India Books

I bought this book out of interest after having read a few (disappointingly) introductory books, and this was really quite a pleasant surprise as it is so detailed, yet comprehensive.

There are quite a few pointers, tips, and topics in this book that I have never seen in other palmistry books out there, and I have to say that it has been very helpful to me, as I own a pair of hands with very complicated lines and I also do some readings for people who have markings on their palms that I had to read based on intuition alone.

This is a good book for people who have read perhaps an introductory book and want to go a step further, though it is also suitable for keen beginners. (I'd recommend the Benham's book for intermediate learners, by the way) The illustrations are limited, but clear enough to be understood by the reader. Also, referring to the text that accompanies and elaborates on the illustrations is easy and, as previously mentioned, very comprehensive.

This book is highly recommended!

Douglas does an excellent job in explaining the art of palm reading. He provides the reader with examples and interpretations that the reader can relate to. The easy to use reference area in the back enables the reader to see the various lines, islands, and planets with brief yet informative explanations all in one section of the book. The hand illustrations in the book are a great aid when it comes to trying to locate a certain feature on your own hand or someone else's hand. Reading this book will not instantly make you an expert palm reader, but it will enlighten you on the world of palmistry, and it will enable you to hopefully better understand your inner self.

It has it the man run around do things have it been!
Do it with its part having to do it with!
Lots of fun and things of that nature.

No one knows when or how the Panchatantra was composed. However, according to the legend, a Brahmin scholar named Vishnu Sharma designed it to teach the sons of a king something about life, neeti (policy) and real-politik. The result was a mosaic of interlocking stories that emerge from one another, and leave you with a lot of understanding about dealing with life. Incidentally, though some people compare Panchatantra with Arabian Nights, the comparison is not apt. Arabian Nights do not really offer any learning, they are purely for entertainment. Panchatantra has the power to deepen your understanding of the world in immeasurable ways.

The book reached Arabia sometimes in the fifth century AD, and then later it reached Europe, where it is believed to have led to development of Aesop's fables. It is difficult to judge how it has affected these societies, but in India it has had tremendous impact, which continues to this day. Its lessons are alive and well even today, and almost every child will know at least one story from Panchatantra.

The present translation from the original Sanskrit is good one, though it appears to have been condensed at many places, with many critcal comments left out. If you want a more faithful translation, you may look in Penguin Classics where it has been published as 'Pancatantra', translated by Chandra Rajan, and offers an excellent introduction to boot.

However, Sanskrit and English are two very different languages in their orientation (though they belong to the same family). As a result, the translation of many ideas suffers. Also, some of the particularly interesting comments have been left out altogether. So if you know Hindi or Sanskrit, then you should try and buy the Panchatantram in Sanskrit/ Hindi (published by Motilal Banarasi Das of Delhi).

Even so, going through this book may open up another world for you, particularly if you were not brought up in India. It will change your perspective on many ordinary things and challenges that you face in everyday life. There are stories which teach you how to recognise deceit, fraud, cheating, make friends, cooperate with people, and generally get on with life. And there are arguments over particular positions that the protagonist takes, so that you get to see both points of view. You would also find this book particularly useful if you are dealing with Indians in business or in diplomacy, just as Western audiences have found the Art of War (Sun Tzu) to be a fascinating insight into the Chinese mind.

As the stories are built around animals, many people mistake these for nursery stories or for fables. This is not correct. Panchatantra is as relevant for adults as it is for teenagers. In fact some of the stories involving adults are not appropriate for young children (<13 years).

All in all, an excellent book for your own enjoyment or as a gift to a young or old friend.

Of the many books written about Indian immigrants, Joan Jensen's doctoral dissertation published as a book with the above title (Yale Univ Press)is by far the best and most comprehensive one that I have read. It is a pity that this book is now out of print. It is well worth the efforts of Indian organizations in the US to have this book reprinted again so that Indian-Americans will get a more comprehehnsive understanding of the links between India and the US, almost from the times of the early colonial settlements in Salem, MA, the indentured Indian laborers who passed thro US ports en route to West Indies, those who worked on our railorads alongside the Chinese immigrants, the ignoble US Supreme Court judgment against Thind (Thind vs. the US) who was stripped of his US citizenship etc.. all meticulously documented by Jensen. It is a great book worth reading by every Indian-American.

You thought Chinese were the only ones who worked in the early railroads in America? Wrong.. some Indians also did. And they faced incredible hardships and racial discrimination. At the end, some married Mexicans and assimilated.

After reading this book, I was able to sit down with my son and discuss issues we had never before discussed. It put things in such perspective. Priya Agarwal has written a masterful piece of work.

I bought this book on a whim from Amazon.com and finished it in 2 hours flat! It was almost as if it was written for me. Extremely insightful and still timely even though it was written several years ago. Any American of Indian origin should buy several copies and distribute it among their family members. Bravo!

