Door Jan Peter Schouten

267 Pagina’s | 2007 | Softcover | Uitgeverij DAMON | ISBN 9789055737826

Mensen in India vormen zich een beeld van Jezus Christus dat aansluit bij hun eigen cultuur. Voor hindoes krijgt Jezus een plaats tussen de leraren en goden van de eigen religie. Zij herkennen in zijn levensverhaal iets van de wijsheid en de mystiek, die in het hindoeïsme zo centraal staat. Ook christenen in India maken gebruik van de begrippen die het hindoeïsme aanreikt, als zij de betekenis van Christus onder woorden willen brengen.

Zo wordt Jezus in ieder geval – voor hindoes én christenen – een goeroe, een wijsheidsleraar die met goddelijk gezag spreekt. Maar voor menig hindoedenker en christelijk theoloog is er nog veel meer over hem te zeggen in een Indiaas kader. Zo kan hij als avatara, neerdaling van een godheid, worden beschreven of in verband gebracht worden met het Brahman, de allesomvattende Werkelijkheid. In deze studie komen hindoes en christenen aan het woord, te beginnen met de hindoeïstische hervormer Rammohan Roy uit het begin van de negentiende eeuw, alsmede de eerste christelijke theologen van India. Mahatma Gandhi en de monniken van de Ramakrishna Mission worden besproken, maar ook invloedrijke christelijke stromingen als de Ashram-beweging en de Dalit-theologie.

In een vijftal intermezzo’s wordt getoond hoe kunstenaars in India Jezus Christus uitbeelden.

Dr. Jan Peter Schouten studeerde theologie en sociologie en heeft verschillende publicaties op zijn naam staan over het hindoeïsme. Hij is predikant bij de Protestantse gemeente te Bloemendaal.

Door Sri Sankaracarya (700 CE – 750 CE), vertaling door Ferit Arav.

226 Pagina’s | 2021 | Paperback | Brave New Books | ISBN: 9789081653817.

Sri Sankara wordt beschouwd als de grootste spirituele leraar die Advaita Vedanta, ofwel de leer van non-dualiteit, toegankelijk heeft gemaakt voor hen die op zoek zijn naar kennis over de betekenis van het menselijk bestaan. Zij, in wie op een stil moment de vragen oprijzen ”Wie ben ik, wat is de wereld en wat is mijn relatie tot de wereld?”, zullen tijdens hun zoektocht een goede gids en een betrouwbare compagnon vinden in de werken van Sankara ons heeft nagelaten.

Hoewel de aangeboden kennis uit de moeilijk toegankelijke Veda’s stamt, legt Sankara deze kennis voor de rijpe zoeker op een begrijpelijke en herkenbare wijze uit. In Vivekacudamani, een van de omvangrijkste en onderrichtende werken van Sankara, wordt deze kennis aangereikt in de vorm van een dialoog tussen de leraar en de naar zelfkennis dorstende leerling. Een van de voornaamste begaafdheden van de leerling om deze kennis te kunnen ontvangen, is het vermogen tot onderscheid (viveka) dat ook in de titel van het boek genoemd wordt. Andere belangrijke vereisten waaraan de kandidaat leerling moet voldoen is het verlangen naar bevrijding, onthechtheid en een kalme geest.

Sankara legt de leerling stap voor stap uit dat ideeën over de eigen individualiteit en die over de wereld slechts uit identificaties bestaan met wat men als werkelijkheid beschouwt en die de oorzaak zijn van gebondenheid en het menselijke lijden. Deze schijnbare werkelijkheid is echter veranderlijk en voorbijgaand, en bedekt zijn bestaansgrond die onveranderlijk en eeuwig is: puur bewustzijn, of zoals in de Vedische traditie wordt genoemd, Brahman. Het zich bevrijden van deze illusoire bedekkingen leidt tot de uiteindelijke bestemming van de mens die onbeschrijflijk is.

Door Rudi Jansma (1949 – 2017).

