7 Secrets of Shiva

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Myhindupage.org Review
Many people I know are enamored by this book on Shiva. This book reveals the mysticism of Shiva through the folklore or puranas that surround Lord Shiva, the most ancient form of God evolving out to the Indian Subcontinent. The writer, Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik has done an excellent job in easing readers into the philosophical mysticism through poignant narratives that uncover hidden philosophies and mysticism in entertaining and traditional myths of Shiva. I would recommend this book as an introduction for aspiring mystics and those looking for a more profound understanding of Lord Shiva.

Review on Amazon.com by Ujjwal Dey
Shiva is a God that has truly transcended time and space. He is Mahadeva - greatest of Gods. His legends exist and have survived since eons ago. This book is a treat for all who find mythologies and ancient legends fascinating. In the must-read introduction, the author Devdutt explains his approach. A reconcilliation between East and West. He mentions how Western scholars look at Hindu mythology through the lens of western thought and philosophy, often referring to Western stream of understanding and analysis. And Indians are shy of the explicit exploits of their Gods, a result of Victorian colonial propriety. In this book Devdutt explores the myth through research of Vedas, Puranas, legends and temples. He goes to the basic philosophy of Hinduism to explain and interpret the mythology in its more accurate meaning.

For example, there are many Gods in Hindu mythology and many demons and a heaven and hell, but there is no equivalent of Satan. Lord Shiva is an ascetic and he also is a householder. He is worshiped in these 2 forms as well as a host of other forms - angry Rudra, united Ardhanareshwara, simpleton Bholenath, vengeful Kaal Bhairava, etc. So not only do we have more than one God, the God's themselves have myriad versions and avatars.

Shiva is eternal with no beginning and no end, he is infinite, no before no after, he grants boons and blessings to all who worship him. So even demons pray to him for benefiting from his benevolence. This is a unique thought process of a God who differentiates between no one and nothing. He has angry form, he has a compassionate form, he is a lover and husband, he is a father too, and he is formless divine. He can revive the dead, he can take away all fear of death. He provides for all his devotees and protects them from predation.

This book is insightful and at the same time simplified text of the vast pantheon and rich ancient culture of India. I was hooked from page one and read it withing 2 days. It pulls you in with indepth interpretation of symbols, stories and rituals. It is a must have for any beginner or professional who wishes to unravel the mysteries of Shiva and understand Hindu thought process. Apart from all this there are many images from paintings and temples and excavations and sculptures that illustrate the book along with the image's descriptions.

Other books by Devdutt I look forward to reading are "7 Secrets of Vishnu" and "Myth = Mithya". Hope these books entertain and educate you all and brings understanding and order out of chaos.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven from Amazon.com

The Five People You Meet in Heaven (See all Thrillers Books)

Amazon.com Book Description
Plot Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him, as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?"

Review on Amazon.com by Beth
Without going into the set-up of the story (which you can find in other reviews), I'll simply say this amazing little book is on my Christmas shopping list for those that are the dearest to my heart. This is a book I want to share with everyone! Not to scare anyone away from it -- by the end of this story, I was a sobbing mess! The first four of Eddie's people give little pieces of the puzzle, profound little tidbits to help him understand more about the events in his life. But his "fifth person" reveals Eddie's true purpose in life, a life that Eddie felt was a "nothing existence" on Earth. He learns from his fifth person that his life was an incredibly important piece of the tapestry of life's experience here -- one that meant more to people than he could ever have dreamed. A truly inspiring piece of American literature that EVERYONE should read!!

The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism

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MyHinduPage.org Review. If you are a budding mystical scientist, a fan of quantum physics and parallels between quantum physics and Eastern mysticism, this the classic to begin your explorations with.

Amazon.com Editorial Review
First published in 1975, The Tao of Physics rode the wave of fascination in exotic East Asian philosophies. Decades later, it still stands up to scrutiny, explicating not only Eastern philosophies but also how modern physics forces us into conceptions that have remarkable parallels. Covering over 3,000 years of widely divergent traditions across Asia, Capra can't help but blur lines in his generalizations. But the big picture is enough to see the value in them of experiential knowledge, the limits of objectivity, the absence of foundational matter, the interrelation of all things and events, and the fact that process is primary, not things. Capra finds the same notions in modern physics. Those approaching Eastern thought from a background of Western science will find reliable introductions here to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism and learn how commonalities among these systems of thought can offer a sort of philosophical underpinning for modern science. And those approaching modern physics from a background in Eastern mysticism will find precise yet comprehensible descriptions of a Western science that may reinvigorate a hope in the positive potential of scientific knowledge. Whatever your background, The Tao of Physics is a brilliant essay on the meeting of East and West, and on the invaluable possibilities that such a union promises. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review on Amazon.com by Thomas Lapins
I've read "The Tao Of Physics" two and one half times. The first time was fifteen years ago (the original paperback was a different edition, with a far more thought provoking cover). I then read this edition when it came out (I need to read it a third time, this time with more life experience to draw from). I'm sure most readers struggled with the technical dialogue and laws of physics throughout. I was more able to intuitively appreciate these tougher chapters than intellectually understand these sometimes very abstract and difficult theories and concepts. Mysticism at times can seem equally abstract and difficult when one has not expereinced specific "mystical" experiences or enough of life itself. However, I intuitively connected to the threads which Capra so painstakingly weaved into his book. I was not looking for the answers to the universe in this book. What I was hoping to find was guidance, and a springboard in which to think in a larger universe. And when I look back, I realize my awareness and receptiveness to a "universe"and "consciousness" which is infinitely larger and wiser than the human experience and consciousness does indeed exits. "The Tao Of Physics" opened a window or two for me, and the inertia in which I had formed my opinions and prejudices and, then, learned to see and feel and judge the world around me, seemed embarrassingly narrow, lacking and unwise. That was a great insight for this young man at that time. "The Tao Of Physics" remains one of those books and experience that initially changed me in a small way, that eventually evolved into a substantive life change in how I think and perceive the world around me, and my relationship to it.

