gems, a series of songs, warns against the illusion of appearance by referring to bees, yogurt, and the fire of Malaya Mountain; while fourteenth-century Chinese Buddhist manuscripts detail how to prosper through the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper by burning incense, making offerings to scriptures, and chanting incantations. In a transcribed conversation, a modern Hindu priest in Bengal candidly explains how he serves the black Goddess Kali and feeds temple skulls lentils, wine, or rice; a seventeenth-century Nepalese Hindu praise-poem hammered into the golden doors to the temple of the Goddess Taleju lists a king's faults and begs her forgiveness and grace. An introduction accompanies each text, identifying its period and genre, discussing the history and influence of the work, and identifying points of particular interest or difficulty.

The first book to bring together texts from the entire range of Tantric phenomena, Tantra in Practice continues the Princeton Readings in Religions series. The breadth of work included, geographic areas spanned, and expert scholarship highlighting each piece serve to expand our understanding of what it means to practice Tantra.

Customer Reviews:

Mapping Tantra .......2006-12-04

D.G. White, author of the excellent yogic study and adventure story, "The Alchemical Body," here presents an edited compilation of articles about authentic Tantra traditions taken from the length & breadth of Indian-influenced Asia. Countries & cultures include: India (obviously), China, Tibet/Nepal and Japan, with articles on Hindu, Buddhist, Jain (Jain? yes, Jain), Islamic (!) and Shinto tantric traditions. Before this volume, who would have guessed at the sheer geographical pervasiveness of Tantric traditions? Topics vary from architecture to ethnography to poetry. The quality of the contributions is uniformly very good--well-written and well-organized--and most chapters include a translation, in whole or part, of an important or obscure tantra. The strongest point is that the authors are scholars, not practitioners, with the associated advantage is that, at last (and at least) the reader can avoid the fluff, hype and BS that pervades the field of so-called "Tantra." Reading this volume will go a long ways toward removing our conditioned ignorance, delusion and gullibility about "sacred sex" and "sacred orgasms," the phallacy of worshipping the linga/yoni of your current hot-sex partner as a god/dess, and the like. The jewels herein are too numerous to recount, but some of my favorites include Hudson's chapter, "Tantric Rites in Antal's Poetry," which rather lovingly introduces the poetry of Antal, a kind of Tamil Mirabai. Kudos to numerous authors for emphasizing the relationship between bhakti and tantra. The down side is that the authors are scholars, not practitioners, with the concomitant lack of experiential understanding about what actual tantric practices consisted of, and of what "cosmological homology," as a body of psychospiritual praxis rooted in various yogic practices, actually means in lived experience. (But, as White says in his Introduction, practice without theory is like a map without a legend.) That said, this volume does not suffer from the epidemic of post-modern sophistry--that is, you won't find here pretty words cleverly arranged to signify that Tantra was mere artwork or political posturing by miscreants (this disorder characterizes much of the sociological/literary-critic studies on Tantra). In short, what this volume sets out to do, it does very well. Still, to grasp actual tantric practice, you'll have to look elsewhere. But I am afraid that my guru forbade me to indicate where....

Unacknowledged contributors.......2004-06-03

The correct title of the book should read Tantra in Practice (Princeton Readings in Religions) by David Gordon White (Editor), Beavis and Butthead.

The choice of topics misses the heart of tantra.......2004-05-30

I would not recommend this book since the choice of topics enfogs the subject rather than illuminating it. This collection does indeed have some excellent contributions from leading scholars, but it is the whole package that is disappointing. I was also disappointed with White's own contributions.