352 Pagina’s | 2021, tweede druk | Paperback | Milinda Uitgevers, Voorburg | ISBN: 9789062710560

Handboek hindoeïsme belicht de verschillende aspecten van het hindoeïsme: oorsprong, religieuze en filosofische begrippen, ethiek, literatuur en mythologie. Niet alleen metafysica en kunst, maar ook beroemde oude en hedendaagse leraren en heiligen uit India worden uitgebreid besproken. Dit toegankelijke naslagwerk biedt een gedetailleerd overzicht van de hindoeïstische cultuur en zal o.a. mensen van hindoestaanse afkomst vertrouwd kunnen maken met de wortels van de eigen traditie. Handboek hindoeïsme biedt alle noodzakelijke kennis en inzicht om zich een duidelijk beeld te vormen van één van de grote wereldgodsdiensten.

By Swami Sri Yukteswar (1855 – 1936)

122 Pages | 2020, eighth edition | Hardcover | Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles | ISBN: 9780876120514

”Prophets of all lands and ages have succeeded in their God-quest,” writes Paramahansa Yogananda in the foreword to The Holy Science. ”Entering a state of true illumination, nirbikalpa samadhi, these saints have realized the Supreme Reality behind all names and forms. Their wisdom and spiritual counsel have become the scriptures of the world. These, although outwardly differing by reason of the variegated cloaks of words, are all expressions—some open and clear, others hidden or symbolic—of the same basic truths of Spirit.

”Swami Sri Yukteswar…was eminently fitted to discern the underlying unity…Placing the holy texts on the spotless table of his mind, he was able to dissect them with the scalpel of intuitive reasoning, and to separate interpolations and wrong interpretations of scholars from the truths as originally given by the prophets.”

The Holy Science demonstrates, by explanation of parallel passages from the Hindu and Christian scriptures, the essential unity of the great religious teachings of East and West. With incomparable wisdom and discernment, Sri Yukteswar explains the unversal evolution of consciousness, energy, and matter—the entire spectrum of experience that we call ”life.”

The author provides an authoritative foundation for a purely holistic view of man and the universe—and shows how that view supports the principles of natural living in body, mind, and soul. Rooted in the deepest truths of religion, it yet offers practical advice for fulfillment in everyday living, by delineating the physical, mental, moral and spiritual principles that govern the expansion of human consciousness.

By Y. Keshava Menon.

121 Pages | Published in 1976 | Jaico Publishing House, India | No ISBN.

On the intellectual level, Indian philosophy is logical and rational and proceeds on the same kind of axioms, overt or implied, as Western philosophy. Shankara was one of the most subtle of Indian philosophers, and though for him intellectual dexterity was not an end in itself, the reader will find some reasoning worthy of his steel in the following pages. Equally, however, it would be an error to bring to Shankara the same spirit of mesmerised reverance that many Christians bring to the Elizabeth English of the Authorised Version of the Bible. Reverence and blind faith are also not enough. Perhaps the most helpful thing that can be said is that the reader who wants to get the best out of Shankara should approach him with a cool, constructively critical mind, but determined to study philosophy as a whole and not to reject conclusions out of hand. There is ratiocination in plenty for him, but if he is not prepared to test the philosophy for himself, he would have gained little from Shankara.

From the Introduction (p. VII):

” Though he is considered one of the foremost of India’s philosophers, Shankara is also one of the most misunderstood. We have heard fire-eating revolutionaries advance the theory that the essence of Shankara philosophy is on all fours with the materialistic interpretation of life formulated by Hegel, on which is built the edifice of Marxism. Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru, in the course of his record of the cultural history of the world, testifies to Shankara’s merits as an outstanding Shaivite. In his own time, Shankara was hailed as Shanmathatshapanacharya (founder of six faiths). Obviously, all of them cannot very well be right. Much of the misunderstanding of Shankara’s position may be due to the absence of a lucid presentation of his life and works in a comprehensive and readable form. This short monograph is an attempt to meet that need for the benefit of those, who have no previous acquaintance with philosophy. “

By Sir Edwin Lester Arnold (1832 – 1904), introduction by Alan Jacobs.

188 Pages | First published in 1885 as The Celestial Song, this is the 2006 edition | Hardcover | Watkins Publishing, London |  ISBN: 9781842931240.

