2 comments about Art Across Time: Prehistory to the 14th Century, Vol. 1.

1. I used this book in conjunction with my text book and it helped me to gain an even better understanding of Art. All of the exercises helped to strengthen my understanding of each chapter.This book helped me so much that I got an "A" for the semester in Art 114.



2. I didn't read much of this book. I ended up not needing it for school. I think it was ok for the little bit I read out of it. Sorry if I'm not much help.

5 comments about Hanuman.

1. This book has an amazing story and amazing pictures. It's great~



2. This is a children's rendition of the later portion of the Ramayana, pertaining specifically to Hanuman's role in freeing Sita from Ravana, her abductor. It has great moral lessons while still being an adventure. There is some violence that a very small child might find scary (we see soneone with a spear through him) and it's definitely a military motif, but given that Rama's identity is as a warrior that is appropriate. A great adventure with attractive illustrations!



3. I had ordered this for a gift for a young nephew, but think I may just read it to him and keep it for myself until he's old enough to appreciate the beautiful paintings that illustrate this ancient tale. It's a wonderful introduction to Hanuman, the most devoted of servants. Text and illustrations mesh perfectly, and there is so much life and movement, not to mention gorgeous color! High praise to everyone involved.



4. Its a good book but a bit lenghty. I bought it for my 5yr old daughter, she does like to read it but you can tell that after a while she loses focus or does not understand what is happening.
   Given the choice again I would still buy this book but may for her when she is 7yr.



5. For anyone who is new to Hinduism this is a great introduction to Sri Hanuman; perfect for children and adults. My book arrived today and I stood at the table in the post office, read the entire book cover to cover and could not help but get misty eyed.
   
   The illustrations are simply gorgeous. The lessons taught are even more beautiful; among them "There is no such thing as large or small when it comes to acts of love." also "Rama nodded and said: "All of these were gifts that you were given long ago. You have followed your heart and found these gifts inside of you.""
   
   This book is a must-have for every person who is even the least bit spiritual and one that I will read again and again for a long time to come.

3 comments about Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought.

1. Author seems have read a lot about these philosphy.If you are interested in these phylosphy this will give you some idea about the same. Like any other human being probaly some of the portion seems to be a little bit biased by author's thought Must read



2. I must say that I read this book from cover to cover. It is an extremely readable book, which is quite amazing, since it deals with epistemological, ontological, and metaphysical positions of the six orthodox Indian schools, as well as the materialist school and various Indian Buddhist schools. The book is subtitled "An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought", and it is a fine introduction, for both those who are newcomers to the field, and those with some knowledge of this intriguing area of human thought, but would like to put the many pieces of the puzzle into a more structured frame.
   King's writing style is impeccable, and he also uses highly amusing examples not to frighten away his readers...
   The introductory and concluding chapters are very valuable as well, dealing with the areas of hermeneutics, and ethnocentrism, and the study of religions in this postmodern age (for the West at least...) His comments in these areas are very thought provoking, and offer the interested reader a new approach and methodology for the study of religions. It is a pity that King has not included the philosophical stance of the Jainas in this work. It is perhaps not his area, but it seems that the Jaina perspective is seriously lacking: a few gems of Jaina epistemology would have made this book a most fine one for students of the Indian traditions. I recommend this work highly to one and all.



3. Richard King's book "Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought" is a well-written and insightful overview of its subject matter. King does not get bogged down in Sanskrit terminology, yet does not ignore it either. The result is a nice clear flow to the presentation with enough textual references to ensure that this introduction carries over to further studies of one or more of the six schools presented in this volume. He assumes no prior knowledge of these traditions.
   
   King also does an exquisite job of presenting the question: "What is Philosophy?" and how a `Western' tradition of thought can be compared to the thought of `Eastern' traditions. He does so primarily by showing that such East/West divisions are wrong-headed to begin with. While he does not perform any kind of comparative hermeneutic here, he does take the time in the first two and last chapters to ensure that the arbitrary distinction that is normally made between Oriental and Occidental thought is obviated before he begins discussion of the Hindu and Buddhist philosophical schools that are the main subject of his work.
   