Good overview..........2001-08-30

World-class scholars ANDRE PADOUX, PAUL E. MULLER-ORTEGA, DOUGLAS R. BROOKS and many others come together to write about Buddhist Tantra, Hindu Tantra, Jain Tantra, and Tantra and Islam in South Asia; //the countries covered are China, India, Japan, Nepal and Tibet.//
The topics discussed include:
--GURUS AND ADEPTS including "The Tantric Guru" by Andre Padoux, one of the best Kashmir Shaivism scholars in the world.
--KINGS AND PRIESTS
--DEVOTEES AND DEITIES
--TRADITIONS IN TRANSITIONS AND CONFLICTS
--TANTRIC PATHS including "The Ocean of the Heart: Selections from the Kularnava Tantra" by Douglas R. Brooks, one of the only brilliant scholars in the world to know Tantra "from the inside".
--RITES AND TECHNIQUES --YOGA AND MEDITATION
including "On the Seal of Shambhu: A Poem by Abhinavagupta" by Paul E. Muller-Ortega, the leading authority on Abhinavagupta, one of the 3 best scholars of Kashmir Shaivism with Alexis Sanderson and Andre Padoux.
//Any Indology student has to have read this book.

Forgets to focus on the central idea of tantra.......2001-05-02

This book has many excellent articles. Yet, it forgets to focus on the central idea of tantra which is the connections between the outer and inner cosmologies. The contributions thus get lost in the details, unable to find the grammar that would unlock the esoteric language of the medieval tantra texts.

Total Freedom: The Essential Krishnamurti

Average customer rating:

Unclassifiable
The austere beauty of Truth
Difficult to read but Impossible to stay away from.
A Spiritual Pearl
Extraordinary!

Total Freedom: The Essential Krishnamurti
J. Krishnamurti
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Eastern Philosophy | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0060648805

Book Description

Counted among his admirers are Jonas Salk, Aldous Huxley, David Hockney, and Van Morrison, along with countless other philosophers, artist, writers and students of the spiritual path. Now the trustees of Krishnamurti's work have gathered his very best and most illuminating writings and talks to present in one volume the truly essential ideas of this great spiritual thinker.Total Freedom includes selections from Krishnamurti's early works, his `Commentaries on Living', and his discourses on life, the self, meditation, sex and love. These writings reveal Krishnamuri's core teachings in their full eloquence and power: the nature of personal freedom; the mysteries of life and death; and the `pathless land', the personal search for truth and peace. Warning readers away from blind obedience to creeds or teachers - including himself - Krishnamurti celebrated the individual quest for truth, and thus became on of the most influential guides for independent-minded seekers of the twentieth century - and beyond.

Customer Reviews:

Unclassifiable.......2007-05-14

This is the first time I had read Krishnamurti, so I don't know how it compares to other compilations of his writings and discussions, but I can say that his is a beautiful mind. What he shares with his audience cannot be classified as doctrine or technique, but rather guidance on how to look for the truth. The teaching that initially resonated with me is his suggestion to start by observing yourself and your thinking, without judgment (good or bad), to really understand your thoughts and move beyond the series of events that you use to define "you." I found that the process of attentive observation is extremely powerful, dissolving the tensions I have built over time and revealing something truly beautiful and energizing. For those who want to explore his works before buying, there are websites with many of his "lessons." If these bits of information ring true to you, do yourself a favor and buy the book.

One last word of advice: Krishnamurti does not offer packaged answers to life's questions like one finds with religion. His suggestions require serious effort by the reader to find total freedom.

The austere beauty of Truth .......2005-05-13

Krishnamurti...

Who reads him nowadays? Who ever listened to him when he was still with us? At the end of his life, people were deriding him because apparently nobody, not a single child in all the schools he had founded in Europe, America and India, had awakened. Apparently, it was all a failure and today Brockwood Park, the school he helped set up in England, is begging money because hardly anybody sends gifts or remembers K's noble educational cause in his will.

This message is truly an austere and challenging message of no hope, of no tomorrow of guaranteed liberation. There is no comforting Krishnamurtite doctrine to hold onto. This the mind must irrevocably hate if it is flippant, looking for pleasure or security.

I first read Krishnaji when I was still a staunch traditionalist Catholic. I think the title of the unassuming little volume was "Letters to Students". Although it was couched in very simple terms and contained no slick neo-advaita paradoxes about nonpeople having ever bought any shoes, I didn't understand a word of what was said and thought the man must be some sort of crazy radical. The only idea that stuck with me was the saying "a truly humble man doesn't know he is humble". That sounds awfully trite, but it isn't. It is so true.

We never know it. We can never say: "This is it!"