” There lives a Master in the hearts of Men, maketh their deeds, by subtle pulling-strings, dance to what tune He will. With all thy Soul Trust Him, and take Him for thy succour, Prince! “

The Bhagavad Gita, or Song Celestial, is the sacred testament central to Hinduism, the most ancient of the great world religions. Brahman is the Absolute Supreme Reality underlying all forms. Human beings accumulate Karma as a result of their actions in innumerable incarnations, until they obtain liberation through the practices of devotion and knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita, as the essential gospel of Hinduism, explains mankind’s predicament and points the way to freedom.

This poetic gospel is attributed to the Divine Messenger, Lord Krishna, who on the battlefield gives the warrior-prince, Arjuna, detailed and profound spiritual guidance. Arjuna is perplexed by his involvement in a war and Lord Krishna unveils inspiring philosophical wisdom leading to the solution of Arjuna’s problem and his self-realization.

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

45 Pages | First edition 1963, third edition 2005 | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170594650.

Annie Besant (1847 – 1933), second President of the Theosophical Society (1907 – 1933) was described as a ‘Diamond Soul’, for she had many brilliant facets to her character. She was an outstanding orator of her time, a champion of human freedom, educationist, philanthropist and author with more than three hundred books and pamphlets to her credit. She also guided thousands of men and women all over the world in their spiritual quest.

In 1896, Dr. Annie Besant gave four Convention Lectures on Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Chrisitianity at Adyar, Madras, on the twenty-first anniversary of the Theosophical Society, the President-Founder, Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832 – 1907), being in the Chair. In 1901, she continued the series with another four lectures on Islam, Jainism, Sikhism and Theosophy or ‘Divine Wisdom’ as the common source of all religions at the twenty-sixth anniversary, Colonel Olcott again presiding. Each of the lectures on the seven religions has been published as a separate booklet with the exception of the lecture on Divine Wisdom, and the whole series as a single volume under the title Seven Great Religions.

From page 44/45:

” Thus universe succeeds universe, each aiding its successors until our thought fails to express itself, and the human faculty sinks down unable to soar further. Such, most imperfectly expressed, is the religion founded in immemorial antiquity, that has come down from the rshi-s. Such ought to be your religion, heirs of the past, descendants of those mighty ones! Just in so far as you live it, in so far are your really their heirs. Just in so far as this is dear to you and practised by you, are you learning the lesson of evolution as it was taught by them, and given to the people they instructed. Just so far are you profiting by opportunities greater than those offered to any other nation, opportunities that, wasted, will be bewailed by you under less favourable conditions in many a life to come. “

By Stephen Mitchell.

223 Pages | Originally published by Harmony Books a divison of Random House Inc. in 2000, first paperback edition | Softcover | Three Rivers Press – The Crown Publishing Group, New York | ISBN: 0609810340.

Stephen Mitchell is widely known for his ability to make ancient Masterpieces thrillingly new, to step in where many have tried before and create versions that are definitive for our time. His celebrated translations of the Tao Te Ching, Rilke, and The B0ok of Job have won the hearts of readers and critics alike. The Bhagavad Gītā is universally acknowledged as one of the world’s literary and spiritual masterpieces. It is the core text of the Hindu tradition and has been treasured by American writers from Emerson to T.S. Eliot.

There have been more than two hundred English translations of the Gītā, but none of them, until now, is a superlative literary text in its own right. This translation sings with the clarity, the vigor, and the intensity of the original Sanskrit.

From Chapter 4 – ‘The Yoga of Wisdom’, (p. 72 & 73) [4.3 – 6 / 4.7 – 11]:

The Blessed Lord said:

” Many times I have been born, and many times you (Arjuna) have also. All these lives I remember; you recall only this one. Although I am unborn, deathless, the infinite Lord of all beings, through my own wondrous power I come into finite form. Whenever righteousness falters and chaos threatens to prevail, I take on a human body and manifest myself on earth.  In order to protect the good, to destroy the doers of evil, to ensure the triumph of righteousness, in every age I am born. Whoever knows, profoundly, my divine presence on earth is not reborn when he leaves the body, but comes to me. Released from greed, fear, anger, absorbed in me and made pure by the practice of wisdom, many have attained my own state of being. However men try to reach me, I return their love with my love; whatever path they may travel, it leads to me in the end. “

Translated by Laurie L. Patton.