This study by Miranda Shaw is a must for everyone trult interested in the finer aspects of Tantric Buddhism. The author thoroughly explores the role of women in the development of vajrayana and comes to the justified conclusion that women's role has been much greater than is usually admitted by both Tibetan AND Western scholars. Rufus C. Camphausen

Many of the books I have read on Tantra are basically garbage. This one, however, is that jewel that makes it worth while sifting through the garbage. It is well written, well researched, and can be understood by westerners. I highly recommend it.

A Rare treat, excellent book

first, Geshe Tsephel is my teacher.
The retreat which I received this empowerment for this practice was 7 days long. The commentary of this book provides supports for the short and middle lengths sadhanas by explaining the middle length. The commentary fills the gap between the sadhana and the actual practice. The commitments for this practice is 6 Guru Yoga Sessions a day. Different teachers have different requirements. It is highly recommended to have and do Vajrasattva purification (or Nungdro) practice for a couple years before receiving this empowerment. Allot of difficulties are removed by receiving the empowerment. Without it, the book will be very confusing and difficult to read n understand. Lastly, please get the empowerment before reading this excellent book. This book points the way to enlightment but the Guru is the start and finish of enlightment.

This is a wonderful book with many color and b&w illustrations of Jain art. The book also chronicles Jain history and culture and its relationship to Art

Originally the catalog for what must have been a magnificent exhibition in 1995, this book ultimately transcends its origins and stands firmly on its own as a fine introduction and overview of Jain art at once dependably informative and visually stunning. Lavishly illustrated with 121 specific works along with other additional images, "Peaceful Liberators" ranges in time from the earliest archaeological finds dating around the first century AD to common devotional items of the late 19th century, and geographically as well brings together examples from across the many various regions of India, taking care to note local stylistic particularities.

Included then are architectural fragments from ancient Jain temples and more recent household shrines, ritual objects one might have found in such locations, an appropriately vast array of Jina images--the peaceful liberators of the title and the focus and ideal of Jainism--often naked (or nearly so) in their thoroughgoing non-attachment and transcendence, a host of deities and lesser divinities loyal to the Jinas and highly important to Jain religiosity (not to mention enormously fascinating in their fantastic variety), and finally sacred illuminated manuscripts and massively complex cosmic diagrams, pilgrimage maps, and even board games. Each work is explained in detail, and several essays by experts in the field help to place all of this variegated visual splendor in a comprehensible context even as they serve well as a crash course in Jainism as a religion. Anyone who assumes that art suffers under strict religious asceticism will be in for a surprise here. Indeed, the incredibly varied and rich Jain artistic tradition as found in these pages would almost lead one to the opposite conclusion. But why take my word for it? Give this excellent book a look and see for yourself!

The Essays included in this book are:
"Introduction" by Pratapaditya Pal
"Following the Jina, Worshiping the Jina: An Essay on Jain Rituals" by John E. Cort
"Are Jains Really Hindus? Some Parallels and Differences between Jain and Hindu Philosophies" by Gerald James Larson
"Jain Pilgrimage: In Memory and Celebration of the Jinas" by Phyllis Granoff
"Jain Monumental Painting" by Shridhar Andhare
"Jain Manuscript Painting" by John Guy

In this story, people save some trees by hugging them, so they don't get chopped down. The pictures are like from a famous artist. They are magnificent. I know this story from a camp. I read it to another kid and myself. Also that other kid liked it too.But I loved it!

According to "World Almanac's Atlas of the World 2008," one hundred percent (100%) of the frontier trees in Europe are gone (frontier forest is the new term for virgin forest), cut for housing, defense, ships, you name it. In Asia sixty percent (60%) of the frontier forest is gone.

"The People Who Hugged Trees" is a 300-year-old story about Amrita Devi and her fellow villagers who defied authority to protect their trees. Adapted by Deborah Lee Rose from a story of Rajasthan, India, this story is first about a girl who loves the trees, then when grown, a woman who does what is needed to keep the trees.

"In long-ago India, when warrior princes ruled the land, there lived a girl who loved the trees." This first sentence is stunning: place, time, political conditions, classic folk/fairy tale opening slightly reworded.
Amrita's village sits alongside the desert and a forest of trees, which protects them from the fury of sandstorms. When she has her own children, she teaches them to love the trees.

Inevitably, trouble comes in the shape of men with axes whose words make her blood run cold: "Cut down every tree you find. The Maharajah needs plenty of wood to build his new fortress." She tries to protect her tree, but the men whack it down. When the villagers come, they, too, stand against the trees and the axemen give up.