Krishnamurti truly has nothing to offer you. Most of what he says are questions, invitations to enquire. But he also knows how to write delightful prose, describing nature and people with a love that is both quiet and poignant. In his essays, which make up about half of this superb collection of Krishnamurti's works, one is first invited to wonder at the fragile beauty of the world and to rest for a timeless moment in the innocence of trees, rivers, mountains and a clear starry night sky, before being taken to the enquiry and the clarity of its burning flame.

Who can enquire at all?, some clever neo-advaitists will perhaps ask derisively. You. You can look at your life and see all the deception and mischief wrought by the predatory "me", the "self". Although it is true that K. speaks of going beyond the self, there is not so much as a hint in all of K's works that people are walking nobodies devoid of volition. Buddha, who preached anatta, non-ego, also enjoined people to act. Krishnamurti assumed as a given truth that we could truly do something about ourselves and therefore about the terrible state of the world. But the doing was first and foremost a seeing. One is invited to see, and to keep seeing.

Seeing what? One's desperate and ugly face, one's mean ego and its for ever reborn attempts at escaping reality. To see it in the chaos and violence in the world outside and also within, for "the world is you and you are the world". This coming face to face with oneself happened through the teachings, which he liked to compare to a mirror.

It is important to see in the context of rampant teachings about Consciousness Already Realized and Being Perfect Right Now that the image K showed his hearers wasn't a hypothetical and dogmatically asserted feel-good "perfect oneness", but "what is" in all its disturbing crudeness. Therefore it is no wonder that the Ultimate Mystery, when he talked about it, which he did rarely, was expressed by the word "Otherness". How could "otherness" be "already the case"?

For that to arise, the reality of evil had to be faced. But it was to be faced without judgment, in choiceless or passive awareness. Then and only then, would the transformation occur as the observer would realize his fundamental identity with the observed. It is certainly one of the great and painful paradoxes of this teaching that it vehemently denounces evil within and without, but at the same time shows that colllective and individual holy wars against it will inevitably not only fail, but aggravate the situation. Yoga, rituals, breathing techniques and the rest of the religious arsenal of self-improvement are dismissed as so many routines of the ego. There only remains a passionate inquiry, which is wisdom in search of itself.

Asked by a swami how he would sum up his whole message, he reluctantly said: "Look". It is important to see, specially in our sense and eye-obsessed culture, that he didn't say, "See this", "this" referring to the outside world. K. is not inviting you to lose yourself in the object. Rather he is inviting you to observe, relentlessly but affectionately, the movement of thought, which is the ego. When its utter destructiveness is recognized WITHOUT any judgment or preconception, something else arises, which K. always refused to theorize about.

The difference between "Look" and "See this", which is the slogan of neo-advaita, is a crucial one, one that distinguishes a teaching about immanence and transcendence and the creative and challenging tension between the two, and one that confuses the Absolute with sensual experience and thereby dissolves all creative tension in the mere frictionless movement of the "already" known.

There can be no rest and its corollary, dogmatism, in this. Krishnaji often summed up our existential condition by conjuring the striking metaphor of someone living in a small room with a deadly cobra. As he often said, "It is only the serious man who lives". One is invited to realize the danger and seriousness of living in the world. And even when the transformation has occurred, it isn't the case that one simply self-contentedly celebrates, but there is a constant "learning", a deepening without end and without accumulation because Life is never known completely, because Life is for ever new. To use a word that is greatly appreciated in some quarters, there is for ever more "oneness" because the content of "oneness" is inexhaustible.

Therefore learn, o eternal beginner!

Difficult to read but Impossible to stay away from........2004-05-01

I have been reading this book for almost 7 years many times over. It has been one of the most difficult books I have read. But why don't I just stop reading? Because I can't.

K challenges every bit of our thinking about the truth. After quite a while, I realised why he does not provide answers but just swirls our heads around with questions. He keeps telling us what one is NOT instead of what one IS. He is trying to help us know the "unknowable". He is trying to help us conceive the "inconceivable". He is trying to make us understand why any attempt at organizing the truth only produces an effect to the contrary. How would one explain that in words? I could never do that. But K does that brilliantly. It just takes some effort on the reader's part to follow his words and give them their due moment.