234 Pages | First published by Penguin Classics in 2008 | Soft cover | Penguin Books, London | ISBN:  9780140447903.

” Know this: that with which all this world is woven is not to be destroyed. No one is able to effect the destruction of the imperishable . . . “

The Bhagavad Gītā is an early epic poem that recounts the conversation between Arjuna the warrior and his charioteer Krishna, a manifestation of God. In the moments before a great battle, Krishna sets out the important lessons Arjuna must learn to understand his own role in the war he is about to fight. Krishna reveals to Arjuna his true cosmic form and counsels the warrior to act according to his sacred obligations. Ranging from instructions on yoga to dense moral discussion, the Gita is one of the most important Hindu texts, and has served for centuries as an everyday, practical guide to living well,

From the Ninth discourse 17 – 20:

The Blessed One said:

” I am the father of the world – its mother, its arranger and its grandfather; I am what is to be known; the purifier; the sound ‘OM’; the Rig, the Sama and the Yajur Veda.

I am the way, the bearer, the great lord, the one who sees. I am home, and shelter, the heart’s companion. I am birth, death and sustenance; I am the house of treasure, and the eternal seed.

I give off heat, and I am the rain. I hold back and I send out. I am sweet immortality, as well as death; being and non-being, Arjuna.

Those who know the Vedas and drink Soma, cleansed of their evils seek heaven, and offer to me with sacrifices. They reach the pure world of Indra, and enjoy the divine pleasures of the gods in heaven. “

By Carl E. Woodham.

98 Pages | First printing 2000 | Hardcover | Torchlight Publishing, Badger | ISBN: 1887089268.

Based on the Bhagavad Gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977).

The Bhagavad Gītā, India’s greatest spiritual treatise, contains far too much drama to remain the exclusive property of philosophers and religionists. Woodham presents the timeless wisdom of the Gita in contemporary English poetry, bringing to life its ancient yet perennially applicable message. It recounts in metered stanzas the historic conversation between Krishna, the Supreme Mystic and the mighty warrior Arjuna as they survey the battlefield preparations for the greatest world war of all time.

Krishna’s illuminating conversation with Arjuna forms the core of the Mahābhārata’s teachings, that has proven so inspiring to millions. Yet, it’s easy to overlook Krishna in the thicket of Bhagavad Gītā translations. Most dismiss Krishna as a myth or a mouthpiece for some greater formless Being. To do so is to miss the central point of the Bhagavad Gītā: bhakti, or joyous loving devotion to Krishna. The greatest luminaries of India’s rich spiritual heritage, such as Ramanuja, Madhva and Caitanya, have all drawn this devotional conclusion from Bhagavad Gītā .

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

305 Pages | 7th Reprint, 2017 | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170591832.

Mahābhārata is ‘one of the greatest books in the world‘ says Annie Besant (1847 – 1933), eminent scholar of Hinduïsm as well as Comparative Religion, and International President of the Theosophical Society (1907 – 1933), in the introduction to this book. It is the story of the Aryan race in India some 5.000 years ago and includes an account of the epic war between the Pandavas and Kauravas.

This book is based on notes of lectures delivered by Besant at the Central Hindu College Beneras (now Varanasi) in the first decade of this century. She describes the Mahābhārata as a great teacher of Ethics and Philosophy, an it is also history. The original Sanskrit verse, she says, ‘is the greatest poem in the world’.

By Bhāskararāya (1690–1785), general editor K. Kunjunni Raya. hon. director. Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry.

402 Pages | 6th Reprint 1988, 1st edition 1899 (T.P.H. ed.); Adyar Library General Series, Volume 11 | Hardcover | The Adyar Library & Research Center | ISBN: 8185141037.

