Jainism Books

It is essential for the world over to become more aware of these important yet overlooked facts.

This is one of the most beautiful books I own. It is beautifully designed, and the photographs are brilliant. The quality of the book itself is also most exceptional. In a lot of ways, the book is almost a photo-narrative of the history of Jews in Iran. I am an Jewish Iranian-American graduate student, and I am awed by the amount of information I've found in the book. There was so much about my own heritage that I didn't know. Every page is filled with invaluable information about the history and culture of the Jews of Iran. The information is certainly of scholarly quality, but the book is so easy and pleasurable to read. Anyone interested in Jewish studies, Iranian studies, or even Middle Eastern history should own this book. It also makes a spectacular gift. Mine was a gift from my girlfriend. I can not recommend it enough.

Hey, who ever wrote this book included some of my family photos. The farhoumand family or in the book "farhumand" is mine and i am proud to say we are the only ones because my grandfather made it up. he is the one with the cross-eyes as a little boy. Um.. yah my mom's side of the family is also in there "azizi." Anyways. I am not jewish, my family history is though. Now my family is Bahai, which is not a sect of islam. Yah... so thats cool! YAY I AM FAMOUS!

Only 20,000 severely oppressed Jewish people remain in Iran today. This is the remnant of the Middle East's oldest Jewish community outside Israel--dating from 563 B.C.E. (after Jerusalem's first Jewish Temple was destroyed). This elegant book's 25 essays by Persian Jews detail Iranian Jewish history and culture, as well as some of the repressions that arrived with Islam's advent and worsened markedly under the Safavids beginning in 1501, possibly a result of Shi'ite religious wars with Sunni Turkey.

Whatever the cause, however, this book provides a welcome window onto harsh Islamic treatment of non-Muslims, actualized through the religious ordinances (fatwas) of Iranian mullahs that ruled "impure" all infidels--Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Buddhists and others--and also Sunni Muslims.

As Hooshang Ebrami explains in "The Impure Jew," for example, Iran's Islam imposed special degradations on one of its oldest minorities, rejecting them "as impure human beings." Institutional humiliations and limitations varied over time, Ebrami writes, yet "never ceased since the advent of Islam in Iran." Umar II (717 to 720) reduced the status of non-Muslims under the restrictive Shorut laws that became more resptrictive and oppressive with time. According to these religious laws, for example, simply touching those outside the faith rendered Muslims impure. Thus religious laws strictly prohibited Muslim-Jewish (and indeed, Muslim-Christian) friendships as mortal sins.

While the idea of unclean persons may have originated with non-monotheistic Zoroastrian and Hindu doctrines, Ebrami notes that the Koran expanded upon this according to faith: "O you who believe, the idolaters are surely unclean, so they shall not approach the sacred Mosque." (IX: 28).

The Shi'ite clergy increasingly upped the ante on Judeophobic regulations that worsened the economic and living conditions of "impure" Jews, Ebrami notes. Jews were "considered as unclean and polluting as dogs or pigs (not to mention urine or feces) and contact with them was shunned." Islamic jurist Mohammad Baqer Majlesi (d. 1699) under Shah Abbas II imposed laws that further protected Muslims by preventing their physical contact of any kind with "impure" Jews. These daily humiliations stripped Jews of even those flimsy rights that Iranian Islam had previously allowed.

Now, Jews could not give children Muslim names, read the Koran, hold public office, have shops in the bazaar, open shops on city streets--or even leave home when it rained. Muslims could murder Jews and go free, Ebrami writes, by paying a small blood price. On pain of death, Jews had to wear special hats and red clothing patches; remain silent and bow their heads while Muslims cursed them; and remain home after drinking wine, (required in Jewish rituals), or immediately be killed upon leaving. Even painting a room white in their homes could earn them a death sentence.

Jews for the most part lived in the "mahalleh," an Islamic equivalent of European ghettoes that centuries of "discrimination, marginalization, and disenfranchisement" earned them negative connotations. But even during the secular Pahlavi dynasty, when Iran's ruling elite gutted Sh'ite religious power, giving Iranian Jews more freedom than they had since 717, one learns here that harsh discriminatory regulations remained in force.