   King starts by giving an overview of the origins and nature of Hindu Philosophy, and then compares and contrasts, with enough historical context to enable the reader to discern the interrelationships between, six major schools of Hindu thought - the Purva Mimamsa, Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta), Vaisesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, and classical Yoga. He then highlights salient points of Buddhist thought in the Abhidharma and Mahayana traditions. Following these overviews he then covers Ontology, Epistemology, Perception, Consciousness and the Body, and Creation and Causality, comparing and contrasting the various schools and again highlighting their historical interrelationships.
   
   I found this book to be a worthwhile read.
   
   James Corrigan
   An Introduction to Awareness

3 comments about The Sword and the Flute--Kali and Krsna: Dark Visions of the Terrible and the Sublime in Hindu Mythology (Hermeneutics: Studies in the History of Religions).

1. This book truly brings these two highly interesting Hindu dieties to life. Kinsley clearly illustrates the various truths each deity represents within the Hindu tradition. The reader is not only left well educated about Kali and Krishna but about the rich character of the Hindu religious tradition as a whole. Perhaps the most enjoyable book I've ever read concerning Hindu religion.



2. Kinsley's book is perhaps the most enjoyable work on Hinduism that I've ever had the pleasure to read. In it the author both explains the history of each deity and how they crystalize certain overarching truths of the Hindu worldview. The effect is both a complex understanding of Kali and Krishna's importance within Hinduism as well as a greater appreciation of Hinduism in its totality.



3. I have always had trouble relating to Krisha, even though I read many books, commentaries and scriptures about Him, attended a Vaisnava temple for many months, and spent numerous hours chanting His mantras in an attempt to crack the mystery of why this Deity is so ravenously popular. I enjoyed the stories of His pastimes, and greatly appreciated the art and iconography that surrounded Him - but the deeper implications were simply lost for some reason.
   
   This book really brought home to me WHY Krishna so captured the people's hearts, as it showed a completely different perspective on the energies inherant to His workship. While the familiar themes, of course, remained the same, Kinsley throws a new light on the matter that was fresh and much needed.
   
   As a Shakta, though, I obviously also adored the latter studies of Kali as well. They also bring up aspects and interpretations of Her worship that are not too commonly presented in other texts.
   
   While this book is an academic text, it is easy and enjoyable to read, and not at all dry.
   
   I highly recommend this book to any student of Hindu religion and spirituality, anyone wondering "what's the deal with Krishna", or even "who is this Kali that everyone's talking about". Those who have a general intrest in world religions and mythology will eat this one up, too. Spiritual seekers who wish to expand their perspectives on how divinity can and is experienced by hundreds of million, and how the seeminly contradictory aspects of the divine can be embraced and adored will find this study an excellent read as well.

No comments about The Ramayana and Mahabharata Condensed into English Verse.

5 comments about Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man.

1. These kind of experiences are quite possible although rare during the awakening of kundalini. However, it is highly improbable that this occurs in the author's chosen method of practise(In fact, this experience is possible in certain practises which are not heard of by most Hindus too).
   A nice piece of fiction for a Hindu. The westerners curious about Eastern occultism will find this very interesting reading.
   I have read some interpretations and comments on this novel and find it even more interesting.
   In general, English translations of Sanskrit/Hindu works are pathetic. Added to that are several prejudices: rational, scientific approach, fruedian interpretations, psychoanalysis, or how it can/has been achieved in western mysticism etc. All this to a subject which is explicity stated to be incomprehensible to the senses in their normal state and by people who have made little attempt to practise it or even worse try to understand it with open mind. And I hate it the most when Hindu practises are presented vaguely as some Eastern mysticism.



2. Very well written. I read the first 25 pages in about 3 days and finished
   the entire book 2 days latter.



3. In reference to the other two-star review, I thought I was the only one who found this book difficult to get through. I was left wondering why this is a classic, and a must-read kundalini book, with the exception of the few passages that describe the author's tormenting experiences to highlight the dangers of such a powerful evolutionary process.
   