The Lalitā Sahasranāma is a sacred text to Hindu worshippers of the Goddess Lalitā Devi, also called Tripurāsundarī or the Divine Mother. It contains the 1000 names of Lalitā organized in hymns (stotras) and represents the only sahasranāma not repeating a single Name. Lalitā translates etymologically as She Who Plays. Sahasranāma is a Sanskrit term, which means A 1000 Names. Bhāskararāya extensively highlights Name 1 – 1000 in this magnificent work. At the end, a Sanskrit compendium of the Lalitā Sahasranāma is enclosed.

Bhāskararāya is widely considered an authority on all questions pertaining to the worship of the Mother Goddess in Hinduism. The worship of Shakti involves many hidden meanings of mantras and coded passages. It is said that these meanings were revealed to Bhāskararāya by the Goddess Herself.

By Ernest Egerton Wood  (1883 – 1965).

120 Pages | First edition 1931, 2nd edition 1952, 3rd edition 1990 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 817059149X.

As soon as one speaks in the Western world about Occultism in India, the imagination flies to travellers’ stories of marvels that they have seen in this country, of occurences demanding for their explanation faculties of sense, powers of consciousness and facts of nature beyond the common experience of humankind. Regarding these, I could personally relate a number of uncommon experiences, sprinkled among the events of a great many years spent in this land.

From page 120:

” Occultism may be defined as the use of the hidden powers in man to discover the hidden life in the world. It has thus rightfully been said, that it is ātmavidyā, the science of the Self, and that its object is to discover the Divine Mind in Nature and in oneself. Through the faculties and powers of the personality a man comes in contact with phenomena, and learns through them, as a child with toys. But with the powers of the higher Self – its will and love and thought, working in outward things, but unshaken by them, and not confused by personality – a man may penetrate through the veil of appearances, and the hidden reality in him will deal with the hidden reality behind phenomena. This man works through intuition – no longer a child, he deals with realities, not with toys. Such is the occultist, and to such goal is directed the occult training of the Hindus. “

By Iqbal Kishen Taimni (1898–1978).

132 Pages | Second edition, second reprint 2012 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170593065.

‘The truth hidden behind the symbols are so magnificent and of such deep import that devotion should become strengthened and not weakened on understanding the inner significance of the symbols’, says Dr. I. K. Taimni in his beautiful introduction to the book. Divided into nine chapters, this book helps to attain ‘some insight into popular literature like the Purânas‘, that embody as an integral part of it the highest wisdom though in a veiled form.

Besides dealing with the general principles of Hindu Symbolism, the Symbology of the Śiva-linga, Maheśa, Trideva are elaborately discussed by Dr, I.K. Taimni. The stories of Hiranyakaśipu and Bhasmāsura, the Churning of the Ocean and the Allegory in the Durgā-Saptaśati constitute different chapters.

Door Tallapragada Subba Row (1856 – 1890), vertaald door Margreet  Meijer-Kouwe met een historisch overzicht door Henk J. Spierenburg.

200 Bladzijden | 1999, Oorspronkelijk verschenen in The Theosophist februari 1886 / juli 1887, Adyar | Hardcover | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland | ISBN: 9061750784.

English original: The Philosophy of the Bhagavad Gītā – ‘Four Lectures delivered at the 11th Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society, held at Adyar on December 27-30, 1886’ | Published in 1921 by The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN unknown.

Naast een Nederlandse vertaling van vijf lezingen van Subba Row over de Bhagavad Gītā, bevat dit boek een historische beschrijving van zijn leven, voetnoten, bijlagen, een bibliografie, een woordenlijst en een index door Henk Spierenburg.

Al vroeg werd duidelijk dat Subba Row beschikte over meer dan een normaal verstand. Hij studeerde onder andere rechten en geologie en blonk in beide vakken uit. Hoewel hij nimmer aan een universiteit Sanskriet studeerde, had hij een grote kennis van die taal en de Sanskriet literatuur. Wie dit boekje leest, kan niets anders dan doen dan tot dezelfde conclusie komen. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 – 1891), de belangrijkste stichtster van De Theosofische Vereniging, schreef na zijn overlijden in 1890 – net 1 jaar voor haar eigen overlijden – dat India een van haar grootste geleerden had verloren.

