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Pravrajika VrajapranaPravrajika Vrajaprana
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Vedanta: A Simple Introduction Kindle Edition
by Pravrajika Vrajaprana (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 156 ratings
A concise, and delightful introduction to Vedanta, the philosophical backbone of Hinduism.
Written with verve and charm by a Western nun for a Western audience, this brief book gives a comprehensive overview of Vedanta philosophy while emphasizing its practical Western application.
Table of Contents:
1. Vedanta: An Overview
2. Why Are We Unaware of our Divinity?
The Concept of Maya
3. The Problem of Suffering:
Karma and Reincarnation
4 Spiritual Practice: The Yogas
5 Spiritual Basics: Ethical and Moral Virtues
6. The Harmony of Religions: "Truth is One;
Sages Call It by Various Names"
7. The Oneness of Existence: Unity in Diversity
8. God in Human Form: The Avatar
9. Revitalization of an Ancient Philosophy:
Ramakrishna, the Ramakrishna Order,
and the Vedanta Societies
10. Suggestions for Further Reading
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Print length 90 pages
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Product description
Review
Clear, easy to comprehend, and concise, this small book is packed full of pertinent information (on)the core issues of life. --Yoga International Magazine, 1999
As a scholar and practitioner of Vedanta, I can say with confidence that this is the best introductory text on Vedanta available in the English language. It manages to communicate this subtle and complex philosophy in terms that are clear and, as the title suggests, simple. But it does so without oversimplifying. I regularly assign this text to my students (college students taking introductory courses on Indic religions) and they have consistently praised it for the clear and engaging style in which it is written. One student reported to me that when she started reading it, she could not put it down until she had read it cover-to-cover. It really is that engaging. It is, of course, an introductory text. I recommend that readers interested in the various schools of Vedanta other than the modern Ramakrishna-Vivekananda-inspired interpretation of Advaita look to other works. But for novices, and especially for those interested in Vedanta as a spiritual practice rather than from a purely scholarly perspective, this book can't be beat. --Unsolicited comments from a professor --This text refers to the paperback edition.
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About the Author
The author is a nun at the convent of the Vedanta society of So. California in Santa Barbara. She is also the author of "Living Wisdom: Vedanta in the West " as well as the editor of Swami Shraddhananda's "Seeing God Everywhere". She has had several books published in India, including A Portrait of Sister Christine and My Faithful Goodwin, and she is the author of many articles published both in America and abroad. Her writing has been translated into numerous Indian languages, as well as Japanese and German. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
ASIN : B0031ER60Y
Publisher : Vedanta Press & Bookshop (1 May 1999)
Language : English
File size : 637 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Not Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : Not enabled
Print length : 90 pages
The author is a nun at the convent of the Vedanta society of So. California in Santa Barbara. She is also the author of "Living Wisdom: Vedanta in the West " as well as the editor of Swami Shraddhananda's "Seeing God Everywhere". She has had several books published in India, including A Portrait of Sister Christine and My Faithful Goodwin, and she is the author of many articles published both in America and abroad. Her writing has been translated into numerous Indian languages, as well as Japanese and German. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
ASIN : B0031ER60Y
Publisher : Vedanta Press & Bookshop (1 May 1999)
Language : English
File size : 637 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Not Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : Not enabled
Print length : 90 pages
Best Sellers Rank: 219,660 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)118 in Christian Philosophy
123 in Other Eastern Religious Philosophies
136 in Hinduism (Kindle Store)Customer Reviews:
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 156 ratings
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from Australia
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Doug Burrow
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Introduction
123 in Other Eastern Religious Philosophies
136 in Hinduism (Kindle Store)Customer Reviews:
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 156 ratings
Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Top reviews
Top reviews from Australia
There are 0 reviews and 2 ratings from Australia
Top reviews from other countries
Doug Burrow
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Introduction
Reviewed in the United States on 26 June 2023
Verified Purchase
A clear and concise introduction to Vedanta philosophy. If you're new to the concepts of the core teachings of Hinduism, this is a great place to start.
One person found this helpfulReport
vijay sadhu
4.0 out of 5 stars Four StarsReviewed in India on 4 June 2015
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good for a beginner
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Kristin King
5.0 out of 5 stars A magnificent introduction to VedantaReviewed in the United States on 8 May 2017
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I was introduced to Vedanta more than 25 years ago through the works of India's Swami Vivekananda, who brought Vedanta to the West. Since then, I've read many of his books and a few by other authors. Vivekananda was an incredibly astute individual and an articulate writer with a gift for presenting, in simple language, the intricacies of Hindu thought. Even so, I wish I'd read this text first.
