Swami Paramananda's translations were made spontaneously as he was teaching small groups of students. He chanted from memory, translated and then discussed. This is, in fact, how scriptures are shared in India, as teaching not readings. Because of this, his translations have a simplicity and directness that many others lack. They are quite beautiful and majestic. The Bhagavad Gita was translated in Tuscany in 1912 and the Upanishads in Boston in 1919.

As scholarly translations, his translations would not rate a five or even a four. Also, they reflect the language of the early 19th century. As texts for students who are actually practicing meditation and sadhana today, they do indeed rate a five.

Students can always later learn more about Sanskrit, if they want to get deeper into the texts, since, no matter how "exact" the translation, modern English won't ever fully convey Classical Sanskrit. Purusha, for instance, can be translated as Person, Spirit, Self, Being, Beingness, etc. Devotional Vaishnavas will say Person. Impersonal Advaitists will say Self. Paramananda says Being. Ultimately, after hearing, studying and practicing them, we make them our own.

Swami Paramananda's translations were made spontaneously as he was teaching small groups of students. He chanted from memory, translated and then discussed. This is, in fact, how scriptures are shared in India, as teaching not readings. Because of this, his translations have a simplicity and directness that many others lack. They are quite beautiful and majestic. The Bhagavad Gita was translated in Tuscany in 1912 and the Upanishads in Boston in 1919.

As scholarly translations, his translations would not rate a five or even a four. Also, they reflect the language of the early 19th century. As texts for students who are actually practicing meditation and sadhana today, they do indeed rate a five.

Students can always later learn more about Sanskrit, if they want to get deeper into the texts, since, no matter how "exact" the translation, modern English won't ever fully convey Classical Sanskrit. Purusha, for instance, can be translated as Person, Spirit, Self, Being, Beingness, etc. Devotional Vaishnavas will say Person. Impersonal Advaitists will say Self. Paramananda says Being. Ultimately, after hearing, studying and practicing them, we make them our own.

Swami Paramananda's translations were made spontaneously as he was teaching small groups of students. He chanted from memory, translated and then discussed. This is, in fact, how scriptures are shared in India, as teaching not readings. Because of this, his translations have a simplicity and directness that many others lack. They are quite beautiful and majestic. The Bhagavad Gita was translated in Tuscany in 1912 and teh Upanishads in Boston in 1919.

As scholarly translations, his translations would not rate a five or even a four. Also, they reflect the language of the early 19th century. As texts for students who are actually practicing meditation and sadhana today, they do indeed rate a five.

Students can always later learn more about Sanskrit, if they want to get deeper into the texts, since, no matter how "exact" the translation, modern English won't ever fully convey Classical Sanskrit. Purusha, for instance, can be translated as Person, Spirit, Self, Being, Beingness, etc. Devotional Vaishnavas will say Person. Impersonal Advaitists will say Self. Paramananda says Being. Ultimately, after hearing, studying and practicing them, we make them our own.

It is quite scholarly, but the heart of the author's message comes through nicely. I recommed it for those whose hearts belong to Shiva...

The Ninteen chapters of this book cover the most important topics of the Philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism.

I once meet someone who made it up to Kashmir in the 80's and actually met Swamij Lakshmanjoo. My friend was presented with this very book and told, "if you read it over and over again you will come to understand Kashmir Shaivism." This has been my experience also, and though some of the material is deep at first, I found that with each subsequent reading this book became more and more clear.

'Kashmir Shaivism, the Secret Supreme' reads like the spoken word. It seems obvious that Swami Lakshmanjoo bases his teaching on his own personal experience.

I have been interested in Yoga and Kundalini for many years, and have read an enormous amount of material on these subjects. For the first time I find Swami Lakshmanjoo's explanations very clear and insightful.

This book is a great help to the sincere spiritual aspirant interested in the subject of Kashmir Shaivsim.

A book only for the very advanced practitioners of yoga. It is advisable to read and practice the yoga techniques from other basic yoga books available at Amazon before you even think of buying this book. I have this book but due to the warnings of the author himself have been unable to practice any of the techniques mentioned in this book.