Afkomstig van bladzijde 5:

” Men kan de Bhagavad Gītā zien als de woorden, die een goeroe spreekt tot een chela, die vastbesloten is afstand te doen van alle wereldse begeerten en aspiraties, maar die toch een zekere moedeloosheid voelt, welke veroorzaakt wordt door de schijnbare leegte van zijn bestaan. Dit boek omvat 18 hoofdstukken, die alle nauw met elkaar in verband staan. Ieder hoofdstuk beschrijft een bepaald aspect van het menselijk leven. De studerende moet dit in gedachten houden, wanneer hij/zij een boek leest en hij/zij moet trachten die overeenstemmingen erin op te sporen. ” 

By Śrī Śaṃkara-Bhagavatpāda with transliteration, English translation, commentary, diagrams and an appendix on Prayoga by Pandit S. Subrahmany Sastri and T.R. Srinivasa Ayyangar.

288 Pages | First published in 1937, sixth printing 1985 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 0835670678.

The Saundarya-laharārī, ’the Ocean of Beauty’, eminently shares the characteristics of a poem displaying the finest touches of poetical fancy, (ii) a Stotra, hymn, in praise of the Goddess Tripurasundarī, (iii) a series of Mantra-s, mystic formulae, to be used by the Upāsaka along with the corresponding Yantra-s, diagrams, wherein the Devī is to be conceived as abiding, and (iv) an exposition of the Agama-s and Tantra-s, bearing on the worship of the Supreme Being in Its aspect of the Śakti, Creative Energy, known as  the Śrī-vidyā, embodying the underlying principles of Vaidika-dharma and as such having the sanction of the Veda-s. In its first forty-one stanzas it encompasses the Ananda-laharī, ’the Ocean of the Blisfully Sublime’.

From Page 220:

” 78. Sthiro gangāvartah stana-mukula-romāvali-latā-

nijāvālaṃ kuṇdaṃ kusumasara-tejo-huta-bhujaḥ ;

Rater līlāgāraṃ kim api tava nābhir giri-sute

biladvāraṃ siddher girisa-nayanānāṃ vijayate.

O Daughter of the Mountain! all glory to Thy navel (which may be characterized) in some such way (as) a motionless eddy of the Gangā, a trench for the growth of the creeper of the line of down, with the breasts as buds; the pit for maintaining the sacrificial Fire of the prowess of the flower-arrowed (Kusuma-Śāra); the pleasure-bower of Rati; the mouth of the cavern for the attainment (of Yoga) by Girisa’s eyes! “
 

By Narmadashankar-Devshankarmehta.

125 Pages | Published in 1985 | Hardcover | S.N. Publications | No ISBN.

An Account of Followers of the Sankarācārya School.

The book deals with the doctrinal differences among various followers of Sankarācārya School – the component of Advaita metaphysics. The study is divided into four Chapters based upon the four headings under which the subject matter of Vedānta naturally falls. Chapter I deals with Categories of Vedānta Brahma, Māyā, Jiva and Jagat, Chapter 2 reviews the harmony of Physics and Metaphysics. Chapter 3 recounts the means of realizing Brahman. Chapter analyses the theory liberation – the ultimate aim of man’s existence.

The book is systematically arranged. Each chapter is divided into sections and subsections, indicative of differences of the ācāryas in regard to their respective doctrines. The work is based upon the Siddhantalesa of Appaya Diksita. Other works have also been consulted and the results obtained. The author has taken care to avoid personal reflections on the Comparative merits of various doctrinal differences. The upholders of differences are allowed to speak in their own words, rendered into English, so that the reader might impartially grasp their views.