When the army of axemen return with the Maharajah and his army of soldiers, the people feel defeated. At that moment, like an ex deus prop, a huge sandstorm hits. Everyone take refuge in the forest. After the storm's fury is spent, the Maharajah relents and allows the villagers to keep their forest. There is a big celebration.

The illustrations by Brigitta Saflund are breathtaking in the rich hues of Indian dress and vibrant greens of the trees set against the dry yellow of the desert. The luxurious palace of the Maharahah is painted in the detailed tiles of cool blues that decorate it.

However, the last page, which is not part of the story, reveals more. In a story for children sometimes details are omitted. The Maharajah did not relent and allow the trees to stay. He had every one of them cut down. In hugging the trees to protect them, over 300 villagers, Amrita included, were killed. As Henry David Thoreau wrote in "Civil Disobedience," a person who commits civil disobedience must be willing to pay the consequences. The tree huggers of Rajasthani have been commemorated by India's first National Environment Memorial. There are still movements in India to protect trees and other natural resources. There's definitely a need, as only 40% of their frontier forests are still standing.

Those familiar with some of Georg Feuerstein's popular books, such as "Yoga for Dummies" may mistake this very short book for something similar, but with more emphasis on theory and less on practice. Despite being brief and -- considering the subject -- clearly written, it would probably be unreadably difficult for someone not already somewhat familiar with at least the names and major tenets of the major philosophical schools of the Hindu tradition, and their various relations (or supposed relations) to Yoga. Despite its brevity (or maybe because of it), this is the sort of book one needs to prepare to read. (Feuerstein's own description on the Amazon site is "for Advanced Students," and he suggests his "Encyclopedia of Yoga" -- there are also several excellent general works on Indian philosophy, including Zimmer's old "Philosophies of India," which I found helpful.)

Feuerstein attempts nothing less than a re-visioning of the place of the Yoga-sutras (attributed to Patanjali) within the development of Indian philosophies (including Buddhism). The book is in some ways a companion to his own "The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali: A New Translation and Commentary," and picks up many of the issues argued there in relation to the received text and its classic interpretations.

Feuerstein also surveys relevant positions taken by modern scholars. His phrasing in these discussions is sometimes, to my way of thinking, a bit unfair (although engagingly lively). For example, Mircea Eliade, whose "Yoga: Immortality and Freedom" is probably still the most widely accepted academic work in the field, is congratulated for disagreeing with his Indian mentors, and blamed for agreeing with them, strictly according to Feuerstein's views on the matter at hand. This is helpful insofar as it makes some of the issues stand out clearly, but I find that it grates a little.

This book is for the intermediate to advanced student or teacher of yoga who wishes to understand the definitions and inter-relationships between the concepts of classical yoga. For those interested in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, this text will help you access the ideas that lead to liberation. A clear understanding helps one's spiritual practice. This is a short book that is read slowly and digested. It serves as a reference to review from time to time as well. Enjoy! It would be a good gift for someone who is really into yoga, but not the choice for the novice.

THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT BOOK BY A REMARKABLE MAN. WILLIAM PENNINGTON JOINED THE BRITISH ARMY AT 14, WENT TO INDIA, FOUGHT THE NAZI'S, THE JAPANESE AND CAME OF AGE AND WISDOM AS A RESULT. HE STARTED THIS BOOK AT 77 YEARS OF AGE AND I CAN ONLY DREAM OF BEING AS LUCID, WISE AND ENTERTAINING AT THAT AGE.

THE HISTORY IS RELEVANT TO TODAY AND IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT IN IT'S TRUTH. THE CBI WAS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BLOODIEST AND MOST BARBARIC COMBAT IN WW II, WITH MAYBE THE EXCEPTION OF SOME OF THE MARINE ISLAND CAMPAIGNS. YET IT IS STILL NOT A THEATER OF WAR THAT GETS THE PRESS OR THE MOVIES. THE BOOK REMINDS ME IN STYLE OF GEORGE MACDONALD FRASIER'S "QUARTERED SAFE OUT HERE". PENNINGTON'S WORK AND "BURMA, THE LONGEST WAR" BY LOUIS ALLEN WILL GIVE YOU SOME GOOD INSIGHTS TO THE CHINA, BURMA INDIA THEATER. I THANK HIM FOR ALSO REPEATING AGAIN, THE INHUMANE, BARBARIC AND SUBHUMAN BEHAVIOR OF THE JAPANESE ARMY, THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT AND THE FACT THEY STILL HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR BEHAVIOR FROM 1931-1945. BUY THE BOOK, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST EVER WRITTEN ON THIS SUBJECT.

This is a great book written by a real hero of the British Army
during World War II. From his first assignment in India, to his
escape from the Germans at Dunkirk and his return to India to
fight the Japanese, the reader is captivated by this true story
of a genuine hero. This is one of those books you cannot put down.It is a must read!