   I have been in the throes of an involuntary kundalini progression for a number of years now, although not on the same level of trauma as the author experienced, so I do have a very good understanding at this point in my process of the mechanics involved in such an awakening.
   
   And I do understand that the author experienced this during a time when so very little was known about kundalini, so in this respect it is an important piece of literature, and I do honor and revere his wisdom and experience. However, I found the text to be occasionally superfluous, tedious and extremely redundant. As I neared the end of the book I couldn't help wonder in how many different ways the author could describe the same thing: an unknown, powerful, intelligent, conscious force making its way up his nervous system and vital organs to stimulate and awaken his system with accompanying symptoms of sleeplessness, change in appetite, and increased consciousness and constant awareness of a golden glow painting his vision.
   
   James Hillman's occasional commentaries were of little help also and were just as wordy, vague and confusing in trying to translate and explain the author's psychological and physical processes.
   
   The most helpful books about kundalini that I've found so far are "Farther Shores" by Dr. Yvonne Kason, and "Energy Work" by Robert Bruce. Even though Mr. Bruce's book contains only a small section on kundalini, it is exact in its description and process. He also describes in other areas of the book the body's energy channels and centers that play a part in the workings of the kundalini energy. I have used his techniques to restore balance to my system and to ease the progression of the unpredictable energy surges so I will undergo fewer problems.



4. A facinating biography takes readers to the rare psychological experience one encountered with spiritual work and meditation.
   However, the road to an enlightened consciousness should not be that risky, in odds of losing the health, sanity, even life. At the end, the author's attainment cannot be ascertained what it really was besides a psychological phenomenon. It does not sound like that he had achieved the buddhahood. I like the evolutionary theory the author tries to propose.
   There are dangers in meditation if you do it assertively and not do it quite right. The fire releases in an abrupt and unregulated manner can cause life and delirium and madness.



5. I met Gopi Krishna in 1977 while visiting Kashmir. After describing my own Kundalini experience, we talked about sex & sublimation, diet, the stress of working, travel, handling illness, and exercise. Was it a defining moment? I'm not sure I believe in a single defining moment that clears up the confusion of a lifetime. Most of my defining moments have actually taken a while to sink in ---- before I was able to use them as catalysts for change. In this case, I listened as Gopi Krishna rattled off a list of the "dos and don'ts" of living with Kundalini.
   
   To many this might seem like a superficial conversation, not particularly useful for someone who'd just activated his Kundalini. However, I appreciated his sticking to basics and not running a lot of 'spiritual smack' on me. I had no preconceptions about our meeting; I didn't know if he'd be telling me about visions or secret powers ---- or just plain ole practical living. It turned out to be the latter, and over time I've been grateful because that's the kind of empirical knowledge that matters while learning to live with Kundalini.
   
   Gopi Krishna was the first person I'd met who didn't discuss Kundalini in generalities. He stuck to practicalities. And you know why? Because he'd been there.
   
   Does this mean there was something missing in his understanding of the spiritual aspects of Kundalini? No, it means that perhaps something's been wrong with the classification of Kundalini as a merely spiritual phenomenon. There's a more practical aspect to Kundalini; namely its healing and restorative capabilities.
   
   In fact, Gopi Krishna was the first person to get me thinking beyond the widely varied and difficult to define spiritual aspects of Kundalini, notions such as "higher consciousness" and "enlightenment." He got me wondering what these terms really mean. Do they mean the same thing to everyone? My confusion only grew when I discussed these terms with others and watched their eyes glazing over. So I began to doubt these terms had any shared meaning. I realized that although I was unable to discuss "higher consciousness" or "enlightenment" with other people, I was able to describe the healing powers of Kundalini in clear, specific terms. In fact, Gopi Krishna called Kundalini "an upgrade mechanism." As in a mechanism for reconditioning the body. This led me to think of meditation as a scientific experiment, and Kundalini as the result of an experiment performed in the laboratory of the body. The light didn't shine immediately, but one of Gopi Krishna's statements got me to thinking about meditation as a type of scientific experiment. "For you," he said, "learning what to eat and how to live with Kundalini is crucial. Don't listen to people's opinions on spiritual matters. Learn as much as possible about your true nature, about your body. These secret functions of the body are part of a science, you know. An ancient one, but still valid."
   