The memoirs of Hakham Yedidia Shofet, an eminent Pahlavi era rabbi, for example recall that near Kahsan's mahalleh was a large mosque with a courtyard attached via a short pathway to the bazaar. As Ebrami notes, this could have allowed Jews a quick shortcut to the market, but Islamic laws still prevented Jews from setting their "impure feet" on the mosque courtyard, on pain of death. To save their wives a half-hour walk around, several prominent Jews petitioned the local mullah for access through the yard--noting that impure dogs, cats, donkeys and camels routinely used it. The mullah declined them. "Jews are najes and therefore not allowed to come close to the Muslims' mosque," he told them.

Following the revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini strengthened such dhimma laws still further.

This book shows that while Jews lived a rich and productive life over centuries in Iran, they did so in spite of Islamic oppression, not thanks to its tolerance. In other words, Iran's Jews were no better off than their European counterparts, and in fairly recent times, fared considerably worse.

A highly educational volume.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

As a first generation Jewish-Iranian immigrant to the States, I want to thank Houman Sarshar and those who put together this work. My entire family has been unable to put this incredible volume down for the past three days! It is the only documentary I know that so beautifully, authentically, and fully details the history, lives, and images of Iranian Jews.

This book occupies the highest place among the modern commentaries on Gita because it is original, profound and written in a language that is powerful and poetic. There are no digressions from the main argument of the Book. All the complexity, subtle beauty, grace and the vast synthesis of Gita is captured perfectly. The last chapter titled "Message of the Gita" provides such an excellent summary that reading it gives the satisfaction of the study of the entire Gita. This book is a treat for both the beginner as well as the scholar. The normal commentaries which give interpretation for each stanza usually miss out the connecting themes, underlying ideas and the progression in the argument of the eighteen chapters of the Gita. This book is an exception. It is unique in form and style among the modern commentaries of the Gita.

This is the best modern commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. The scripture itself is a synthesis of many of the most important Indian spiritual philosophies, and is, in my opinion, by far the most relevant to modern humanity and the most inspiring to westerners. It contains instruction in the highest forms of Yoga with an eye towards the needs of practical people involved in the often confusing and distressing activities of life in the world.

Sri Aurobindo clearly states his intentions towards this text in the introduction: to put the teachings of the Gita in a modern context, that is, to see how they can be made relevant to readers in the present day.

In addition, he asks for a more objective look at the text than certain other interpretations. While I found that he, in general, carried this out, it is not dry, nor is there any vacillation: the book is imbued with the author's ideas about evolution and the role of man in relation to the divine and the author is clear in his interpretive bent.

Most important, however, is that his explinations of the meaning of the scripture are truly magical. He clarifies confusing points with such ease and lucidity, I often found myself thinking "Ah, but that's so clear! How'd I ever have a problem with it?"

This is NOT, however, an easy text to read. Sri Aurobindo went to Cambridge during the 1890's and the language he uses is not what most people are used to. He is deliberately thorough and has no inhibitions about repeating himself with slight variation if there is an even slightly different context shedding light on the passage. He uses long sentences when expressing large, transcendent ideas (that is, most of the time) and it is easy to get lost in his paragraphs.

In addition, the scope of the Gita when expressed in this way is tremendous. Not all of the text can possibly be relevant to someone's life, and at times it can seem as if he's belaboring the point. Often, however, such troubling passages become the ones that are most inspiring when reread in a different context.

Therefore, I strongly recommend this book, but only to people who are interested in serious, deep study of the Gita and are willing to invest a lot of time and effort into it. The rewards can be truly fabulous.

The most truthful, profound, exact, powerful and sincere interpretation of the Gita. It would be safe to assert that only the original author of the Gita could have come up with such an interpretation. No other interpration of the Gita comes close.

Hi,
Essays on The Gita is categorically the most definitive explanation of The Gita. These essays, when carefully and patiently read, will not leave any speck of doubt in you. Everything written has been explained and nothing has been ignored. Everything is presented in a broad perspective, with relation to Sankhya, Vedanta, also giving an explanation of these.
This is not a word to word translation of The Gita. This is The Gita as it was meant to be understood. Do not be afraid if you do not have much of a background in reading such scriptures. The language, so beautiful, clear and simple, addresses the advanced as well as the not-so-advanced readers.
All in all, do not think twice, get this book.