The Third Eye by Lobsang Rampa

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MyHinduPage.org review. Well written story books by mystics filled with extraordinary experiences are timeless. T. Lobsang Rampa's The Third Eye is one such book.
Unlike science fictions, where stories are based on yet to be developed technology or a kind of living that may or may not come to pass, mystics write of experiences that can be available to anyone who decides to pursue and practice the mystical arts. When I was a young yogi, T. Lobsang Rampa's books were awesome. I guess I can liken it to a budding detective reading a detective novel. While the veracity of Lobsang Rampa's anecdotes may be of question, this book is nevertheless entertaining and at times awe inspiring. I would recommend this book for students of mysticism, more for fun than anything serious and also for those intrigued by different dimensions of living.

Editorial Review
T. Lobsang Rampa was preordained to be a Tibetan priest, a sign from the stars that could not be ignored. When he left his wealthy home to enter the monastery, his heart was filled with trepidation, with only a slight knowledge of the rigorous spiritual training and physical ordeal that awaited him . . . .
This is his story, a hauntingly beautiful and deeply inspiring journey of awakening within Chakpori Lamasery, the temple of Tibetan medicine. It is a moving tale of passage through the mystic arts of astral projection, crystal gazing, aura deciphering, meditation, and more, a spiritual guide of enlightenment and discovery through the opening of the all-powerful, the all-knowing . . . .
"Fascinates the reader!" -- Miami Herald

A Review on Amazon.com
This author wrote a total of 19 affordable paperbacks on the topics of Tibet and the forgotten mystic abilities of mankind. You may have heard the stories about the author, that he was a "hoax", not who he claimed to be. Read the books! He openly discusses all of these accusations, and often states that because his story is so unusual, he is often disbelieved. Then, once you tire of the whole controversy regarding the author, you will still be left with a wealth of down-to-earth information about topics considered "out of this world". If you are seriously interested in the possibilites of reincarnation, astral travel, meditation, etc. but you don't want to read a bunch of New Age jibber-jabber, read The Third Eye and any other book by T. Lobsang Rampa. The author's writing style is warm and humourous, interweaving the lessons with stories from his facinating life experience. I have read and re-read all 19 of his books so I am obviously a fan...but I was skeptical at first. You will be too, because the story is unlike any you've ever heard. Never mind, whether you consider his work fact or fiction, Rampa's books are page-turners one and all. (Note: those who mentioned their wish to contact the author...unfortunately, this is not possible because he passed away in 1981.)

Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama

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Review by MyHinduPage.org. If you are into stories of amazing miracles performed by unknown mystics living in the Himalayas, then this book will thrill you. I must say that for someone who studies and practices yoga, the plausibility of what Swami Rama had experienced in his early years with highly accomplished yogis, many of whom may still be in seclusion in the vast Himalayas is highly likely. It is a book that will add a zest to explore new frontiers of possibility that is latent within oneself. Especially for a budding yogi, this book will be inspiring.

Review by gofigure@mris.com
Swami Rama is one of the overlooked great figures of our time. For twenty years I had the privledge of being one of his students. His indepth understanding of the human condition, his selfless service and his profound attainment of states higher consciousness was a wonder to behold. In this autobiography he relates in a humble way his encounters with his early teachers. Since he was raised in a cave monestary from the age of four his life was very different from our modern way of developing as a person. While some of the stories stretch our credability they all actually happened. I realize that many people have difficulty accepting other peoples experience, especially if it outside the range of their own limited life experience and challange our own fixed ideas. Swami Rama definitely challanges us about how the world is, in a very real way, but I find that challange refreshing and inspiring. His core experience, that the goal of human life is spiritual attainment and Self realization pulls us out of our small limited view of the world. It is one of the great spiritual classics. If I was stranded on a desert island with only three books this would be one of them.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

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Review by MyHinduPage.org. I first go to know about this novel after watching a movie based on the book with the same title. This book is a mind twister by Rudyard Kipling as he pours his love and loathe of Indians in colonial India as well as admiration and disgust he had for the conduct of the Empire. As an early spy novel this book delves into the inner workings of the Empires administration to find new ways to continually subjugate its subjects to loyalty. A central theme of this book is Buddhist teachings that is introduced by a Tibetan Lama on pilgrimage in India, for whom the the main character Kim, a British boy born and brought up in India, becomes a guide. It is an entertaining, enlightening and unpadded story about colonial India, though written in sometimes difficult to decipher Victorian English.