   Over time, I began to realize that meditation produces changes in the body just as scientific discoveries produce changes in the material world. These changes may be relatively minor, like the Relaxation Response, or they may be considerable, like those wrought by Kundalini Yoga meditation. But whether are the result of the Relaxation Response or of Kundalini meditation, they are definitely physiological. In my case, improving the state of my health and restoring the vigor of my body.
   
   And then I wondered: If I could do it, if it worked for me, would it work for others, too? Was the Kundalini meditation process I used scientifically valid? Absolutely ---- as long as the results are consistent over a given number of subjects. To me that means activating Kundalini in a safe, reliable, and repeatable manner.
   
   So since our 1977 meeting, that's what I've been concentrating on: the scientific aspects of meditation and the healing capabilities of Kundalini, the ancient, but still valid science Gopi Krishna spoke to me about.
   
   I've read every book Gopi Krishna wrote. This one, however, Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man is his masterwork. At the same time, it's a memoir and a how-to book. If you want to learn about Kundalini, read it. It inspired my book about Kundalini, and it has inspired others. Gopi Krishna stands at the foundation of Kundalini literature.
   
   My book, Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time contains a full account of my meeting with Gopi Krishna and describes my method of scientific meditation for safe, permanent and repeatable Kundalini activation. It's a method derived from The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life, one I call Golden Flower Meditation. It's a compendium of Kundalini knowledge, from Gopi Krishna to the present.

2 comments about Resonate with Stillness: Daily Contemplations.

1. I found this beautiful contemplations handbook interesting and even sometimes surprising when I would read the entry for the given day. I also enjoyed how the daily contemplations built around a "theme" for the month. I think what is most "gratifying" about this collection is the "apparant" depth with which the authors of the quotes or contemplations are speaking. I feel as if the messages are very pure and straight to the heart of the matter! Only "negative" makes me want to know "more"!! (lol)



2. This is a very wonderful guide for day to day inspiration. Excellant daily reminders.

No comments about Encountering the Goddess (Hindu Series).

5 comments about Slowly Down the Ganges.

1. Unlike his grounded colleague, the river traveller can indulge his bent for distraction only so far. His route is more or less fixed; certainly his destination is final. And so it is to Eric Newby's credit for eliciting from this journey 300 pages worth of erudite and witty observances, for it is essentially a procession of waterborne shuttles, one ghat to the next, punctuated only by the occasional onshore foray, the function of which mostly being to secure boat and crew for the succeeding leg. I suspect, though, that Newby could glean 300 pages from a dinghy ride in a swimming pool, and that that too would be immensely readable.

   The archetypical harrassed traveller, at every turn events conspire to defeat or, at the least, humiliate Newby. The atmosphere of the journey is established during preparations which smack of the comical: "I had even bought an immense bamboo pole from the specialist shop in the bazaar as a defence against dacoits whose supposed whereabouts were indicated on some rather depressing maps which G. [their sometime native companion] had annotated with this and similar information, in the same way mediaeval cartographers had inscribed `Here be dragons' on the blank expanses of their productions." In any case, these maps proved unserviceable. Because of hostilities with China, Indian Defence Regulations of the time (1963) were so stringent that it was impossible to buy large-scale maps of India of any kind. (At any rate, many maps of the Ganges are unashamedly indecisive of its course owing to the shifting alluvial bed.)

   Typically, arrangements that had been made in advance proved to be anything but arranged. The vessel intended to provide passage through the upper reaches of the Ganges was discovered to be in such a state of disrepair that use of it in a bathtub would have endangered lives. Attempts to procure another led Newby on an endeavour which he describes thus: "What we were doing in this instance was the equivalent in Britain of waking a fairly senior officer of the Metropolitan Water Board at a quarter to seven on a Winter's morning, in order to ask him to wake a yet more senior official and request the loan of a boat from one of the reservoirs in order to go down to Southend." Of course, the acquisition of another vessel appeased their troubles only momentarily.

