India Books

If I try to be careful with my adjectives, there are few books I would describe as beautiful, and even fewer as unique. Rude Awakenings is both beautiful and unique. The fact that it also contains some wisdom puts it among the rarest of all books.

This is a lovely book! It really seems like a genuine account of the travels of these 2 guys through "Mother India," which seems a little too, um, rough for my likes in travel. Yet it is just a great book!

I was especially Ajahn Sucitto's words, which contained many wonderful pearls of wisdom, especially when he speculates about mental processes, meditation, what the Buddha really did under the Bodhi tree, and so forth.

This is a must-read for people who love "travel Buddhism," as I do!!

This is one of my favourite books of all time. You will laugh, you will cry and then you will be glad that you read this book. The authors write from their hearts and you almost feel like you are on the journey with them. They talk about their journey in India and also this journey called life. Buy it. Read it. Lend it to your family and friends. This book deserves a place in your home and heart.

. . . but this is an excellent read on the evolution of eastern Wrathful, great for serious students of eastern religions or for a larger esoteric library or as an artist!

Rob Linrothe has written a superb book on the evolution of Wrathful Deities in India and Tibet. Photos taken by the author and excellent explanations show us in exquisite detail how this form of art developed over the centuries. A wonderful book for those looking to understand Esoteric Buddhism!

Rob Linrothe's book is a must-have for any interested student of Esoteric Buddhism. It combines the author's knowledge of the religious texts with art historical analysis and provides a wonderful survey on the development of wrathful Buddhist deities from secondary attendant figures to objects of worship in their own right.

This book, like the one on Saris of Madhia Pradesh, gives excellent insight into Indian textile cottage industry and its interdependence between dealers and producers.Rta Kapur is definitely one of the most knowledgable persons in the field. She knows the rich Indian tradition in textiles and has travelled to the most remote places to gather information. Each chapter starts with "a weaver's journey". Here we get a feeling of what life in rural India can be.An excellent book with beautiful pictures.

This book, like the one on Saris of Madhia Pradesh, gives excellent insight into Indian textile cottage industry and its interdependence between dealers and producers.Rta Kapur is definitely one of the most knowledgable persons in the field. She knows the rich Indian tradition in textiles and has travelled to the most remote places to gather information. Each chapter starts with "a weaver's journey". Here we get a feeling of what life in rural India can be.An excellent book with beautiful pictures.

This book, like the one on Saris of Madhia Pradesh, gives excellent insight into Indian textile cottage industry and its interdependence between dealers and producers.Rta Kapur is definitely one of the most knowledgable persons in the field. She knows the rich Indian tradition in textiles and has travelled to the most remote places to gather information. Each chapter starts with "a weaver's journey". Here we get a feeling of what life in rural India can be.An excellent book with beautiful pictures.

I was very impressed with the scripts provided in this book. The author definitely knows his way around the subconscious mind.

This book contains many useful scripts, and is free of personal bias or any other type of preachy stuff. If you read a lot of hypnosis material, you know that is a rare combination.

Easy to use, it's a great start for a beginner!

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Ya I can say that.You will never find this kind of book on self hypnosis.

There is a very brief introduction about Self-Hypnosis.Then 23 Scripts are given on different situation of life to work on.

Each script ends in about 30 minutes.Author suggests us to record these scripts in our own voice & listen to them according to our need.

I think this is a best idea for Self Hypnosis.Each Script starts with relaxation then Visualisation & then suggestion.

This is Great,like using the power of your own voice for your better life.I was wondering Why I didnt got this idea before?

In this book, you are provided with several self hypnosis "scripts" to record onto a tape, in your own voice. I recorded the weight loss script a little over a week ago, and I, an avid chocoholic, have not had a bite of chocolate since! I'm no longer snacking between meals, I'm not tempted by sweets, and I couldn't be happier. There is at least one script in this book for everyone. The wording is wonderful, very positive, and extremely effective.

The author provides the original sanskrit rendered right along with his direct, clear, and beautiful translation.

One of the sacred books of Hinduism, "The Shiva Samhita" was composed more than five centuries ago and is considered a fundamental text of Hatha Yoga. Recording beautiful spiritual teachings found nowhere else, "The Shiva Samhita" is translated from the original Sanskrit by James Mallinson providing western readers with a new, accurate, modern translation of this ancient religious text. Featuring photographs of the asanas and mudras described by the text, "The Shiva Samhita" is a strongly recommended, core addition to personal, academic, and community library Hinduism Studies, Yoga Studies, and World Religion Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Also very highly recommended from (...) are two other Hindu Studies titles: James Mallinson's translation of "Gheranda Samhita" and Lars Martin Fosse's translation of "The Bhagavad Gita".