This was my first of a few Krishnamurti books... and I cherish it. What one gains from the book depends on where the reader is on the path of understanding. My experience with this book has proven that the book (it's effect on me) evolves as I evolve. I can only guess what his words will bring me when I read it 10 years from now.

A Spiritual Pearl.......2003-11-02

One of the gratest spiritual book. This is a life changing book and you will start observing with every aspect of life with new angle after reading this book. It covers the spiritual journey of K from 1929 to 1985. One will find it difficult to give off the concepts of nationalism and religion from their lives,particularly in such a hostile environment where social and religious conflicts are present in almost every continent,but if those barriers are overcome,world will certainly be a better place to live.
Very insightful and thought provoking book.

Extraordinary!.......2003-10-02

This book is an exceptional book for people for are in search for an authentic self. Krishnamurti never directly provides answers for vital questions in life because he understands that answers to vital questions are never meaningful when they come from the outside. He knows that for our answers to be meaningful they must come from within. He understands that his job is to guide us so that we approach the problem in a way that leads to our own answers from within. Although not all of us are ready, I think we all have much to learn from thinkers like him. If you are ready, this book will be wonderful for you. If you are not, you will find it meaningless. Although you find it meaningless now, keep it on your shelf and read it five or ten years later and see if it makes sense then. If you'd like a book using a more concrete approach to this topic, I strongly suggest "The Ever-transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. It is a fabulous book that explains how many Western and Eastern theories relate to essential matters of the heart.

The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra

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Svaha! I finally got it!
A Guide to the Heart of Buddhism
Excellent commentaries on the Heart Sutra
incredible perspective
Good things DO come in small packages!

The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra
Thich Nhat Hanh
Manufacturer: Parallax Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0938077112

Book Description

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. In The Heart of Understanding, Thich Nhat Hanh offers a lucid and engaging interpretation of this core Buddhist text—The Heart Sutra—which is one of the most important sutras, offering subtle and profound teachings on nonduality.

Customer Reviews:

Svaha! I finally got it!.......2007-09-10

This is THE book that made me call myself a Buddhist with confidence.

I'm a Japanese who was born to a Zen Buddhist family.
Although I naturally memorised the Heart Sutra growing up listening to it being recited by monks often, I'd never really understood what it meant.

I've read several commentaries on this sutra (by Japanese monks and nuns)but none of them helped me. Some didn't make sense, others left me pessimistic. Let alone allowing me to adapt the teaching to my real life.

Now, with this Thich Nhat Hanh's little book, I finally got the "A-ha!" moment.
The Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra is not an enigma any more to me because this fantastic teacher explained it in the warmest way possible.
I will recommend this book to anyone who has been questioning the significance of this sutra (or even Buddhism generally).

One more thing...
Thich Nhat Hanh's approach towards Buddhism wouldn't give any atheist a yuk. It's got nothing to do with supernatural power or anything, like some denominations' do.

A Guide to the Heart of Buddhism.......2007-04-15

This book is a Sutra, a thread that ties things togeather for seekers trying to understand reality and their place in it. This book is short in length, but long on insight. It explains, thought by thought, an even shorter, renowned work, the Heart Sutra of Buddha.
The Heart Sutra is but one page long, yet contains the essense of the heart of Buddhism. When first read, the Heart Sutra seems daughting because of its conciseness and unfanilier concepts. It's as if it were sent as a telegram by a sender well aware of the additional cost of each word. To understand the Heart Sutra a guide is needed, and this book is exactly that--a superb guide. It's not a lecture, nor pedantic. It explains in a friendly talk over a cup of tea. It's a map showing you the way home.
It is for the seeker who wants to understand Buddhism's deepest insights. Think of it as a pair of glasses that once used brings into sharp focus the entire universe and its relationships, including yours.
Whether you're new to the Buddha's insights, or an old hand at trying to untie the knots of Buddhism, this book will unravel those knots.
Ask yourself, Is it worth two hours of easy reading to understand Buddha's deepest insights into reality and the removal of your gnawing anxiety? If so, do yourself a favor, read this book! You'll love what you see with your new glasses--the world will seem brighter. You might even say, enlightened.