From the Introductory Remarks (p. VII):

” ‘Know Thyself’ is the ultimate appeal of all the orthodox and heterodox systems of Indian Philosophy. Inquiry into the Nature of Self was a stirring principle in the Indian soil, which has put to motion all the reflective minds from ancient times. The great cosmological hymn of the Rigveda, which is so much celebrated for the loftiness and uniqueness of its thought is one of the so many links of a long chain of philosophical Compositions of the pre-Rigvedic Aryas, which have survived the lapse of 3.000 years. The Rigveda – the most ancient repository of Indian thought and culture – presents a grave picture of a Rishi relflecting upon the cause of the universe and the problems of life. His speculations will, no doubt, excite the sneer of a matter-of-fact man of the nineteenth century. But a man, who cares to discern the beauty of ancient literature, should follow the sound piece of advice given by Hume: ‘Nor is it ever permitted to judge of the civility or Wisdom of any people, or even single persons, by the grossness or refinement of their theological principles. On this account, all the absurdities of the pagan system of theology must be overlooked by every critic, who would pretend to form a just notion ancient poetry’. Thus, there is no wonder when one Rishi says, that the universe is born of the great golden egg. “

By G. Naganathan, Foreword by Dr. Karan Singh with an Introduction by Dr. Michael W. Fox.

30 Pages |This book was originally a publication of the Centre of Respect for Life and Environment, Washington. First edition 1991, second edition 2000. With illustrations | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170594170.

In the Hindu view of life, all creation is linked together by a golden thread, because all manifestation has sprung from the eternal Brahman – Ishvasyamidam Sarvam Yatkincha Jagatyam Jagat – as the Upanishad has it. The seers of the Vedas, therefore prayed for the Welfare not only of the human race but for all living creatures, including animals, and indeed even for such apparently inanimate objects as trees and plants. Animals have always played a central role in the Hindu perception. In its mythology every God and Goddess is associated with a particular animal as its vehicle or vahana.

From the Foreword:

” The point that emerges is that animals are not to be looked upon as creatures to be cruelly exploited but as partners with human beings in the spiritual adventure of living. Indeed, although hunting was also an old Hindu tradition, it is surely significant that in both our great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, tragedy should have been triggered by hunting episodes. The whole question of animals as bound to human beings in a benign symbiosis receives considerable attention in the Hindu scriptural tradition, the most popular of which, of course, became the cow, which is still looked upon by millions as sacred. “

By John Hughes, Foreword by Lance Nelson.

139 Pages | Published in 1994 | Softcover | State University of New York | ISBN: 0791421805.

The Oral Teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo.

This book presents the oral teachings of the twentieth century’s great Kashmir Shaivite master. The last of his long lineage, Swami Lakshmanjoo preserved, as did his precedessors, the oral knowledge that illuminates this ancient philosophy – that clarifies the often deliberately obscure tantric texts.

Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the essence of the way and the means to self-realization. Here in his own original discourses, as well as in his English renderings of Abhinavagupta and Kshemarāja, he unveils the essential teachings of this yoga philosophy. He reveals the tantric understanding of the purpose and reason for creation. He offers instruction on the greatness and importance of the supreme mantra sauh. In his presentation of effective practice he explains why meditation is both effortless and, at the same time, difficult. In his discussion of discipline he clarifies  why personal habits and dispositions play an important part in spiritual growth. Finally, in his unveiling of the path of Kundalini yoga, he is intent on exposing and thereby preserving this hidden elevated process while warning of its pitfalls.

From the Foreword (p. xxviii):

” Swami Lakshmanjoo traces his lineage back to the great Kashmir Śaiva polymath Abhinavagupta (tenth-eleventh centuries C.E.) and beyond. Śaivism had flourished in the Kashmir Valley for several centuries before the time of Abhinavagupta, and it continued to thrive for several hundred years after. The nondual Śaiva teaching was passed down through illustrious preceptors such as Somānanda (tenth century C.E,), his pupil Utpaladeva, and Utpaladeva’s pupil Lakshmanagupta, who  – as mentioned above – was one of Abhinavagupta’s preceptors. Also worthy of mention are Kshemarāja (eleventh century), a disciple of Abhinavagupta, and Jayaratha (twelfth century), who commented on the great master’s masterpiece, the tantrāloka. “

By John Hughes, Foreword by Lance Nelson.

