Suggestion the best Hinduism Book

[Guest guest]

I am interested in learning more about hinduism, can someone please suggest a good starting point for a clueless newbee. I am looking for the bible equivalent. please can someone help in suggesting the best book to buy.

 

Thanks

[cbrahma 0]

The 'Hindu' bible if you want to call it that is the Bhagavad-Gita. I would recommend the 'Bhagavad Gita As It Is' by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhativedanta Swami Prabhupada.

 

 

I am interested in learning more about hinduism, can someone please suggest a good starting point for a clueless newbee. I am looking for the bible equivalent. please can someone help in suggesting the best book to buy.

 

Thanks

[Guest guest]

Thanks, I will give it a try

[Avinash 0]

 

Thanks, I will give it a try

 

I personally like reading a book in its printed form and not from Internet. I use Internet version of a book only sometimes for quick reference. But, in case, you want to see the Internet version of Bhagavad Gita As It Is (the book which cbrahma suggested), then you can see it on www.asitis.com

 

However, Gita is a scripture of Hinduism. It is not just any scripture but a highly sacred scripture. So, it should not just be read but studied thoroughly and should be treated with reverence. I do not think all this is possible just by reading it on your computer. But still I have given the URL in case you need it sometime for some quick reference.

[Tomasso 0]

In addition to the Gita, I would recommend The Vedic Experience, by Raimon Panikkar. In fact, the book is online: just do a google search for "vedic experience panikkar" and go to the first search entry (it should be the "himalayanacademy" site).

[Guest guest]

 

I am interested in learning more about hinduism, can someone please suggest a good starting point for a clueless newbee. I am looking for the bible equivalent. please can someone help in suggesting the best book to buy.

 

Thanks

 

To begin with, there is no bible equivalent in Hinduism.

 

Hinduism is a combination of several different beliefs and the Gita is only one tiny part of it. To learn about Hinduism you should read a general writing that covers the different stream of Hinduism in some detail. Following that, you can then pick the most interesting one and go into detail.

 

I recommend the excellent <i>History of Indian Philosophy</i> by S.N.Dasgupta. This extensive work is published in five volumes by Motilal Banarsidass. The five volumes contain,

 

I -> Buddhism, Jainism, the old 6 schools of Hindu thought

II -> Advaita, Bhagavad Gita

III -> Vishistadvaita, Puranas, Pancharatra and other Vaishnava schools

IV -> Dvaita, Bhagavata Purana, Gaudiya Vaishnava

V -> Shaivism - primarily South Indian

 

As one can see, there is a lot more going on in Hinduism than just the Gita. There are other smaller introductory texts available on Amazon, etc.

[Guest guest]

Some possibilities:

 

Ten Questions People Ask About Hinduism

(full color sixteen page booklet) $1.50

 

Yoga's Forgotten Foundation

(224 pages) $19.95

 

from Himalayan Academy Publications

all books online at their website

[Guest guest]

In South India this scripture is sworn on in courts of law:

 

The Tirukural

by Saint Tiruvalluvar

 

1,080 verses

2,200 years old

"The world's ultimate ethical guide" -- Albert Schweitzer

 

There are many versions, one is available online

published by Himalayan Academy

or at many libraries

[Guest guest]

Also spelled Thirukkural. Just google it. Wikipedia says this:

 

"It finds a widespread acceptance as the gospel of the Tamils among followers of all religions, creeds, and castes..."

 

"Every major tradition in Tamil Nadu tries to say that it belongs to their religion (Jain, Shaivite, Vaishnavism, Buddhism)..."

 

Non-sectarian; Discusses Universal human virtues embraced by many religions

 

"I wanted to learn Tamil, only to enable me to study [saint] Valluvar's [original] Thirukkural...There is no one who has given such a treasure of wisdom like him" --Gandhi

 

"There hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of maxims such as the lofty wisdom as in Thirukkural" --Dr. Albert Schweitzer

[Brahmanyan 0]

There are a number of Books published by Sri Ramakrishna Mission on Hunduism. I would suggest you to find the details in their Listing of Publications. To start with you can get a copy of The Hinduism by Swami Nikhilananda. This is a good book.

[nitai16108 0]

Hare Krishna

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupad

 

Read the books of authors who is authorised and received the knowledge from Lord Krishna directly.

 

I recommend strongly first read The book named "The science of self realization" written by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

 

Firstly

1.one should know who he is really.

2.He should enquire why is he is here in this material world and suffering much with diseases and more...

 

Hare Krishna