I do not think that this book is too advanced. If anything, it is refreshing that he divulges so many secrets of yoga. Swami Satyananda is a Guru. People meet Gurus and have wild experiences that inspire them to make fundamental changes in their lives. But most Gurus do not teach their students the actual practices that caused the Guru to be able to have such a magical impact on people. The refreshing thing about this book is that Swami Satyananda divulges many of those practices in detail. Of course, like anything else, you need to be balanced in some healthy routines in your life in order to make Kundalini Yoga a healthy experience. There are people who work too much, exercise too much, eat too much. If you do anything with balance, it can be healthy. In my own practice, I have found that Kundalini Yoga has been healthy when I have done it in conjunction with daily silent meditation in groups of people. I will spend 45 minutes in a silent meditation group and then go do my yoga. The silence balances out the energy that the yoga generates. And the contact with other people further balances it out. I can see how it might be unhealthy if someone was not doing silent meditation, or if they did not have a lot of group contact with people. But when you have those balancing influences, books like this are very empowering because they give invaluable perspective on the experiences that occur in the unfoldment of anyone's spiritual practice.

It is an excellent presentation of philosophy done in a way of finding God through the mother nature.

I found this book by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to be both heartwarming and thought provoking. At one stage I slept with it by my bedside and would read one of the stanzas every night before I went to sleep. It was a very sweet way to drift into slumber. Perhaps this is my good fortune to have found this advertisement to remind me to find the book again.

This book reveals the mystical significance of the AUM (OM) mantra and the deep philosophy behind the Gayatri Mantra, and how the AUM and Gayatri connect each of us through body-mind-spirit to the potential and transcendental cosmic planes of existence to develop our latent psychic, mental and physical faculties. Unfortunately, the book fails to discuss the effect of vibrational stimulation (mantra) with focused visualization on the glandular system, changing the blood chemistry and the neuronic activity of certain parts of the brain and some energy centers in the etheric body. However, it is a valuable starting point into the study of Kriya Yoga and the price is certainly right.

This is an excellent book for all those interested in SandyaVandanam and serious Gayatri Mantram Recitation. Please read and get enlightened on the meanings of Slokas.

Ramanuja is one of the greatest exponents of the shri vaishnava tradition. Ramanuja looks at Gita from the view point of Bhakthi yoga. Ramanuja's commentary should be read if one wants to go deeply into indian spirituality especially the vedanta. The translator belongs to the Ramakrishna order, a non-profit organisation started by Swami Vivekananda.

I have taught the Gita to students for years and have never found such a lucid, insightful and intelligent viepoint as this one. Indeed, many translations I find either dry or confusing in comparison to this brilliant gem. Ramanuja was a true saint with real Light and brings to his version of this ancient scripture living wisdom. Many concepts I never guessed were really buried in the Gita emerged only after I studied this Gita Bhasya. I simply bless the day I discovered this wonderful book.

"The Teachings of Lord Caitanya" by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami informs the reader of the theological tradition begun over 500 years ago in India by Sri Caitanya Saraswati. Some of the major themes discussed include anthropomorphism, polymorphism, and transcendant relationships. The book is structured as conversations with five individuals, reflecting the five modes of relationship defined by Caitanya: passive, servitude, friendship, parental care, and conjugal love.

The most prominent theme in the book is the promotion of anthropomorphism. A strong didactic tone is used to deride impersonalists, those who identify the impersonal Brahman as the Ultimate Reality. In this sense, Caitanya can be classified as a Hindu fundamentalist. In every case, literal meaning is preferred to metaphorical interpretation, and sophistication is castigated.

One problem in this presentation is the difficulty in translation to English. Not all of the Sanskrit terms are translated, leaving the reader with only a vague understanding. For example: "The personal form of Krsna can be divided into two: svayam-rupa and svayam prakasa. As far as His svayam-rupa (or pastime form) is concerned, it is in that form that He always remains in Vrndavana with the inhabitants of Vrndavana."(p 73) "There are also forms of Krsna which are a little different, and these are called tadekatma-rupa forms. These may be further divided into the vilasa and svamsa forms, which in turn have many different features and can be divided into prabhava and vaibhava forms." (p 75) Although sufficient examples are given to support the theological concept of polymorphism, some of the terms (such as prakasa and tadekatma) remain undefined.