With this work newly translated into English, the people at YogaVidya have completed the publication of three of the most historically important but seldom published works of yoga. The other two are Akers, Brian Dana, trans., Hatha Yoga Pradipika; and Mallinson, James, trans., The Gheranda Samhita. Mallinson, who also did the translation here, is to be commended for the clear, contemporary feel of the book and for a worthy introduction that points to the many problems facing the translator of this frankly strange and certainly corrupt work from the 14th or 15th century of the current era.

Some years ago I read a text with the standard translation by Chandra Vasu from 1914, but put it aside as something strangely jumbled and confused. The problem with the Shiva Samhita (and to a lesser extent with the Gheranda Samhita) is a bastardization of two of the traditional yogas, raja/hatha yoga and tantric yoga. (The other three traditional yogas are bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, and karma yoga.) Tantric yoga is the yoga of the left-handed path in which the practitioner attempts to find liberation from the pair of opposites and enter into samadhi by embracing desire or pleasure. This method is in most respects diametrically opposed to the "yoga of discipline" which is the raja/hatha yoga path associated with the sutras from Patanjali from two thousand years ago and mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita.

As he explains in the introduction, Mallinson addressed numerous "variant readings" in an attempt to make as coherent as possible the incongruities of the Shiva Samhita. He writes, "Now it may simply be that we are hearing separate instructions for the two traditional types of Tantric aspirant, namely bubhukshus, those desirous of siddhis, and mumukshus, those desirous of liberation, but the unqualified juxtaposition is jarring, particularly in light of the last verses of the text, wherein the householder is said to be able to obtain siddhis and become liberated by means of the techniques of Yoga--and still have fun!" (p. xiii)

"Siddhas," by the way, are psychic powers, such as levitation and being invisible, etc., which brings us to what may be a problem in Mallinson's translation for the general reader. One of the recurring problems for those who would translate yoga texts from the Sanskrit into modern English is that of deciding which terms to find English (more or less) equivalents for and which to leave untranslated. If you read some of the earliest translations of yogic works into English from say a hundred years ago or so, even the very word "yoga" was rendered by some as "discipline." With such words as "nadis," which are subtle channels in the human body, similar to neurons, but clearly not really neurological in a scientific sense, there is no attempt to find English synonyms because frankly there are none. "Prana" is another word that can be troublesome. It can be translated as "breath" and sometimes this is entirely correct. Most often it is best to just use the term "prana." It appears that Mallinson sometimes translates prana as "wind" as winds in the body. I find this unusual and, not being able to read Sanskrit, am at a loss as to how felicitous his usage might be. (Incidentally, as in the other books published by YogaVidya, the Sanskrit verse appears on the same page along with the English translation.)

On the other hand, Mallinson leaves many Sanskrit words untranslated, and this may also present a problem to the general reader. What do words like "linga," "bhoga," "Maya," "samsara," "nada," etc., mean? In some cases, even though I am relatively familiar with yogic terms, I had to consult a dictionary to get the meaning, and in some cases found none.

The real problem confronting most readers are the contradictions and the exaggerations (!). It is claimed again and again that this practice or that practice cures all disease and even better leads the aspirant to eternal life and power over all and sundry and--in the most ludicrous hyperbole--allows the practitioner to be alive even at the dissolution of the cosmos! Also annoying are the incessant "commercials" for the guru system. Again and again we are told that we have to worship the guru, tend to his lotus feet and treat him as a god on earth (and whatever you do, do NOT sleep with the guru's wife!--that is, unless you have also performed the correct mudra or asana or entered into a sufficient meditation, in which case you are absolved of your sins, all of them).

I think it can be seen by the discerning reader that the Shiva Samhita, for all its historical and literary value, is something close to a parody of the scope and intent of yoga. The gurus for whom it was written clearly were, for the most part, not the spiritually advanced men we would hope for, but profane aspirants themselves, looking for ways to further their individual enterprise as gurus and to establish a kind of shaman-like persona. I might add that some of the practices are dangerous (there is a warning to this effect on the copyright page) and some are well nigh impossible, such as drawing up a woman's reproductive fluids with your linga!

Nonetheless I recommend this fine translation and introduction by Mallinson. The book is splendidly presented and carefully edited and proofread. There is an index and some photos of a graceful and lissome woman named Shipra demonstrating some of the asanas and mudras. What is sorely needed is a glossary.

Long before I ever ventured into the Southwest (I did, eventually, to live & work), I brought this little cookbook home to add to my collection. Over the years I cooked it ragged, then loaned it to a friend. It has never come home, so I am absolutely delighted to find a replacement.

This book is full of gorgeous photos and easy, tasty recipes for authentic Southwestern foods. You'll find good food and enjoyment here for years to come.

Marcia Keegan's Southwest Indian Cookbook wonderfully showcases Pueblo and Navajo recipes enhanced with beautiful photographic images and thematically appropriate quotes. From Potato and Tomato Cream Soup; Skillet Squash; and Taos Rabbit; to Pueblo Venison Stew; Indian Fry Bread; and Navajo Cake, the Southwest Indian Cookbook is a fitting culinary tribute to Native American cuisine and would grace any multicultural kitchen cookbook collection.

