Steven J. Rosen

CONTENTS:

Preface
Foreword / Edward C. Dimock Jr
Introduction
Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavism / A. N. Chatterjee
The vedic literature / Michael Witzel
The Ramayana / H. Daniel Smith
Mahabarata / Alf Hiltebeitel
Bhagavat-purana / Clifford Hospital
Krsna in the performing arts / John Stratton Hawley
Bhakti poetry / Richard Davis
Biographies of Sri Caitanya / Tony Stewart
Sampradaya of Sri Caitanya / William Deadwyler
Sahajiya tradition / Robert Sailley
Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavism in the modern world / Charles Brooks
The Bengal of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhhu / Richard Eaton
Sri Caitanya’s pilgrimage to the south / David Kinsley
Sri Caitanya’s tour of Vraja / Alan Entwhistle
The glories of Radha-kunda / Mohan Gautam
Jagannatha Puri / Frederique Marglin
Vaisnavism and Christianity / Klaus Klostermaier
Sadhana bhakti / Joseph O’Connell
Personalsm vs impersonalism / O.B.L. Kapoor
Acintya Bhedabheda / Shrivatsa Goswami
Sonic theology / Guy Beck
Mysticism, madness and ecstasy / June McDaniel
Rasa theology / Gerald Carney
Krsna-lila / David Haberman
Radha: beloved of Vraja / Eric Huberman… (altro)

What led me to this title was unadulterated curiosity and I must say that I am more than pleasantly surprised. The book is very well written and captures the essence of Hinduism very well. I actually took a trip down nostalgia alley after reading through the Ramayana and Mahabharata sections. A very well done PriceWaterhouseCoopers like concise report on Hinduism.

Hinduism is a religion that one adheres to by practice. The Holy texts lay out all the ingredients for leading a happy and fruitful life and it is upto it's adherents to follow these well laid out rules and steps. Starting with four Vedas. The Vedas are very esoteric and abstract and were the exclusive preserve of the Sanskritized Brahmins and High Priests so Vyasa and Valmiki wrote the common man versions in penning the Mahabharata and Ramayana respectively.

The Bhagavad Gita is an extraction of the central essence of the Mahabharata and then you have the Upanishads which are really the text books used by the Gurus to impart Vedic Knowledge to their pupils. The Puranas are again tales and legends that extoll the virutes of the Vedas through stories. The Gita, Upanishads and Puranas are often referred to as the Fifth Veda.… (altro)

Certainly one of the best books I have read so far. I would highly recommend that everyone put this on their reading list. It seems that this extraordinary person who started his life as John Favors in Cleveland OH is a true modern day mystic and a realized soul.

This child prodigy was born with the Guru DNA and right from get go everyone who were fortunate enough to be drawn into his orbit recognized the fact that he was special, super special and was destined for godly tasks. His stellar academic record which culminated with his stint at Princeton on a full scholarship and during which time he realized that the salvation for mankind lay in the imbibing of the teachings in the Ancient Hindu Scriptures the Vedas.

His thesis at Princeton focused on this very topic and this is well before his initiation into the ISCKON movement of whose existence he was not aware. His quest for a true Guru led him to ISCKON and initiation by Swami Prabhupada himself into the fold as Ghanashyam Dasa. He is perhaps the true world citizen in this age of materialism as he was able to connect with people at all levels and transform them with his words and deeds.

To give you an idea, some of the people who met him MLK Jr., Nelson Mandela, Presidents, Heads of State, Ambassadors, intellectuals, professionals, the creme de la creme of society. He is the author of more than 20 books which have since been translated into more than 15 languages and all of which I plan to add to my reading list.

Please do me a favor and go grab a copy of this book and read it ASAP.… (altro)