Download or read book Autobiography of a Sadhu written by Rampuri and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-02-22 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first insider account of an ancient and secretive tradition • By the first foreigner to become a member, and later an elder, of the Juna Akhara, the oldest and largest grouping of Naga Babas • Filled with true accounts of magic, miracles, ghosts, and austerities • With lessons on Hindu gods, ayurveda, and Indian culture woven throughout After traveling at age 18 from his native California to India in 1969, Rampuri was drawn to the Naga Babas, an ancient and wild order of naked yogis whom he calls the “Hell’s Angels of Indian Spirituality.” Organized into a sect by Adi Shankara in the 5th century BC, the Naga Babas see themselves as the ultimate protectors of the Sanatan Dharma, or what we call the Hindu religion. Rampuri became a disciple of a Naga Baba--a master shaman sadhu--from Rajasthan and, as foretold by astrological prophecy, soon found himself the first foreigner to become an initiate of the Juna Akhara, the oldest and largest grouping of Naga Babas with more than 50,000 sadhu members. From drinking the “Nectar of Immortality” at the source of the Ganges River to allegations of tantric murder, this autobiography is filled with true accounts of magic, miracles, ghosts, and austerities, with lessons on Hindu gods, ayurveda, mantra, and Indian culture woven throughout. Through his journey of extremes, Rampuri takes us into the mystic heart of India.
Download or read book The S dhus of India written by Robert Lewis Gross and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robert Lewis Gross Provides A Richly Detailed Ethnographic Account Of India`S Colourful And Charismatic Holymen, Or Sadhus As They Are Referred To In South Asia. Through An Examination Of Their Cosmology, Sacred Symbolism, Ritual Practices, And Varied Interrelationships With The Hindu Laity, Dr. Gross Attempts To Understand The Persistence Of Ancient Traditions Of Asceticism And World Renunciation Modern Indian Social And Religious Life.
Download or read book Sadhus written by Dolf Hartsuiker and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-10-09 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An in-depth photographic study of the ascetic holy men of India • Includes more than 100 striking color photographs of Sadhus, their extreme austerities, and their holy festivals, including the Kumbha Mela • Examines the practices and beliefs of Sadhus from several different sects • Traces the historical and mythological roots of the Sadhus and shows how they have fundamentally shaped Hinduism since remote antiquity Spiritual adventurers, philosophical monks, naked ascetics, or religious transvestites, the Sadhus of India form a vital and unbroken link between the birth of yoga millennia ago and its present-day expression. Numbering in the millions, these mystic holy men are worshipped by the Hindus as representatives of the gods, yet they remain largely unknown in the West because they often live in far-off places, hidden from everyday life. In this full-color study of Sadhus more than 20 years in the making, photographer Dolf Hartsuiker illustrates the Sadhus’ world of ancient magical rituals, religious symbols, and ascetic practices. In his photographic quest across India, the author visited many holy places, attended religious festivals including the Kumbha Mela, and encountered and photographed thousands of Sadhus, befriending several as he was drawn into their inner circle. Sharing more than 100 striking color photographs from his travels, he reveals the Sadhus’ utmost devotion to their spiritual path through meditation practices, yoga exercises, penance, and austerities--sometimes taken to the extreme of prolonged self-imposed silence, bodily mortification, such as holding an arm above the head for years, or even ritual suicide--as well as their profound involvement with the mundane world as healers and teachers or magicians and sorcerers. It is a path of knowledge and devotion, renunciation and realization, sexual energy and spiritual power, divine intoxication and mystical union. The author examines the different beliefs and behaviors of each Sadhu sect, including the “sky-clad” Naga Babas, and traces their historical and mythological roots to show how they have fundamentally shaped Hinduism since antiquity. Revealing the powerful “otherworldliness” of the Sadhus, the author also exposes the mystical beauty that emanates from those who have chosen the path of asceticism in pursuit of knowledge of the Absolute and liberation from all earthly bonds.