   The journey proper was fraught from the outset: "It is difficult to describe the emotions that one feels when one is aground on a twleve-hundred-mile boat journey within hailing distance of one's point of departure." When not stranded upon a shoal Newby is confounded by the various tributaries shooting off this way and that. About this he consults the only man in India worse off than he: "There was only one person to ask the way from, an old man sitting alone on the shingle, but he was not very helpful. `I don't know where I am,' he said."

   When defeated by such circumstances Newby must, to advance his journey, venture ashore and seek out assistance. This demands the infiltration of the interminable mores of Indian society, a kind of mystic bureaucracy under which the populace shuns reason in favour of the myriad allegorical incarnations of the pantheon of mythic figures. He says of making even the most innocent inquiry: "But I knew that this was not the kind of question that can be asked in India - it was too logical and would therefore cause grave offence." He shortly arrives at the conclusion: "In India it is possible to win every battle but the last one."

   During such battles Newby often retreats to his arsenal of introductions, formal letters written by state officials and the like, the ace up the sleeve of the traveller at tether's end. Not surprisingly these missives of officialdom are met by the Indian everyman with bemusement or else total indifference. His choicest letter, that from the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, is singled for particularly devastating apathy.

   Newby's travelling companion, his wife, the long-suffering Wanda, is rendered something of an enigma in SLOWLY DOWN THE GANGES. Apart from delivering Newby from the dire gastric consequences of provincial Indian foods ("Wanda had produced [white radishes] artfully from a mysterious-looking bag.") her reason for being appears mostly to be for materialising at inopportune moments, usually the apex of some maddening asperity, in order to scorch the occasion with some withering remark. This surely had Newby tearing at his hair, but the narrative is infused with a rich vein of self-deprecating humour because of it. (Their courtship, which was borne of hardships much graver, is recounted in another of Newby's titles, `LOVE AND WAR IN THE APINNENES')

   Newby's own wit is deliciously dry. Unlike many contemporary travel writers he does not over-reach for a laugh or rely on out-and-out ridicule. However, his capacity for a descriptive turn of phrase is tested here. Certainly there are scapes that would arrest the senses of even the most impassive observer - shores lined with crazed sadhus and puja-devoted villagers, a river strewn with the pungent remnants of funerary pyres - but there is little variation on this theme for 1200 miles. And if the scenery is unchanging, then the characters - those folk along the way who lend a travel narrative its colour - are positively inanimate. Newby does admirably though, adroitly drawing from the cultural abyss the idiosyncrasies and personality interplay of guides and boatmen.
   
   And so, his route may be fixed and his destination final, but Newby never fails to appreciate the telling advantage he holds over his grounded colleague: "The only consolation about being lost on a river is that if you go on downstream you are bound to arrive somewhere different, unlike being lost in a forest, where you are quite likely to end up where you started at the beginning of the day."

   ****1/2 stars.

   (Contrary to what you may read, this book is anything but "insipid". Nor is it "lacking in prose, dialogue and structure." It, in fact, revels in them.)




2. I am a long-time fan of Eric Newby since stumbling upon his 1956 book, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush. I actually fell off the couch laughing. In addition to the adventures of the trip, Newby offers an inside look at Afghani geography, history and culture in a very readable form. Gently Down the Ganges, by comparison, I found monotonous and dreary, almost whiny. I strongly recommend Newby for his self-deprecating, dry "British Traveler" wit but cannot recommend Gently Down the Ganges as the best of Newby.



3. During the 1950s and 1960s there were several travel books written on India, whose tone were in general (many cases rightfully so) caustic. While Naipauls 'Area of Darkness' had the pain and disgust of seeing his country of origin in shambles, and Joseph Campbells 'Brahman and Baksheesh' had the disappointment of his lack of success in seeing theory in practice , one wonders about motives of Eric Newby in writing this book. Imagine the irony of a former member of a plundering army coming back, enjoying the hospitality of the same region, lamenting about how bad everything is. Throughout the book, he almost has nothing good to say about the culture, religion, beliefs or the traditions that make Ganges sacred to a billion people . The only people he warms up to are those of his own religion, and other natives who praise the Raj (perhaps he misses the Indian sense of hospitality to visitors , to make them feel at home, even if they dont actually mean it).
   But the book is hilarious where it doesnt get condescending, probably belongs to a bygone colonial era, where trashing heathen beliefs would get you a book deal. I give it 3 stars for the pure spirit of adventure involved in the travel and for his devoted wife who puts up with lot of chaos in a foreign land.