Sri Aurobindo is definitely among the most notable of Indian authors in the recent past. In this collection of articles on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, he has brought out the essence of the doctrines of sanAtana dharma, popularly known as Hinduism, that is described in the Gita. The english is old style and the sentences are often long, but the serious student of Hinduism will certainly enjoy reading the book. This book is a definite departure from the usual 'introductory' texts on Hinduism. In his inimitable style, he discusses the exposition in the Gita of God (as three purushas) and His relationship to the world, the Divine manifestation (sambhuti and vibhuti) as well as the scope of the doctrines of karma, svabhAva, svadharma, the three gunas and yoga.

I love this book. Most of us may have a vision of how we could save the world, and then promptly return to our normal routine. Mr. Kumar remains faithful to his vision of seeing the good and expecting the best of people, of spreading Gandhi's message of nonviolence, and representing a life of treading lightly on the earth. I hope more people read this powerful book, which is why I put a link to it on my website's "Reading" page.

Kumar claims to have been destined at birth to be the child of "unfulfilled wishes," born in a time of unrest in both India and the world. His walks, which he began at the age of 9, are the waterways where his beliefs flow and ebb, sometimes stronger, sometimes a trickle, but always moving. Although he admires the trees under which the Buddha found enlightenment, he himself cannot seem to settle. I found this to be an inspiring book ending with the principles by which he lives; not so much an instruction book of how to live, but it itself the gentle pilgrim sharing his stories in a less smelly and more conveniently printed format.

I, too, am quite inspired by Mr.Kumar's tale of his life as a flowing stream, never resting in any place for very long. He has done a lot to help make the world a more peaceful and gentler place to live. But I wonder--what happened to his first wife, whom he says left him when he was unwilling to "settle down" and start a business? The dispassionate tone of the book--is it reflective of his personality, or the fact that English is not his native language? The pattern of moving around, rootlessness, and of not becoming very deeply involved with any of his co-workers and friends makes me question whether he drifted into the Green Movement as a convenient place to dwell, without really concerning himself with making a living or becoming too intimate with others.
This does not in any way diminish the positive impact of his work, but as a biography, I am left wondering.

I loved this book from start to finish. Kumar uses simple sweet and pure language to describe his walking journey which entails both outer countries and his own inner truths he discovers on the way. The only time I was mildly disinterested is when he stops walking to live in a house he buys for his family. I felt like I had stopped walking with him. A flowing inspiring story not to be missed.

Having been reluctant to learn about Jainism my entire life, this book showed me that a book does not have to be boring just because it's about religion. I really like the author's writing style and his simple approach to explaining what I always thought were complicated tenets. I highly recommend this book.

This book is very unique in the world of books on Jainism. My experience has been that most books presume you already have a great deal of understanding of Jainism before you start reading them or that you are very religious. While this book is most likely informative for those readers , I do not fall under those categories. This book taught me what Jainism is about without telling me what rituals I must follow and without preaching to me about my shortcomings as a Jain. it is very simply written and really teaches the reader about all aspects of the religion, including interesting stories about its development. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Jainism.

This is an excellent and practical introduction to Jainism especially for young Jains born in the countries other than India. Dr. Shah has emphasized the practice part of Jainism rather than theories. He has covered all the major practices practiced by lay Jains today in India in their daily life. He has kept the discussion at the level that is logically acceptable by a lay person or the one who has no roots in Jainism.

Dr. Paikh has done a great service by writing this book. the book is particularly good for beginer and intermediate level reader. The book is v. organized and written scientifically. Author has put a new idea about timeline of Jain history. The book was of great help to me for preparing a presentation on Jainism.

This is a wonderful book on Jainism - for those who know nothing about it as well as those who already have some background. It has a lot of good information but it is also very easy to read. Dr. Parikh has explained the concepts thoroughly and in an interesting way. You can definitely tell that he has experience as a teacher.

He presented the history and background clearly, and I have to say, it makes sense. You don't get the feeling that he is being preachy, which is refreshing.

The principles of Jainism are relevant to everyone, no matter what religion they practice. Anyone interested in a "peaceful world" (and who's not?) would enjoy reading this book. Indeed, the book is published by Peace Publications - how perfect.

The book also has examples of stunning monuments and art. Overall I enjoyed it and found it useful for me and my family.

