This is the second volume in the series of books published under the title ‘Self Empowering Wisdom –Through Deeper Interpretations of Mythologies, Sciences and Spiritual Texts.’ It contains 85 short articles on various spiritual and existential themes aimed at the elevation of human consciousness to a higher level. The purpose of this book is to collate the wisdom, which is increasingly revealing itself in our lives, as the consciousness of Homo Sapiens is being peeled open like the opening of a bud into a fragrant flower or the metamorphosis of the pupae into a lovely butterfly. This is an ongoing journey of human consciousness ascending through the wisdom of the ancients which was enclosed in mythological narrations, then through the deep insight of spiritual masters more explicitly expressed in sacred texts and now, in the present age, through scientific discoveries unravelling the cosmic dimension and the nature of our existence. The content of each article is to bring to light the interconnectivity so that the esoteric and mystical dimensions of mythologies and scriptures are made easy for grasping through current knowledge in the area of sciences, psychology and arts. I am sure that this book will be an empowering tool for all seekers as to the true purpose of our creation and the multiverse in which we live.

Gaudapada was one of the world’s greatest philosophers in seventh-century India. He invokes the mystical symbol ‘AUM’ (pronounced as ‘ohm’) pointing to the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) and the nature of reality itself. In the text on which this book is based, he writes that the waker, dreamer and deep-sleeper are like the roles that an actor plays at various times. All three states are the result of ignorance and error. Who we really are is the fourth aspect – the actor himself. If you see or feel a ‘thing’, then that ‘thing’ is not ‘real.’ So the waking world is no more real than the dream. ‘You’ have never been born. Nothing has ever been created. Causality is a myth. Discover your true nature to be Existence-Consciousness, without limitations, undivided and infinite, prior to time and space. Incredible? Read...and be convinced by the irrefutable logic of Gaudapada.

ABOUT THE BOOK:The Chandogya Upanisad: The culture it reflects is remote and archaic, the texture of its ritualistic and contemplative symbolism thick and dense--virtually a closed book for us moderns. A sustained self-submitting attentiveness, howeve

Comparing Religions is a next-generation textbook which expertly guides, inspires, and challenges those who wish to think seriously about religious pluralism in the modern world. A unique book teaching the art and practice of comparing religions Draws on a wide range of religious traditions to demonstrate the complexity and power of comparative practices Provides both a history and understanding of comparative practice and a series of thematic chapters showing how responsible practice is done A three part structure provides readers with a map and effective process through which to grasp this challenging but fascinating approach The author is a leading academic, writer, and exponent of comparative practice Contains numerous learning features, including chapter outlines, summaries, toolkits, discussion questions, a glossary, and many images Supported by a companion website (available on publication) at www.wiley.com/go/kripal, which includes information on individual religious traditions, links of other sites, an interview with the author, learning features, and much more

Contributed articles on an educationist from India.

The world today is facing a bewildering array of problems where human behavior is both brazen and bizarre. Those who are searching for a way out are daring to ask fundamental questions: What is man’s rightful place? Are we a doomed species? Is God becoming weary of mankind? In Man’s Fate and God’s Choice, Bhimeswara Challa shares his comprehensive study of human behavior that suggests that the very paradigm of our thinking is inappropriate for the current challenges we face. In a thoughtful, innovative presentation of ideas, Challa posits that any betterment in human behavior needs a cathartic change at the deepest level, ultimately reawakening the intelligence of the human heart. He begins by examining the greatest challenge of this generation of human beings and continues by placing the multiple identities of man in perspective, reviewing our growing insensitivity to human suffering. Finally, he looks to the living world for inspiration, metaphors, and models for human transformation. Man’s Fate and God’s Choice incisively covers an array of issues and proposes an agenda for action as it challenges those who see misery and ask “Why?” to also see the promise in the rainbow and then ask “Why not?”

Swami Vivekananda’s towering personality influenced innumerable persons in India and abroad in various ways. The impress which his life and character made on those persons who were about him and the recounting of those memories by them, reveal the multiple facets of Swamiji’s magnanimous personality. This book published by Advaita Ashrama, Publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, contains some of those reminiscences which would be not only interesting, but also a revelation to all the admirers of the great Swami. Twenty-two new reminiscences have been added in this edition – Swamis Shivananda, Turiyananda, Saradananda, Akhandananda, Vijnanananda, Achalananda, Atulananda, Virajananda, and Sadananda, as also Brajendranath Seal, C. Ramanujachari, Kumudbandhu Sen, Lillian Montgomery, Mohanlal Shah, Mary Tapan Wright, Sacchindranath Bose, Manmathanath Chowdhury, Harbilas Sarda, G.G. Narasimhachari, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Shailendranath Bandopadhyay and Alice Hansbrough.

A controversial philosopher and critic of modern Western civilization, Julius Evola (1898-1974) writes about the mystical and spiritual expression of sexual love. This in-depth study explores the sexual rites of sacred traditions, and shows how religion, mysticism, folklore, and mythology all contain erotic forms in which the deep potentialities of human beings are recognized.