4. I read this book after I'd spent a month in India and I found it LOL funny. There's no great insights here, no V.S. Naipual style reflection or analysis, it's just a tale of two Colonial-era Brits determined to travel the 1,200 mile length of the Ganges by boat in 1963/64. But if you're a westerner who's ever spent an extended period of time trying to get around inside of northern India, I suspect you'll find this book as amusing as I did. So in that sense it captures some of spirit of the place, though perhaps it's only amusing if you've experienced first-hand the chaos that is India. It's probably not a good choice if you're looking for a traveler's introduction to "modern" India.



5. This frequently hilarious account of the author's boat trip down the Ganges River has it all: bureaucracy, a prickly spousal travelling companion, bizarre Hindu cultists, and dry streambeds loaded with basketball-sized rocks. Oh yes, there is also the heartland of classical India's Hindu culture unrolling along the shore, with the author's slightly quaint but extremely well-informed interest in the military history of the Raj (as well as reminiscences of his own exploits there years before) thrown in for good measure and some trips down side streets. Newby is one of the great travel writers, I prefer him to Theroux or Chatwin, he is down-to-eart, funny, and endlessly game.

5 comments about Vedic Astrology Simply Put: An Illustrated Guide to the Astrology of Ancient India.

1. William Levacy is brilliant. In this new book he breaks down Vedic Astrology into easy-to-understand concepts - looking at each house, each planet, and each sign individually, and explaining how they relate to the overall chart. Vedic astrology is absolutely fascinating. This book is wonderful. Also covered is a key to Vedic forecasting, remedial measures, the deities, and so much more. The illustrations are suitable for framing. Gorgeous 4-color all the way through. Highly recommended! William Levacy is on the panel of experts at [...].



2. This book is like a diamond among course rocks. It is both beautiful and dutiful. If you love astrology you will love this book, it is simply put as the title indicates, but it explains mythology and old traditions of India together with astrology also in a simple way. The title of this book was not tempting, but William Levacy is one of my favorite authors and I decided to buy it anyway, but from now on it will not be stored in a bookshelf, it will hold a good place on my desk for my own delight.



3. This is a fun and engaging book for all students of Vedic astrology. The principles of Vedic wisdom and philosphy that underlie Vedic astrology are made easy to understand. I also love the illustrations and the beautiful art work. I am enjoying studying Vedic astrology with this well-written, wonderful book.



4. I once attended your class once at an ACVA conference and really enjoyed it. It had to do with relationship matching. your depth is always good in class. well I just read your latest book vedic astrology simply put and its amazing. I happen to be a vedic astrologer as well and what dawned on me despite my advance nature on the subject is that this book despite being geared to novices is profoundly spiritual. I love your definition of liberation and enlightenment. Your understanding of these definitions and your writings on general indian philosopy gives me hope in humanity and how we can progress spiritually. I think your book is so important for humanity and will have huge impact on America as well. May America open up to vedic culture and its depth and power! You are the first person of western origin that has so openly explained it in such a wonderful and understandable manner that it can have great impact on humanity and the course of this country as well as other nations. Most importantly its a beautiful book on indian philosophy because by using the systematic and scientific approach of vedic astrology, you can start to unravel the scientific basis behind vedic philosophy. If only academics in religion would now attempt to understand this wonderful science and philosophy of humanity. may they glow in the science and philosophy of light!!!



5. It's nice to see other vedic astrologers taking influence from OSFA, a leading pioneer in vedic astrology, introducing illustration with informative writings on the topic to give vedic astrology a more popular appeal..Vedic astrology is so important and we need more books appealing to the western appetite to make it as popular as it deserves to be..