One of the least comprehensible portions of the book is the discussion of the relationship between Sri Caitanya and Ramananda Raya. The basis of the depth of their embarrasingly emotional relationship is not clear, and the strange episode establishing Caitanya's divinity is not particularly convincing.

This book is pleasant to read. Each chapter flows nicely into the next. But the reader needs to be tolerant of the difficulties mentioned above in order to get the spiritual benefit of the teachings of one of the world's greatest mystics, Sri Caitanya Saraswati.

Mike Aigen

Anyone who can find and read this book is a very lucky person. I can only say the best about this book which changed my life. And thanks to Prabhupada for putting this book in such a easy-to-read format.

The term Upanishad has been translated in many ways, "sitting near devotedly", "secret teachings", and the more elaborate, "knowledge of God." It is the knowledge of God that truly captures the essence of the Upanishads.

The 7th century scholar, Shankara, describes the Upanishads as "the knowledge of Brahman, the knowledge that destroys the bond of ignorance and leads to the supreme goal of freedom." Each Upanishad illustrates the path towards discovering this inner knowledge, thus achieving escape from samsara, or this world of suffering.

This translation contains the twelve standard Upanishads, including one of the most famous, the Brihad-aranyaka, which is the oldest and largest of these ancient scriptures.
This work embodies the mystical and esoteric aspects of ancient Hindu philosophy, and serves as an interesting and enlightening guide to knowledge of Self.

I am so glad to see this classic translation back in print. If you have ever been intimidated by the multi-volume scholarly translations of the Upanishads, then this book is for you. I still marvel at how Prabhavananda and Manchester managed to encapsulate so much of the core content and meaning of the twelve principle Upanishads in such a slim volume. Yet they did- and it works.

Of course if you truly understand these oldest of mystical scriptures then you could condense them down still further to:
Brahma is true, the world is false,
The soul is Brahma and nothing else.

Or if that is a bit wordy for you, then you can sum up the Upanishads, and all the Vedas, with: "Tat tvam asi" (Thou art that.)

Most people need to work up to the true understanding of these statements with a bit more commentary, however....

As you have come into this world, leave some marks behind. Otherwise, there is no difference between you and the stones and the trees...said Vivekananada, the great spiritual master of all times. This book contains Vivekananda's Jnana-Yoga, Raja-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, and Inspired Talks, together with additional lectures, poems, and letters. Nice Introduction by Swami Nikhalananda with biography and photographs of Swami Vivekananda.Vivekananda said 'Do not care what be your color - green blue or red. Mix up all colors and produce that intense glow of white, color of love and through this book shows reasons of faith and immense study of vedanta focus on spiritual recognition and achieve self realization. He believed that, Truth, purity and unselfishness - wherever these are present, there is no power below or above the sun to crush the possessor thereof.This book makes one understand the spiritual culture and westerners get a peak a boo into the religious consciousness leading to one god - the universal creation known by name god. A nice read.

This book is an utter masterpiece! It is a collection of the writings and the lectures of a Perfected Master, divinity in flesh. Perfection is noted everywhere, from his vast knowledge of the subject matter down to his unique text. A superb treasure of Truth!

Best of Breed. This book is the best one I have read on Yoga. If it included the headstand in a manner similar to Salutation to the Sun, the book would be perfect. (The headstand is not included). This book is also published in Spanish; titled Yoga para el Estres isbn 84-88242-75-1. Yoga para el Estres is exactly the same (text and illustrations) as Yoga for Stress Relief. Considering the large spanish speaking marketplace, I recommend that amazon look into acquiring this publication from the spanish publisher (Gaia Ediciones)for availability on amazon.com

I appreciate the easy to follow instructions and illustrations and that the poses are organized into routines instead of this being a simple "pictionary" of poses. The routines vary in difficulty and you can build up to them. The only reason I wouldn't give it five stars is because I wish it had a little more, but for basics or beginners it was great.

I liked this book very much.I have just started practising yoga and this book was easy to understand and use.What I liked very much about this book was that it explained where stress comes from and why and how to prevent it beside using the exercises.