Download or read book A History of the Dasnami Naga Sannyasis written by Ananda Bhattacharyya and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-03-05 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Organized Naga military activity originally flourished under state patronage. During the latter half of the sixteenth century and the early part of the seventeenth century, a number of bands of fighting ascetics formed into akharas with sectarian names and identities. The Dasnami Sannyasis constitute perhaps the most powerful monastic order which has played an important part in the history of India. The cult of the naked Nagas has a long history. The present volume aims to explore new findings which are available in various archives and repositories in order to fill up the lacuna in Jadunath Sarkar’s work on the subject as elaborated in the present introduction. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Download or read book The Naga Story written by Suman Bajpai and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 2024-10-16 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There was complete darkness in the room. Rumi and Shekhar shuddered on seeing the sadhus with ash on their bodies and matted hair engaged in silent meditation. The desire to know about Naga sadhus had drawn them there. Some sadhus were meditating; some were chanting loudly, some seemed to be doing silent meditation. Those sadhus were doing penance in the bone-chilling cold in the snowy solitude. Long matted hair was wrapped around their heads. The face was rough; the whole existence was covered with flames of anger - unperturbed, neutral and free from worldly troubles. One would think twice before stepping into this lonely world, but those who have passion, courage to do something, what fear do they have? The life of Shiva devotees and armed Naga Sadhus was no less than an unsolved mystery for them. They are seen in thousands in Kumbh and then suddenly disappear. Who are Naga Sadhus, how is their life and why are they called Dharmarakshak warriors - know all this in this interesting and completely new style novel.
Download or read book Cosmic Truths written by Paramahamsa Nithyananda and published by . This book was released on 1915-02-22 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Hidden Hindu 2 written by Akshat Gupta and published by Penguin Random House India Private Limited. This book was released on 2022-09-05 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first battle is lost. The book of Mritsanjeevani is in the wrong hands but Nagendra's plans are not limited only to immortality. What seemed to be the end of all wars was just the beginning of an incredible journey in search of a hidden verse. Om is still incomplete without the knowledge of his past, but he is not alone anymore. Two of the mightiest warriors of all time stand by his side. Two mysterious warriors stand unconditionally with Nagendra too or is there a hidden agendas behind all the allies? Who are LSD and Parimal in real and who is Om? Tighten your seat belts for an adventure in search of words that hold a bigger purpose than even immortality for Divinities and Demons.
Download or read book Sanskrit Non Translatables written by Rajiv Malhotra and published by Manjul Publishing. This book was released on with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sanskrit Non-Translatables is a path-breaking and audacious attempt at Sanskritizing the English language and enriching it with powerful Sanskrit words. It continues the original and innovative idea of nontranslatability of Sanskrit, first introduced in the book, Being Different. For English readers, this should be the starting point of the movement to resist the digestion of Sanskrit into English, by introducing loanwords into their English vocabulary without translation. The book presents a thorough mechanism of the process of digestion and examines the loss of adhikara for Sanskrit because of translating its core ideas into English. The movement launched by this book will resist this and stop the programs that seek to turn Sanskrit into a dead language by translating all its treasures to render it redundant. It discusses fifty-four non-translatables across various genres that are being commonly mistranslated. It empowers English speakers with the knowledge and arguments to introduce these Sanskrit words into their daily speech with confidence. Every lover of India’s sanskriti will benefit from the book and become a cultural ambassador propagating it through routine communications.
Download or read book Baba written by Rampuri and published by Harmony/Bell Tower. This book was released on 2005 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although this book often reads like a fast-paced adventure story, it is the true account of a nineteen-year-old American (the son of a Beverly Hills pediatric surgeon) who in the late 1960s, after experimenting with drugs, sex, and political activism, set off for India in search of the truth. He arrived with twenty dollars in his pocket and, enchanted by the extraordinary world he found there, explored the country until he stumbled into the presence of Hari Puri Baba, a yogi in the ancient tradition of the Renunciates of the Ten Names. Hari Puri proceeded to shave the young stranger's head and initiate him into his order. Now called Rampuri, the young man embarked on a discipleship unlike anything he had ever imagined. He had to learn Hindi and Sanskrit, overcome opposition as an outsider, and deal with the battle that raged within him as he attempted to reconcile the Western view of India with the reality of its culture and beliefs. Despite overwhelming odds and the mysterious death of his guru, he stayed the course and has remained in India to this day. As Rampuri reveals the teachings he received and describes the rituals and pilgrimages in which he participated, it becomes clear that this is an unprecedented telling of one man's sacred initiation and training and a must-read for any serious seeker.