Excellent commentaries on the Heart Sutra.......2007-03-02

The Heart Sutra is the premiere sutra, or sermon of the Buddha, in all of East Asian Buddhism. People from Tibet to Japan, and now in the West chant the Heart Sutra. Many people study it because it gets to the "heart" of Buddhism (no pun intended). As such, it's very easy to find commentaries on the Heart Sutra, but few can surpass this one.

Thich Nhat Hanh understands the Sutra inside and out. The sutra can be cryptic and times, but Thich Nhat Hanh patiently works his way through each section, allowing the reader to really get the whole picture.

I definitely recommend this book to any Buddhist, new or veteran, as (re-)discovering the Heart Sutra is a great step on the Buddhist path.

incredible perspective.......2007-02-04

This book changed my life. I realize that sounds silly, but it is true. Whenever I don't like the way the world is, which is often, I reread this book. I can't say too much about it without giving it away or miscommunicating something, so please just read it for yourself. It is short and easy, but the message is incredible. If you are not Buddhist, please do not be afraid. Anyone can enjoy Thich Nhat Hanh's message and gain a lot from it. If you like this, I recommend the film Peace is Every Step. Thich Nhat Hanh has an incredible story to tell.

Good things DO come in small packages!.......2006-11-20

My teacher assigned TN Hanh's "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" for me to read, but I forgot the full title and so picked up this book instead...what a lucky mistake!!!

The concept of emptiness is what has always drawn me to Buddhist philosophy, and this book expounds it beautifully, using simple and concise language not academic or esoteric language and taking up a mere 50 pages or so!

More importantly, it is a very warm and humane explication which concretely links the neutral (and often misunderstood and/or mis-applied) truth of emptiness to the possibly even more essential truth of interconnectedness and interdependency, which TNH calls "interbeing."

This is very helpful in deterring the novice reader from using emptiness as a justification and foundation for nihilism.

The Lost Years of Jesus: Documentary Evidence of Jesus' 17-Year Journey to the East

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A fascinating collection of forgeries and tall-tales
Easier To Go To Original Sources
Interesting
Mostly a travelogue
ORIGINAL SOURCE MATERIAL AND A GREAT SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE

The Lost Years of Jesus: Documentary Evidence of Jesus' 17-Year Journey to the East
Elizabeth Clare Prophet
Manufacturer: Summit University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 091676687X

Book Description

Documentary evidence of Jesus' 17-year journey to the East.

The Gospels do not say where Jesus was between the age of 12 and 30. But ancient Buddhist manuscripts say Jesus left Palestine and traveled to India, Nepal, Ladakh and Tibet during the "lost years." For the first time, Prophet brings together the eyewitness accounts of four people who have seen these remarkable manuscripts--plus three variant translations of the texts. Illustrated with maps, drawings and 79 photos.

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating collection of forgeries and tall-tales .......2007-06-07

This book is published by Church Universal and Triumphant, also known as Summit Lighthouse. The extensive foreword is written by their leader, Elizabeth Clare Prophet. The rest of the book contains documents purportedly proving that Jesus spent his "lost years" (from age 13 to age 30) in India, Tibet and Persia, studying Hinduism and Buddhism. The foremost of these documents is Nicolas Notovitch's well-known "Life of St. Issa", first published in 1894. The book also contains three other texts supposedly confirming Notovitch's discoveries, by Abhenanda, Nicolas Roerich and Elizabeth Caspari. The Russian journalist Notovitch claimed to have discovered startling new stories about Jesus when visiting a Buddhist monastery at Himis, in the Ladakh area of Kashmir in India, close to the Tibetan border.

Virtually all scholars reject these documents, and believe that Jesus never set his foot outside Palestine and its environs. In my opinion, they have good reasons for doing so. For starters, nobody have seen the original manuscripts of these remarkable documents, only the translations made by Notovitch and his backers. There are also various discrepancies between the various accounts. In a foreword to "Life of St. Issa", Notovitch says that he did *not* translate a single manuscript. Rather, the monks at Himis showed him scattered passages about Jesus in several different ancient manuscripts, which Notovitch then re-arranged into a suitable, Gospel-like narrative. Tacitly at least, Notovitch is admitting that he was to some extent using his own creative imagination. This makes "Life of St. Issa" a paraphrase at best, a forgery at worst, even if we accept that the monks did show him some documents. However, both Abhenanda and Caspari claim to have seen a *single* manuscript with the Issa story in it, and Abhenanda even claims to have translated it. (What Roerich is claiming is frankly a bit unclear.)