This my favorite cookbook covering Pueblo and Navaho foods. Not only are the recipies delicious and authentic, but the many photographs of the people and the landscape of the southwest, along with their words, has produced a small but beautiful book that displays the recipies within the context of the land and cultures.

A stunning integration of photography, biography, history, and spiritual teachings, this book touches readers on many levels. The images, from the expansive landscapes of Tibet, to the intimate features of Tibetan faces, are inspiring and telling. The biography, of one of the great spiritual teachers of the past century, is fascinating. (What actually transforms in a human being who spends decades in solitary meditation?) The history of what happened when China invaded Tibet and proceeded to decimate its culture is necessary, dramatic, harrowing. The spiritual teachings are sublime, yet accessible to those of all faiths. A rare book: beautiful, compelling, liberating....

Do not purchase the two books about Khyentse Rinpoche (listed above at a special price if both are bought together). They are the same book. One is hard cover, and the other paperback. The titles are slightly different, but the books are the same. It is a wonderful book, but you probably don't need two of them!

Matthieu Ricard, a French scientist who left a lucrative and prestigious research job in Paris to explore the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and ended up becoming a monk and spending most of his life there, provides us with a remarkable book of photographs and memorable quotes chronicling the life of his teacher, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, to whom he dedicates this worthy tribute.

Although little known outside of the world of Tibetan Buddhism, Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) has been called "one of the twentieth century's greatest spiritual figures and a teacher of many of the Tibetan masters of today, including HH the Dalai Lama" (Snow Lion Press). Indeed, this book features a good-length preface by the Dalai Lama, in which His Holiness names Khyentse Rinpoche as one of his teachers (gurus), especially in the Dzogchen teachings and "rigpa" (the awareness of mind). Just reading a few of the excellent quotes provided in this volume from this remarkable teacher will convince all but the most hard-hearted of skeptics that this was a truly great spiritual master who embodied the teachings of Buddhism in a remarkable way.

Even for the non-practitioners, the book is filled with so many stunning photographs of Tibet, Bhutan, the rituals, the people, and of course, the master himself, that it would bless and honor any coffee table in any home. Indeed, I cannot but feel that any home would benefit from having a copy of this book. For those who follow the path, it is, of course, much more than that.

I was amazed when I saw this book -- it is lovely in every sense. I hope you will also enjoy it as much as I have. May all beings enjoy peace and happiness!

Really enjoyed this. Surprised it hasn't done better

As an astrologer myself I found this an excellent book for telling one about the history of astrology and how it originated in India. There are an incredible number of different types of predicition written about here, and it all makes run of the mill Western astrology look mighty tame.

A very enjoyable read this. Holt interviews endless different kinds of experts in prediction, as well as asking about his own future. The Rajastani shadow reader is fascinating, as is the author's account of the Asta Mangela, a South Indian astrological ceremony to discover what is going wrong with a family or a temple. Highly recommended.

Great book. Conrad and his wife Leela were two very different and dynamic characters. Definitely some great dark humor in the story and a nice twist at the end. I thought there were some great ironies that people could definitely relate to. I highly recommend to my friends.

"The Stone Cabin" is a hilarious indictment of our post secondary educational system. Conrad Miller, the novel's main character, is a bumbling, officious oaf with Tourette's who winds up sleeping with one of his students with hysterical results. It is a dark comedy to be sure, but the second installment from a talented young writer, who is witty and pithy and uses the written word like a razor.

Once I started reading The Stone Cabin, I couldn't stop. I had to find out what was going to happen to Conrad and his wife Leela. The ending knocked me out, it was a total surprise that I never saw coming. The main character, Conrad, is a literature professor and I loved all his descriptions of his favorite books. A real plus for any book person. I highly recommend it!

I read the book with great interest and found many inetresting details. The referencing is superb and the bibliography is perfect. A must for all students and researchers of Mughal history.

I am a professor of Mogal history and bought this book on recommendation of a colleague. I am glad that i bought this book as it was very informative, precise and in simple yet impressive text. One thing that I ,though, missed was photographs. I think the book would had been better with more pictures. But going by the broader picture i think that it is a really nice book. The book shows that Dr. Misra has an indepth knowledge of the subject.A must-read for all mughal history enthusiasts.

I always thought of history as a boring subject but after reading this book my viewpoint has undergone a drastic change. I saw the book at my local bookstore and decided to give the Mughal history one last chance. And am I happy I gave it one last chance. This book is wonderful! Its a must buy for all history lovers, especially the Mughal period. The language is simple yet educative, the topics are precise yet accurate and the book covers all topics of the Mughal dynasty without going into useless details. A million congrats Dr. Misra from my side.