Download or read book Hinduism and the 1960s written by Paul Oliver and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-11-20 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The West has drawn upon Hinduism on a wide scale, from hatha yoga and meditation techniques, to popular culture in music and fashion, yet the contribution of Hinduism to the counter-culture of the 1960s has not been analysed in full. Hinduism and the 1960s looks at the youth culture of the 1960s and early 1970s, and the way in which it was influenced by Hinduism and Indian culture. It examines the origins of the 1960s counter-culture in the Beat movement of the 1950s, and their interest in Eastern religion, notably Zen. When the Beatles visited India to study transcendental meditation, there was a rapid expansion in interest in Hinduism. Young people were already heading east on the so-called 'Hippie Trail', looking for spiritual enlightenment and an escape from the material lifestyle of the West. Paul Oliver examines the lifestyle which they adopted, from living in ashrams to experimenting with drugs, sexual liberation, ayurvedic medicine and yoga. This engaging book analyses the interaction between Hinduism and the West, and the way in which each affected the other. It demonstrates the ways in which contemporary Western society has learned from the ancient religion of Hinduism, and incorporated such teachings as yoga, meditation and a natural holistic lifestyle, into daily life. Each chapter contains a summary and further reading guidance, and a glossary is included at the end of the book, making this ideal reading for courses on Hinduism, Indian religions, and religion and popular culture.
Download or read book Warrior Ascetics and Indian Empires written by William R. Pinch and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-03-17 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2006 book is an innovative study of warrior asceticism in India from the 1500s to the present.
Download or read book Wandering with Sadhus written by Sondra L. Hausner and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intimate portraits of the life of Hindu Sadhus.
Download or read book The Crazy Wisdom of Ganesh Baba written by Eve Baumohl Neuhaus and published by Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. This book was released on 2010-04-26 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ganesh Baba (1895-1987) knew Lahiri Mahasaya, became a swami under Sivananda, and was the head of a sect whose followers consider entheogens to be the gift of the gods. This book contains the core of Ganesh Baba's teachings.
Download or read book The Naga Warriors 1 written by Akshat Gupta and published by Penguin Random House India Private Limited. This book was released on 2024-05-27 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To prepare for the future, our ancestors created the Naga sadhus—a clan of warriors for the protection of Dharma, as proclaimed by Adi Guru Shankaracharya in the eighth century. This sect of Shiva devotees has stood firm, living selflessly and fighting fearlessly. For centuries, they have died the death of heroes, serving and saving Dharma and the temples. In the year 1757, 111 Naga sadhus borrowed the majestic weapons of the idols of their gods. Fueled by their belief in Lord Shiva, they gathered an invincible courage to protect the temples of Gokul. They stood as an indestructible wall, led by Ajaa, a fearless Naga warrior, against the Afghan army of 4000 men, a cavalry of 200 horses and 100 camels, and 20 cannons. The brutal Afghan army was led by Sardar Khan, the most ruthless commander of Emperor Ahmed Shah Abdali, ill-famed for the demolition of temples and building a history of genocide in Bharat. The fight continues. This is the Naga warrior’s commitment to courage and determination. This is the clash of Shiva devotees against the devils that lie under men’s skin. This is the Battle of Gokul.
Download or read book The Wrestler s Body written by Joseph S. Alter and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1992-08-03 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Wrestler's Body tells the story of a way of life organized in terms of physical self-development. While Indian wrestlers are competitive athletes, they are also moral reformers whose conception of self and society is fundamentally somatic. Using the insights of anthropology, Joseph Alter writes an ethnography of the wrestler's physique that elucidates the somatic structure of the wrestler's identity and ideology. Young men in North India may choose to join an akhara, or gymnasium, where they subject themselves to a complex program of physical and moral fitness. Alter's first-hand description of each detail of the wrestler's regimen offers a unique perspective on South Asian culture and society. Wrestlers feel that moral reform of Indian national character is essential and advocate their way of life as an ideology of national health. Everyone is called on to become a wrestler and build collective strength through self-discipline.
Download or read book A River Sutra written by Gita Mehta and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-02-23 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With imaginative lushness and narrative elan, Mehta provides a novel that combines Indian storytelling with thoroughly modern perceptions into the nature of love--love both carnal and sublime, treacherous and redeeming. "Conveys a world that is spiritual, foreign, and entirely accessible."--Vanity Fair.
Download or read book Sadhus of India written by B. D. Tripathi and published by Pilgrims Book House. This book was released on 2007-12 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sadhus of India is a scholarly study of the mendicant sadhus (Hindu ascetics) of Uttar Pradesh, India, with the goal of evaluating the role and status of sadhus in modern Indian society.