A curious aspect of the documents, if one takes the trouble to read them, is that Jesus is said to have criticized both Hindus, Jains and Zoroastrians, and he doesn't sound very Buddhist either. Indeed, Jesus sounds like a 19th century liberal Protestant, which makes you wonder what exactly he is supposed to have picked up in India and Tibet in the first place? Notovitch's document can be read as a liberal Western criticism of barbaric India and Persia, rather than "proof" for Hindu-Buddhist influences on Jesus.

Another thing that strikes an out-sider as somewhat suspicious is that all people who confirmed Notovitch's story had *religious* reasons for doing so. Abhenanda was a disciple of the great Vivekananda, the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission. Nicolas Roerich was a Theosophist, and eventually founded a Theosophical off-shot of his own, Agni Yoga. And Caspari was a member of Mazdaznan, a nominally Zoroastrian but actually Theosophical group. In and of itself, the religious convictions of a person doesn't disqualify him or her as a serious witness, but when only people with a vested interest claims to have seen otherwise unaccesible documents (or was it just one document?), one is bound to suspect something. A cover-up? Wishful thinking? A little bit of both?

Be that as it may, I nevertheless recommend this book for students of comparative religion and others interested in these issues. It's the only collection of all pertinent writings on the subject (from the "pro" side) I'm aware of. Therefore I give it five stars, despite the questionable contents of the documents it reprints.

Easier To Go To Original Sources.......2007-04-12

I found this book to be nothing but a rehash of items found in other more authoritative books available on Amazon. Look deeper and you will find better books.

Interesting.......2006-12-10

I had vaguely heard a long time ago a tradition or a legend that Jesus of Nazereth had gone to the Far East in between childhood and adulthood. Then I came across this book several months ago. Very insightful, very interesting; it will definitely make you think. Having read this, about the best I can say is, I will not say for 100% that Jesus of Nazereth was there, but there definitely WAS a Jesus there and a lot of the teachings of Jesus do mirror Buddhist and Taoist beliefs to at least a small degree.

Mostly a travelogue.......2006-06-14

About 90% of the book is devoted to the travels of the 4 people who have reported seen the ancient scrolls that document Jesus' life in Tibet. And after completing the book I was not convinced that Christ ever made the journey.

If you read the reported quotes from Issa (or Jesus) they are quotes that definitely follow the New Testament teachings. But in so much of the Gospels, Jesus taught by parables, not in India. His quotes are more akin to Proverbs or sayings of Confucius. I would be surprised that he changed his manner of teaching so much.

The book also reports that Pilot was the person who wanted Jesus dead and the church leaders did not. While possibly true it contradicts the Gospels and it seems that Jesus was much more inflammatory of Church leaders than of Roman leaders. I do not see support of a motive of Pilot wanted Jesus dead.

I also do not understand the extreme secrecy of the scrolls? The ancient biblical writings are available for all to read. Why do the Lamas want to hide them and only share with a few select people.

If you want to read about the trials and travels of traveling in the Himalayan Mountains at the turn of the century then this is the book for you. But if you want to know about Jesus' lost years I think you will find facts very few and far between.

ORIGINAL SOURCE MATERIAL AND A GREAT SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE.......2006-06-08

Elizabeth Clare Prophet presents the original sources for the belief that Jesus spent time in Asia studying the wisdom of the East. She summarizes the evidence in a well-written Introduction, then gives you long excerpts from the writings of Nicholas Notovitch who traveled to the Himis monastery in 1887 and saw a manuscript that the Lamas told him was the story of "Saint Issa." Notovitch went on to publish a book, The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ. One of the lamas translated the portions of the manuscript dealing with Issa for Notovitch as he was recovering from a broken leg at the monestery.