Verified Purchase
A clear and concise introduction to Vedanta philosophy. If you're new to the concepts of the core teachings of Hinduism, this is a great place to start.
One person found this helpfulReport
vijay sadhu
4.0 out of 5 stars Four StarsReviewed in India on 4 June 2015
Verified Purchase
good for a beginner
Report
Kristin King
5.0 out of 5 stars A magnificent introduction to VedantaReviewed in the United States on 8 May 2017
Verified Purchase
I was introduced to Vedanta more than 25 years ago through the works of India's Swami Vivekananda, who brought Vedanta to the West. Since then, I've read many of his books and a few by other authors. Vivekananda was an incredibly astute individual and an articulate writer with a gift for presenting, in simple language, the intricacies of Hindu thought. Even so, I wish I'd read this text first.
It presents Vedanta as the consciousness-raising power it is without losing the reader in the weeds of complexity. I already had some understanding of the four yogas--bhakti, jnana, karma, and raja--but this book covers them in depth. The book also lays out the ongoing, cyclic process by which, when a religious practice has become corrupt, an avatar arises to enlighten humanity (a concept the Bahai's call progressive revelation). This is a concept I'd always wondered about but never fully understood. It also elucidates why Vedanta not only recognizes but embraces the teachings and traditions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other major religions by outlining what each, in turn, has bequeathed to human spiritual understanding. I give this book five stars because I can't give it a higher rating. I highlighted many pages for my second reading. If you can read only one book about Vedanta, read this one. It will give you peace of mind and appreciation for the world as it is.
23 people found this helpfulReport
Jeffery D. Long
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introduction to Vedanta Available in English
Reviewed in the United States on 15 February 2005
Verified Purchase
As a scholar and practitioner of Vedanta, I can say with confidence that this is the best introductory text on Vedanta available in the English language. It manages to communicate this subtle and complex philosophy in terms that are clear and, as the title suggests, simple. But it does so without oversimplifying. I regularly assign this text to my students (college students taking introductory courses on the religions of South Asia) and they have consistently praised it for the clear and engaging style in which it is written. One student reported to me that when she started reading it, she could not put it down until she had read it cover-to-cover. It really is that engaging. It is, of course, an introductory text. I recommend that readers interested in the various schools of Vedanta other than the modern Ramakrishna-Vivekananda-inspired interpretation of Advaita look to other works. But for novices, and especially for those interested in Vedanta as a spiritual practice rather than from a purely scholarly perspective, this book can't be beat.
I would also like to say that the reviewer who bashed this book essentially for not being a Christian work has utterly missed the point. This is not Christianity, it's Vedanta! It would be like bashing a book by a Christian author for not talking about Brahman, or samsara...
Read less
65 people found this helpful
Verified Purchase
As a scholar and practitioner of Vedanta, I can say with confidence that this is the best introductory text on Vedanta available in the English language. It manages to communicate this subtle and complex philosophy in terms that are clear and, as the title suggests, simple. But it does so without oversimplifying. I regularly assign this text to my students (college students taking introductory courses on the religions of South Asia) and they have consistently praised it for the clear and engaging style in which it is written. One student reported to me that when she started reading it, she could not put it down until she had read it cover-to-cover. It really is that engaging. It is, of course, an introductory text. I recommend that readers interested in the various schools of Vedanta other than the modern Ramakrishna-Vivekananda-inspired interpretation of Advaita look to other works. But for novices, and especially for those interested in Vedanta as a spiritual practice rather than from a purely scholarly perspective, this book can't be beat.
I would also like to say that the reviewer who bashed this book essentially for not being a Christian work has utterly missed the point. This is not Christianity, it's Vedanta! It would be like bashing a book by a Christian author for not talking about Brahman, or samsara...
Read less
65 people found this helpful
J. Joyner
4.0 out of 5 stars PerfectReviewed in the United States on 11 November 2010
Verified Purchase
"A Simple Introduction" describes this little book perfectly. It is a great platform to help you branch off into deeper studies of the Vedanta. The Vedanta seeks to unify humanity by looking at the common messages amongst other religious saints. A practitioner of Thelema will find that Crowley was obviously influenced by the Vedanta a great deal and thought very highly of its values and yoga practices when it came time to establish his own magical order called the A.'. A.'. I came upon Vedanta after spending some time studying Thelema and found its influence very great in my life although I never knew it by that name!
One person found this helpfulReport
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