Review by E.M. Van Court on Amazon.com
'Kim' is a work that could receive very different reviews depending on the biases of the reviewer.

Any professor from the English department of my alma mater (Rutgers) would insist that 'Kim' should never under any circumstances receive any praise as it is racist, glorifies imperialism, was writen by a dead white male, and lacks a political philosophy acceptable to a modern progressive liberal. Well, I suppose that it lacks any real political philosophy (except some very general complimentary comments about democracy) and Rudyard Kipling is dead, white and male, but the first two comments are completely wrong and and this sort of review is the voice of ignorance.

A staunch traditionalist, conservative would insist that it is a canonical work that should be read by every school child as a superior example of English literature and the epitomy of the written Enlish language. This is equally ill-informed and ill-considered.

'Kim' is a wonderful story of an orphan in India (the part that is now Pakistan; Abid-please consider it a gesture of respect that I mention the change in geography) in the late 1800s. Kim is the son of an Irish soldier raised by locals, familiar with the customs and languages of the Hindus and Muslims of the area who gets recruited by the British to spy for them. Kim acts as a guide for a Tibetan Buddhist priest who is on a quest in India, broadening his knowledge of the cultures of his world and giving him an excuse to travel even further. He comes upon his father's regiment, and the officers of the regiment arrange for Kim to attend a 'proper' British school. Throughout the story, a British spymaster is helping Kim receive an education (both formal and in the skills needed to serve the British rule in India) and arranging for Kim to carry messages and run small but important tasks for him.

Throughout the book, the only Indian group that is treated with disrespect is Hindus who have sacrificed their own culture's customs in order to get ahead in the British goverment. Frequently, the low opinion of the British held by the Indians (Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist) is mentioned, and is usually pretty funny. The other European powers that are mention in the book are not treated with respect, but that is understandable (at least to me in context; other readers will have to make up their own minds).

Kipling's passion for the land he was raised in and his love for the peoples he was raised with is unmistakable, as is his love/hate relationship with the British government (N.B. he was not knighted in a time when most prominent authors were; he was entirely too candid about the British rule in India and the Crown's treatment of her soldiers). The language of the book is a little hard to follow, between regional loan words and the English of the time, but a patient and persistant reader will find the effort rewarded.

A great spy novel, read it for yourself and don't trust the critics who speak based on assumptions rather than knowledge.

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald

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Review by MyHinduPage.org. This book will make you chuckle, feel touched, disgusted or in awe of life and living in India. This is a story of a foreigner's growing fondness of a culture and people she at first had no regard for it is presented with such candid recollections that are entertaining and thought provoking. It is also a great documentary book of the tapestry of life one can encounter in India.

Review by S. Calhoun on Amazon.com
Eleven years after backpacking through India with complaints of the poverty, heat and pollution Australian Sarah Macdonald relented to never return; she even went to the extreme of flipping the middle finger to the ground below as her plane ascended into the sky. Sarah wasn't necessarily happy to quit her successful job in Sydney to relocate to New Delhi to live with her journalist boyfriend; she often wondered if she was making the right decision. Upon arrival she started having flashbacks of pugnant body odor and beggars with leprosy. The pollution and thick smog affected her health and wellbeing. It is clear that she isn't quite cut out to live in New Delhi.
After reading the first couple chapters I expected HOLY COW to be filled with constant whining of India's derelict living conditions and complaints based on a Westernized perspective resulting in a mediocre travel narrative. But low and behold, I was soon pleasantly surprised how Sarah slowly evolved and reevaluated the country that she has scorned for so many years. After she started becoming reacquainted in her new home she started looking beyond the mayhem and dirt and began to see the beauty of India. Being a devout atheist when she first moved to New Delhi she slowly awoke and embraced the dynamic religions of Hinduism and Buddhism; she began to appreciate the sounds and surroundings of her new home.

While her husband is busy working Sarah was able to travel throughout India with her new perspectives and begins to enjoy the dichotomies that India offers. My favorite side trip was the Buddhist retreat in the Himalayan footsteps that taught her to meditate by concentrating on her breathing. I cannot imagine undergoing anything close to that endeavor.

Throughout HOLY COW Sarah Macdonald succeeded in digging past a traveler's first impressions of India to highlight the beauty of this varied land. By reading HOLY COW I now understand just a little bit more of India, and that was my initial goal when I first picked up this book.