Notovitch's book created a sensation, but a skeptical public was generally not convinced. Some years later, another man went to Himis to try to verify Notovitch's claims, but reported that the chief Lama denied ever receiving Notovitch and denied that such a manuscript existed. This might seem like proof that Notovitch made it all up, but later travelers were to again hear about the manuscript and even see it.

The lamas who live in the mountain-top monasteries that dot the Himalayas offer hospitality to visitors, but are often wary about what they will reveal. They have apparently found that Westerners often come to plunder their ancient treasures, so they may not tell every visitor about the existence of something like a manuscript about Jesus, especially if they don't trust the visitor.

Two very credible witnesses were to confirm the tale of the manuscript about "Saint Issa." One was an Indian, Swami Abhedenanda, who visited the monastery in 1922. He not only confirmed that such a manuscript existed, he received a translation of it that is almost identical to the one published earlier by Notovitch. And in the late 1920s, Nicholas Roerich began the long trek through India and Tibet that resulted in the breathtaking paintings he made of this region. Roerich was an artist of the highest talent, a skilled archeologist and linguist, and a diplomat who worked for world peace. His son George, who went with him, was also an archeologist and linguist and spoke the Tibetan language. Wherever the Roerich expedition went, they heard stories of Saint Issa. And in 1937, Elizabeth Caspari made a trip to Tibet and was shown manuscripts and the lama who showed them said "These books say your Jesus was here."

I wondered how these travelers could be sure that Saint Issa and Jesus were one and the same, but in reading the Notovitch and Abhedenanda translations, it is clear that this is the story of Jesus, but with some variations. This Jesus praises women and urges men to treat them as equals. This Jesus affirms reincarnation. These original sources are fascinating reading. Interestingly, the story begins with Moses and the Jews and speaks of Issa as coming to bring the Jews back to a knowledge of God they once had. Issa leaves as a teen-ager for India because his parents are seeking a wife for him, according to the Jewish custom. Issa wants to learn from spiritual masters rather than settle into the life of a householder. He returns to his homeland at age 29.

These manuscripts, verified by credible witnesses, are quite convincing. They clearly are old, but could they be simply stories invented by early missionaries in the years when Christianity was taking hold in the Roman empire? Or were these the writings of someone who witnessed the visit of Issa? Is there evidence that Jesus' teachings have an Eastern flavor? I can't answer all the questions that pop into my head, thinking about what I've read in this book. But it has aroused my interest in learning more about this Jesus of the East.

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The Essence of Unconditional Love and Devotion
a facinating read
Baba Maharajji
Beautifully captures the essence of a great Sage.
Absolutely enchanting remembrance of Neem Karoli Baba

Miracle of Love

Manufacturer: Hanuman Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1887474005
Release Date: 1995-12-01

Product Description

"There can be no biography of him. Facts are few, stories many. He seems to have been known by different names in many parts of India, appearing and disappearing through the years. His western devotees of recent years knew him as 'Neem Karoli Baba,' but mostly as 'Maharajii'--a nickname so commonplace in India that one can often hear a tea vendor addressed thus. Just as he said, he was 'Nobody.' He gave no discourses; the briefest, simplest stories were his teachings. Usually he sat or lay on a wooden bench wrapped in a plaid blanket while a few devotees sat around him. Visitors came and went; they were given food, a few words, a nod, a slap on the head or back, and they were sent away. There was gossip and laughter for he loved to joke. Orders for running the ashram were given, usually in a piercing yell across the compound. Sometimes he sat in silence, absorbed in another world to which we could not follow, but bliss and peace poured down on us. Who he was was no more than the experience of him, the nectar of his presence, the totality of his absence--enveloping us now like his plaid blanket. --Anjani In 1967 I met Neem Karoli Baba, a meeting which changed the course of my life. In the depth of his compassion, wisdom, humor, power and love I found human possibility never before imagined...an extraordinary integration of spirit and form. I was with him only briefly for he left his body in 1973, still he entered my heart as living truth, and his presence continues to enrich and guide my life. -- Ram Dass

Customer Reviews:

