There is no other book that explains both the philosophies and religions of India in their full historical development. The Indian Way is accessible to beginning students, and does justice to the Indian tradition s richness of religious and philosophical thought. Clear and powerful explanations of yajna and dharma, and appealing, intimate descriptions of Krishna, Kali, and Shiva allow students to read some of the great Indian texts for themselves."

This is the best introduction to Vedanta and to Sankara's philosophy. The Upadesaasahasri, or A Thousand Teachings consists of a metrical part and a prose part. In the metrical part, Sankara discusses the basic philosophical problems of non-dualism, at the same time refuting the teachings of other philosophical schools. In the prose part, he explains how to teach the way to self realization--to enlightenment.

Sankara and the great Abhinavagupta are generally regarded as the two greatest thinkers in the long history of Indian philosophy. Sankara represented Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic...