Indian Books - Page 5

The Love Teachings of Kama Sutra: With Extracts from Koka Shastra, Anaga Ranga and Other Famous Indian Works on Love

Radha Sinha

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great entry-point for the curious 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This wonderfully illustrated-yet-informative translation of the classic text breaks down the classic Kama Sutra text in a way tat's mindful of the roots of the culture from which the tome was spawned, while being accessible for the merely curious. A great launching pad for the curious and a nice, quick reference for those who use the kama Sutra for more than reading. Coupled with "The Complete Kama Sutra", you should have no more questions.

Excellent information on sex and relationships, this edition is kind of academic 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

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. A picture book of the positions is not the Kama Sutra and the Richard Burton translation is very stilted. This translation works but is much more academic than others. It has plenty of footnotes, but some of the translation is a little odd maybe because they were keeping it literal. This is adequate for reading but if footnotes aren't your personality then look at other translations too. As with all sexy books avoid used copies.

Editorial Review:

Utterly frank in its attitude to sex, the Kama Sutra is Vatsyayana's classic study of the arts of love. In this new translation, Indra Sinha captures the beautiful, vivid language of the original as well as the humor that's been lost in previous versions.

Living at the Source (Shambhala Dragon Editions)

Swami Vivekananda

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Amazingly modern and accessible to all 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Swami Vivekananda, the primary disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (one of the greatest of the Hindu sages), has a style immediately accessible to all. He died in 1901, but his teachings are as valid and truthful today as they were then. This book consists mostly of short quotations and paragraphs Vivekananda wrote or said, carefully selected from other books and talks. If you're interested in Nonduality (Advaita) in the context of Hinduism, this book comes highly recommended. Vivekananda comes across as soft and delicate as a flower, and as grand and thunderous as a roaring lion.

Editorial Review:

In 1893, Vivekananda, disciple of the great Indian sage Ramakrishna, achieved notoriety when he appeared at the World Parliament of Religions at the Chicago World's Fair. This selection of the swami's writings speaks directly to contemporary people who seek spirituality in their everyday lives.

One Thousand Moons: Krishnamurti at Eighty-Five

Asit Chandmal

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On Living and Dying

J. Krishnamurti

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

On Living and Dying - J. Krishnamurti 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Once in a while, a book comes along that causes radical changes in your approach to the important life issues. This is one of those books. A friend gave me a copy ten years ago, which I read while on retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani. As a traditional Christian, I found the straight-forward approach uncomfortable and a little threatening, especially because it challenged many of my "factual" truths. No problem, my beliefs can handle it, right? Wrong! I couldn't shake the feeling that Krishnamurti's ideas needed to be examined again without the baggage of pre-conceived notions. I've recently re-read the book, and while I'm still struggling with the material, I find that much of what he reveals MUST be taken seriously. It's also interesting that now I find his teachings are not inconsistent with those of Jesus (although they are at odds of much of what the church teaches). He talks about "dying" to everything, Jesus talks about selling all you have and following him. He talks about life, death, truth and love being here now, Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being at hand. Etc., etc. Be ready for "in-your-face" directness, but also be ready for troubling. but awesome material.

Editorial Review:

Reveals that the fear of death is not rooted in physical pain, or in leaving loved ones, but in the fear that some essential part of what we are will not continue. Krishnamurti explains that to comprehend death, which is so inseparably joined with life, we must come to it with a fresh understanding, free of learned attitude and preconceptions.

A thematic selection from the seminars over Krishnamurti’ s entire lifetime. Drawing from talks from Bombay to Amsterdam and London to Seattle, progressing from the early thirties until the later 70’s.

Indian Philosophy (Muirhead Library of Philosophy)

S. Radhakrishnan

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A classic 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 19 people found this review helpful.

An acknowledged scholar, S.Radhakrishnan, in this classic holds you by hand and takes you through the myriad hues of Indian Philosophy. The result is an honest and at times brutal appraisal of the works of thinkers of the bygone era. Radhakrishnan's consummate ease with the subject comes out in no uncertain terms. The book left me spell bound and answered questions which have been plaguing me for some time now. The book with its well laid out chapters is full of clarity and is scholarly.

To start off, His evaluation of the Vedas is clinical - "The religion of Vedas certainly more joyous, but it was a lower form of religion where thought never penetrated beneath the husk of things." "Men's relations with the gods were mechanical, a question of give and take, profit and loss."

He completely adores the Upanishads and comes out as one on home turf when dealing with them. He never misses an opportunity to praise them profusely. It is worth quoting the famous Deussen lines on Upanishads here - "but one thing we may assert with confidence - whatever new and unwonted paths the philosophy of the future may strike out, this principle will remain permanently unshaken, and from it no deviation can possibly take place." You can see him getting despondent in the last section of the chapter titled 'Philosophy of the Upanishads'. To quote him from there "But the true was overwhelmed by the false".

Jaina logic and its strong ethical system stand out. To me the following definitely sounded logical and in a way explains the pluralistic realism of Jains - "If we consider the effect such as a gold necklace to be a mere substance, it is the same as the gold of which it is made; but if we look at the necklace as a modification, it is new, and did not exist in the mere substance of gold."

His dissection of Buddha's silence on the state of the absolute is profound. He is copious in his praise of Buddha. To quote him - "No voice like Buddha's ever thundered into our ears the majesty of the good".

Watch out for the chapter on Materialism. "Intelligence is the modification of the four elements, and it is destroyed when elements from which it arises are dissolved". As simple as that??

The Bhagavad Gita is treated in an elaborate fashion. It is seen as the culmination of the Upanishadic thought with greater emphasis on the religious side. Gita's majesty and its `truth being spoken as it is seen' style get mentioned. Stand out line for me: "Its author does not suspect it is possible for him to err."

You can sense a sneaking admiration for Sankara's sharp intellect and this sort of runs across the book.

Quite refreshingly, he doesn't try to syncretize heterogeneous beliefs. He quotes his contemporaries and predecessors such as Deussen, Muller, Bloomfield, Oldenberg, Jacobi, hegel, Kant, William Jones, Rhys Davids, Bradley, Garbe, Aurobindo, Tilak heavily. He also quotes from the Christian literature liberally to lay stress on the universality of some of the messages.

At times, one could sense the exegesis getting stretched to the point of becoming incognisable with its source. To his credit though he never gets carried away and never ever presents a romantic version of history. But he seems to have completely bought the idea of Aryan invasion though till date fiery battles are being waged on this subject. When it comes to dates, he tends to give conservative estimates.

All said, the book, a classic in its own right, takes you on a whirlwind tour of Indian Philosophy, so very rich and profound.

Undoubtedly it is the chapter on the Upanishads which kind of stands head and shoulders above the rest. Not surprising, given the author feeling aligned to them. I will leave you with some of the top-of-the-draw-stuff from this chapter, which I guess will be ringing in my ears for years to come:

"The infinite is not beyond the finite but in the finite"

"We cannot easily conceive this one reality which is concealed by the many objects. We are too worldly, too experienced, and too serious about ourselves for that realization. We live on the surface, cling to forms, and worship appearance"

"Brahman is infinite not in the sense that it excludes the finite, but in the sense that it is ground of all finites.

"The aim of the Upanishadic thinkers was not science or philosophy, but right living"

"The seers of Upanishads try to lead us to this central reality which is infinite existence (sat), absolute truth (chit), and pure delight (Ananda). The prayer of every human heart is 'Lead me from the unreal to the real, lead me darkness to light, and lead me from death to immortality'"

"The mirror is not shattered simply because nothing is seen in it"

"The existence of the world does not take away from the perfection of the absolute. In a beautiful image it is said: That is full and this is full. From that full rises this full. Taking away this full from that, what remains is yet full."

"The different elements are in unstable harmony: Two birds, akin and friends, cling to the self-same tree. One of them eats the sweet berry, but the other gazes upon him without eating. In the same tree-the world tree-man dwells along with God. With troubles overwhelmed, he faints and grieves at his helplessness. But when he see the other, the Lord in whom he delights-ah, what glory is his, his troubles pass away."

"Know the self or Atman as the Lord who sits in the chariot called the body, buddhi or intelligence is the charioteer, mind is the reins, the senses are the horses, and the objects are the roads. The self, the senses and the mind combined the intelligent call the enjoyer. But he who has no understanding, but is weak in mind, his senses run riot like the vicious horses of a charioteer. He who has understanding, and is strong minded, his senses are well controlled, like the good horses of a charioteer. He who is without understanding, who is thoughtless and impure, never reaches the immortal, immaterial state, but enters into the round of birth. But he who has understanding, and he who is thoughtful and pure, reaches the state from which there is no return"

"Death is easy. It is life that is taxing"

"The ascent to God will be a lapse into the void or the abyss, if the ultimate brahman is itself looked upon as an abstraction. Then the goal of man is annihilation. The Upanishads dispute such a conclusion. The highest is a state of rapture and ecstasy, a condition of Ananda"

"It is an eternal existence absorbed in the thought, love and enjoyment of the supreme, and not an annihilation. The cry of the devotee poet, "I want to eat sugar, and do not want to become sugar," expresses this view"

Editorial Review:

Oxford is pleased to be bringing back into print this classic two-volume work on Indian philosophy by one of India's greatest thinkers. First published in 1923, the work was revised in 1929.

Fundamentals of Yoga: A Handbook of Theory, Practice, and Application

Rammurti S. Mishra M.D., Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book has changed my life! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I found this book in my high school. When I began reading it, it took me awhile to understand, but now it is my most prized possession. To me, there is truth in the teachings, and everyone can do the exercises that the book describes. I recommend that everyone at least scan wonderful book.

A life changing book 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book some years ago and found it to be very helpful. The book is divided into chapters with each one containing a different exercise. I just concentrated on several of the exercises and not all of them. In about six weeks I started experiencing altered states. This book can bring about a total change in ones life, if one is willing to do the exercises.

Try this at home 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book!Why,you ask,is it out of print?This book reflects a time when Yoga was beginning to be widely accepted in the west from the east and so there is a slight cultural exotica flavour, which, while charming, is dated.
The book is by a doctor however, and takes a clinical western approach to total health:as such I find it to be a current asset to both my medical library section and my psychology section.I can't say that for many books in my library for 30 years. Many exercises are easy and invigoating at a deep level; a few of the exercises outlined here are for master level training,they take a lot of discipline to get through the first few times and a coach would be good to have,thats how I felt.Having said that,the breathing exercise set generally and the chapter on relaxation specifically is worth the price of the book.Tons of used copies everywhere.ENJOY

Editorial Review:

Introduction by Paul Brunton. Dr. Mishra brings a medical reasoning and a guru's practice to the ancient science of yoga. Concentration and meditation exercises make this an invaluable introduction to yoga. 14 black-and-white drawings.

Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe

Alain Daniélou

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

One of the best accounts of yoga written in English ... 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Alain Daniélou (1907-1994) spent nearly two decades immersed in the traditional society of India. Using only the Sanskrit and Hindi languages he had mastered to fluency, he studied music, philosophy and yoga with eminent scholars and practitioners, ultimately becoming a professor at Benares Hindu University and director of its College of Indian Music. He was in the course of his sojourn in India duly initiated into an esoteric lineage of Shaivism - to which he was an enthusiastic convert - which gave him unimpeded access to authentic texts transmitted through the oral tradition alone for countless generations, an access unique for a Westerner. He was the author of more than thirty books on the religion, history, society, culture and arts of India and while calling Alain Danielou one of the twentieth century's greatest Orientalists says says something about the man, it falls far short of encompassing the breadth and depth of his knowledge and vision.

Based on original Sanskrit sources, "Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe" gives an authentic account of the scope and methods of yoga in its different forms, including the challenging "left-hand" paths, as well as practices best suited to Western students.

Hatha yoga is the name given to the technical practices and disciplines by which the body and the vital energies can be brought under control. Far from being a simple system for the promotion of physical fitness, yoga is a complete system of self-development, embracing the body, mind, spirit and beyond. It is exhaustive in its elaboration, owing this to meticulous research into the ancient texts such as the Upanishads. On the macrocosmic level of conception, yoga is alchemy, pure if not simple: that is, the means by which matter can be trained to run in harness controlled by the will of the practitioner via the cultivation of "Siddhis," or mental powers of special potency and efficacy.

First published in 1949 under the title "Yoga: The Method of Reintegration," this is one of the first detailed texts that outlines the purpose and practice of all aspects of yoga for the Western reader. "Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe" brings this very ancient and important science to a level that is easier for the Westerner who has not grown up in the presence of the thinking that characterizes yoga's practice to understand. Translations of original Sanskrit texts, a bibliography, and useful illustrations are included in the book which further clarify its subject.

This small volume (192 pages) is arranged into an introduction and three main sections with appendices that provide superlative references. The Introduction leads into the historical and philosophical underpinnings and practical applications of yoga. This is not the yoga that Westerners tend to substitute for jogging or visits to the gym, but the fruit of ancient knowledge gleaned from the Vedas and their expositors. Danielou provides a sketch of the cosmology of the ages, or Yugas, and a detailed explanation of the current age - the Kali Yuga, or the "Age of Conflicts." Yoga - as it is understood by its revelators and by the author - is that which allows the individual to comprehend and control his being and his world - a special knowledge required in this current age.

The book's first part deals with the aims and objectives of Hatha Yoga, the yoga most familiar to the West.. There are eight steps in its goal of mastering the physical body and these include the postures (asanas), muscular contractions (bandhas), and gestures (mudras). The critically important techniques of breathing (pranayama) are described here as well as acts of purification (kriyas). Advanced steps include withdrawal of sensory awareness from external stimuli, intensely focused concentration, contemplation and identification. Also described are the other main methods of yoga including Raja Yoga, Mantra Yoga in an especially excellent chapter ("Reintegration through Hermetic Formulae"), Laya Yoga and Shiva Yoga. These all have the same general introductory steps and practices, but diverge into distinctiveness in their later, more advanced practices.

Part Two explains forms of yoga apart from hatha yoga that also promote mastery and integration: karma yoga is integration through action (i.e., right action without thought of merit as outlined in the Bhagavad Gita), jnana yoga (integration through knowledge, study and reflection), and bhakti yoga (integration through loving devotion). These different forms of yoga (along with many others) reveal that even in the remotest past, the goal of self-development and mastery was unity with the absolute, as reflected in the concept of Satchitananda (Sat-chit-ananda, Being-Consciousness-Bliss). The diverse forms of yoga provide the aspirant of any given temperament a path that suits her or him.

Part Three deals with the concept of "initiation." The author emphasizes that in every stage of yoga the chela or student must have a guru or guide. The nature of the student and teacher is addressed here. The rules relating to the aspirant's manner of living, diet, conduct, social relations and relations with the guru are also outlined, and there is a section on obstacles encountered on the student's path.

Several detailed and useful appendices are provided by the author, dealing with the structure and function of the subtle or energetic body, the Siddhis or special yogic powers, the 84 asanas (postures) and the result of their practice, references from the main Sanskrit treatises on yoga, and footnotes in Sanskrit, useful for the scholar.

The deep knowledge and scholarship that are the fruit of the decades spent by the author studying with Indian pandits of the Hindu tradition are revealed in a work that is detailed and painstakingly researched. "Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe" will appeal to the serious student of yoga from any tradition or lineage. It contains the distilled wisdom and experience of countless millennia and innumerable generations of practitioners, seekers and teachers, but is completely relevant to the present day.

For those just beginning to tread the path of yoga not everything will be understood upon first reading. There are steps to be followed in any process of growth, and followed with right intention and purposeful striving, this book will help you on your way along a genuine path of growth for body, mind and spirit.

Editorial Review:

Based on original Sanskrit sources, this book gives an authentic account of the methods of yoga in its different forms, including the challenging "left-hand" paths, as well as practices best suited to Western students.

Tantra: The Way of Action: A Practical Guide to Its Teachings and Techniques

Francis King

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Tantra has been defined as a "mystical philosophy" and as an unorthodox branch of Buddhism, Hindism, and Jainism. It has also been described as an occult technique concerned primarily with polarity and sexual practices. Although each of these definitions contains an element of truth, none of them is complete.

While Tantra has mystical, philosophical, and religious aspects, it is, above all, a technique of action--a path of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines incorporating meditation, yoga, and sacramental worship. Its sole purpose is the transformation or spiritual rebirth of the individual into a new existence and an enlightened state of consciousness.

In Tantra: The Way of Action, Francis King provides a complete theoretical and practical guide to the Tantric path of liberation. Topics covered include esoteric physiology, Qabalism, pleasure and pain, power and passivity, right-hand and left-hand Tantra, and the arousal of the Kundalini serpent power. Following the spirit rather than the letter of the tradition, King maintains that Tantric techniques are universal processes. As such, they transcend the limitations of specific faith or dogma and are adaptable to Western culture and lifestyle. 

The Wisdom of Balsekar: The Essence of Enlightenment from the World's Leading Teacher of Advaita: The Concept of Nonduality

Ramesh Balsekar, Ramesh S. Balsekar, Alan Jacobs, Wayne Liquorman

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Timeless Wisdom 5 out of 5 stars.
39 of 39 people found this review helpful.

In the manner of Shankara, who codified the Upanishads, and in more recent times, David Godman, who has anthologised the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Alan Jacobs has produced an essential guide to the principal teachings of Ramesh Balsekar, one of the world's leading exponents of Advaita.

In recent decades, the spread of nondualist philosophy - the belief that all of the manifest world stems from an underlying unified reality - has prevailed in the West. But this concept is not new. Since the Vedas, the earliest recorded scripture known to man, the pundits and sages have been pointing to this absolute truth. Nevertheless, the rise of the New Age has interpreted Advaita as a form of `be here now' hedonism; Jacobs' book rightfully reasserts its philosophical and sacred heritage.

`The Wisdom of Balsekar' is arranged alphabetically, divided into sections ranging between `Effort' and `Surrender', `Ignorance' and `Understanding', `Bondage' and `Enlightenment'. With extracts taken from Balsekar's vast corpus of work, Jacobs has managed to distil the essence of his profound wisdom and teachings. This makes not only for an excellent compendium but a text which can be dipped into as and when the need arises, such as the following quotation on `Acceptance':

At any moment, whatever is manifest is perfect. If it is deeply understood, every moment is welcomed and whatever that moment brings - `good' or `not good' - is accepted without any judgement, without expectation or anxiety. It is this attitude of acceptance which is the real freedom, freedom from expectation and desire, freedom from fear and anxiety. When this is deeply understood, you do not bother about what happens, what thoughts occur or what actions take place, or what emotions arise - they are all witnessed.

`The Wisdom of Balsekar' is one of many books published by Alan Jacobs on the themes of mysticism and nondualist teachings, including the recently published, `The Spiritual Wisdom of Marcus Aurelius', O Books, 2004.

Editorial Review:

Retired bank president, golfer, husband, and father doesn't fit the stereotype of an Indian guru, which may account for Ramesh Balsekar's enormous popularity. His background and education, combined with his profound spiritual studies, make him a master who is an ideal bridge between East and West, the spiritual and the material. Now in his eighties and regarded as the world's greatest living sage, Balsekar is the primary exponent of the teaching of Advaita, which holds that everything is one, that all humanity is an intrinsic part of the universe rather than split from it - in short, that nonduality is the all-encompassing truth. This anthology comprises thematic extracts from all of his written works to date. Approved by Balsekar, as well as by his leading disciple, Wayne Liquorman, The Wisdom of Balsekar is powerful, accessible, witty, and always to the point.

A Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokananda

Sister Gargi

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Brilliant heart and mind 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I was bowled over by this biography of a man of God who walked among us for a time. If you have never met a living saint, you have no idea how such a one combines power and love and humor in such a way as to make you KNOW your own divinity. Swami Ashokananda was one such man of God, and if you read "A heart poured out" you cannot fail to be blessed by his uncommon presence and enlightened by his remarkable teachings. Sister Gargi's book is a masterpiece of spiritual literature.

A unique and rapturously written biography 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

A Heart Poured Out is the biography of Swami Ashokananda (1893-1969), who was a prominent monk of the Ramakrishna Order and a man who devoted most of his life to developing the Vedanta Society in San Francisco. Knowledgeably written by Sister Gargi, a disciple of Swami Ashokananda since 1948, A Heart Poured Out deftly covers the breadth of Ashokananda's life ranging from his childhood in India, to his enthusiastic dedication to personal spirituality, to his independence in daring to refute some of Mahatma Gandhi's political viewpoints. A Heart Poured Out is highly recommended as being a unique and rapturously written biography of an intrinsically fascinating man.

Editorial Review:

An engaging biography that takes the reader on a powerful journey into the life story of Swami Ashokananda(1893–1969), a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who developed the Vedanta movement in northern California—and a vivid insider’s account of day-to-day spiritual training by his renowned monastic disciple, Sister Gargi.