139 Pages | Published in 1994 | Hardcover | State University of New York | ISBN: 0791421791.

The Oral Teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo.

This book presents the oral teachings of the twentieth century’s great Kashmir Shaivite master. The last of his long lineage, Swami Lakshmanjoo preserved, as did his precedessors, the oral knowledge that illuminates this ancient philosophy – that clarifies the often deliberately obscure tantric texts.

Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the essence of the way and the means to self-realization. Here in his own original discourses, as well as in his English renderings of Abhinavagupta and Kshemarāja, he unveils the essential teachings of this yoga philosophy. He reveals the tantric understanding of the purpose and reason for creation. He offers instruction on the greatness and importance of the supreme mantra sauh. In his presentation of effective practice he explains why meditation is both effortless and, at the same time, difficult. In his discussion of discipline he clarifies  why personal habits and dispositions play an important part in spiritual growth. Finally, in his unveiling of the path of Kundalini yoga, he is intent on exposing and thereby preserving this hidden elevated process while warning of its pitfalls.

From the Foreword (p. xxviii):

” Swami Lakshmanjoo traces his lineage back to the great Kashmir Śaiva polymath Abhinavagupta (tenth-eleventh centuries C.E.) and beyond. Śaivism had flourished in the Kashmir Valley for several centuries before the time of Abhinavagupta, and it continued to thrive for several hundred years after. The nondual Śaiva teaching was passed down through illustrious preceptors such as Somānanda (tenth century C.E,), his pupil Utpaladeva, and Utpaladeva’s pupil Lakshmanagupta, who  – as mentioned above – was one of Abhinavagupta’s preceptors. Also worthy of mention are Kshemarāja (eleventh century), a disciple of Abhinavagupta, and Jayaratha (twelfth century), who commented on the great master’s masterpiece, the tantrāloka. “

By Harold G. Coward, Julius J. Lipner and Katherine K. Young.

139 Pages | 1989 | Soft cover | State University of New York Press, Albany | ISBN: 0887067646.

Modern Western approaches to India often have focused on metaphysics at the expense of ethics, leading many to see Hinduism as only concerned with the esoteric and the otherwordly. The chapters of this book offer case study explorations, that are selected and presented to invite comparisons with the modern West. Such comparisons will help to remove the apparent otherworldly nature of Hindu thought from the minds of Western readers, as well as give depth to and new significance to Indian ideas in the areas of medical ethics, social ethics, and human rights. The case studies demonstrate that Indian thought has not ignored deep reflection on ethical problems that are presenting serious challenges to the modern world. They demonstrate, that Hinduism has a firm grounding in ethics, even when the most difficult questions are raised.

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

460 Pages | Second edition, 1926 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170592895.

The Bhagavad Gītā (lit. ‘Song of the Lord’) is one of the most important basic texts for the study of Hinduism, and has attracted the attention and admiration of thinkers throughout the world. The first edition of this great world scripture with the English translation and notes by Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) and Bhagavan Das ((1869 – 1958) was published in 1905; since then many other excellent editions and expositions of the text have come out. Still, the Bhagavad Gītā by Annie Besant and Bhagavan Das holds a unique place.

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

137 Pages | Reprinted in 2002 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170593654.

Through immensely long ages or kalpā-s, climbing steadily the ladder of evolution, the ‘Liberated Ones’ merge with eternal life. Within them burns the flame of Love for all that exists. It is they who, from time to time, descend into manifested forms (avatāra-s) to accelerate the course of evolution. So says Annie Besant (1847 – 1933), who had a profound knowledge of Hindu religious philosophy and tradition, while answering the question: what is an avatāra? in a series of four lectures delivered in 1899.

With the Vivarana Commentary by Śri Upanishadbrahmayogin. Edited by the Pandits of the Adyar Library under the supervision of Prof. C. Kunhan Raja. Critically edited with his Tippani by Dr. S. Sankaranarayanan, Hon. Professor, Adyar Library.

603 Pages | First edition 1936, revised edition 1996, The Adyar Library Series, Volume 15 |  Hardcover, with Sanskrit texts | The Adyar Library and Research Centre | No ISBN.