The Essence of Unconditional Love and Devotion.......2007-05-22

Of the greatest spiritual teachers in living memory, Neemkaroli Baba was the essential teacher of unconditional love. This love and the deep devotion it inspired shines through all the short stories of this book, all gems of simplicity, immense kindness and of an abolute mastery of life.
If you want to be inspired by this great soul and connect with your own purity of heart, then this book is for you. Today, as in the past, Maharaji touches many directly in profound and life-changing ways. This book has been a vehicle to allow many people to make this connection.

a facinating read.......2007-03-28

I thought this book was really interesting. I didn't know a lot about Neem Karoli Baba before I read this - now I wish I was old enough to have traveled to India and met him myself. The book is broken up in individual stories so it's easy to read a little at a time ( a great boon to anyone who is busy!)

Baba Maharajji.......2005-03-14

What can I say, when you read the stories of Maharajji, it moves you on the deepest of levels. Grace and love are the messages of this great saint. I cried and and laughed, and am still laughing 7 years later. He is a wonderful teacher, and will play with you if you get to know him. Blessings.

Beautifully captures the essence of a great Sage........1999-06-17

This book is a marvelous collection of anecdotes and teaching stories from the devotees of Neem Karoli Baba, a true "Avadhoot" (one who has "shaken off" the world, to exist as a wandering vessel of God) of the Hindu tradition, but who transcended all traditional spiritual paths. He was impossible to classify or pin down. Maharaji, as he was lovingly called, would simply wander into a village and stay awhile, while people offered fruits and sat at his feet, then he would abruptly disappear into the jungle. He would laugh, scold, hug, talk briefly, or just sit. Miracles occurred often in his presence. Maharaji's only teachings seemed to be love, serve and see God in everything. No one could keep him in one place, not even police or jail cells. When the time came to leave a place, he just left. He was simply an old man in a plaid blanket, full of humor and love, who shone the Light of Eternal Consciousness.

Absolutely enchanting remembrance of Neem Karoli Baba.......1998-06-10

Powerfully told from the perspective of numerous students and devotees. Shows the many sides of this amazing teacher.

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Impeccable scholarship, inspiring information
transcendent authorship

Buddhist Goddesses of India
Miranda Shaw
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691127581

Book Description

The Indian Buddhist world abounds with goddesses--voluptuous tree spirits, maternal nurturers, potent healers and protectors, transcendent wisdom figures, cosmic mothers of liberation, and dancing female Buddhas. Despite their importance in Buddhist thought and practice, these female deities have received relatively little scholarly attention, and no comprehensive study of the female pantheon has been available. Buddhist Goddesses of India is the essential and definitive guide to divinities that, as Miranda Shaw writes, "operate from transcendent planes of bliss and awareness for as long as their presence may benefit living beings."

Beautifully illustrated, the book chronicles the histories, legends, and artistic portrayals of nineteen goddesses and several related human figures and texts. Drawing on a sweeping range of material, from devotional poetry and meditation manuals to rituals and artistic images, Shaw reveals the character, powers, and practice traditions of the female divinities. Interpretations of intriguing traits such as body color, stance, hairstyle, clothing, jewelry, hand gestures, and handheld objects lend deep insight into the symbolism and roles of each goddess.

In addition to being a comprehensive reference, this book traces the fascinating history of these goddesses as they evolved through the early, Mahayana, and Tantric movements in India and found a place in the pantheons of Tibet and Nepal.

Customer Reviews:

Impeccable scholarship, inspiring information.......2007-10-09

This magnum opus will remain a serious resource for information about Buddhist Goddesses of India for decades. The scholarship is impeccable. Not only does it bring numerous texts and information into English for the first time, it explicates vast amounts of material loaded with insightful interpretations that only an expert authority can provide. This text will also reward those seeking inspiration from the Buddhist pantheon of goddesses. The prose is lyrical, compelling, and transports the reader into the powerful and colorful worlds of these ancient goddesses.

transcendent authorship.......2007-10-05

Ms. Shaw is an impeccable scholar whose transcendent writing captures the imagination. This inspired text is a compilation of unparalled research on an amazing array of Buddhist deities. Beautiful book.

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