*RECOMMENDED*

This is a great book on Jainism - for newbies as well as those who already have some background. It has a lot of good information but it is also very easy to read. Dr. Parikh has explained the concepts thoroughly and in an interesting way. You can definitely tell that he has experience as a teacher.

The book also has some great artwork. I enjoyed it and found it useful for me and my family.

**Highly Recommended**

This is one of the best written books on Jainism written by a professor at Berkeley, who is an expert in Jainism as well as Buddhism.

The book is very well organized and carefully researched.

Unlike many other books, this is written by an actual expert.

For those of you, especially the "Jains" who have been asked to follow the religion blindly or rebel against it, this book provides a good insight into the religion. From personal experience, I can say that after reading the book I have started respecting the religion and its practices.

The most appealing part of the book is that you can look at the religion from a third person perspective without any bias. The author has done a thorough job of studying the religion and not advocating it. As an engineer with a scientific mind, this book is exactly the kind of insight I was hoping for into the religion. Thank you Dr. Jaini!

I agree with the author that Mahavira is the eldest son of not only India but of the Universe. Ahimsa - Dyanamic Non-Violence is the only answer for universal brotherhood. the Ahimsa the anekantwad & the aparigrah - the Jain trinity will save the planet & protect it from pollution.

Written by Kurt Titze, a German, this book includes a large number of dramatic photographs taken by the author. He has visited quite of few of the remote Jain pilgrimage sites that most Jains will not have a chance to visit. It contains very well researched description of all the sites covered.

This is quite an unusual book. Strongly recommended for personal Jain libraries, although it is a fairly expensive book.

Interwoven with the articles on Jain pilgrimage centers, the basic principles of Jainism, specially non-violence, are highlighted.

In 1978 the author discovered an old manuscript in an ancient Indian temple which told how to access uncharted dimensions of human experiences. Karma: The Mechanism translates the ancient manuscript and provides new insights on the idea of karma. It's here presented as a simple mechanism of daily life which operates in the background and influences lives. An intriguing presentation.

I have read countless spiritual and self help books in order to gain understanding about life, spirit, truth and how to help others. This book stands out as one of the more important, relevant and practical books on how to improve your life and of those around you and even the World. It finally explains in detail once and for all what Karma is, what it really means and better yet, how to improve it and to change it for the better. The premise itself is very intriguing in that Hermann was able to translate the Jain Manuscript which is a very ancient and wise text, in order for us to understand, comprehend and to benefit from its timeless knowledge, information and important messages. I can honestly say and full heartedly tell you that this is one of those books that will change your life for the better, it definitely has changed mine and it is also very thought provoking, detailed in its translation and is fun to read as well.

To express it in a simple form, this book is a must for everyone interested in philosophy, ethics and what the jews have said about diverse themes throughout history. Its quotations come from people who lived in different times, places and cultural settings but who shared one thing.

The edition I have of this work was published in 1956. It is a very rich selection and has the signs of real scholarship and not simply amateur collecting. It organizes its entries alphabetically, and has the convenient device of numbering each entry. Looking down the list of citations I see many titles not read at all today.
It has much good Jewish religious thought but also a great deal of thought from all areas of life.
It is truly a wonderful source book.
A few examples from the Education entry.

"Education is that which remains, when one has forgotten everything one learned in school." Einstein
"We must endeavor to teach even the unintelligent." Rashi
" Thou shalt teach them diligently to the children." Deut. 4.9
" A Jew, however poor, if he had ten sons would put them all to letters, not for gain as the Christians do, but for the understanding of God's law, and not only his sons but his daughters." Abelard's School.Letter to Ephesians.

In this work, Babb asks an interesting question. Why would Jains fast and starve themselves when they believe that the beings they worship are not only unaware of their existence but also can in no way help them even if they wanted? It is a fascinating book that explores this as well as ritual in jain culture. It is based mostly on the authors work in India. It is quite descriptive and can be understood by all as he expains many aspects of Jainist thought.

In addition to describing the various rituals in play, the author also gives a very thorough explanation of the dieties and their roles. Furthermore, he effectively compares Jainism with Hinduism and Buddhism making the distinction much clearer. This is a difficult task when dealing with Indian religions. Finally, Babb does an excellent job of incorporating the ideas and stories of the people he interviewed into the work.