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  One day when P'ang layman (740-808)was selling bamboo baskets at the market place of Hung-chou.
Seeing a monk begging alms, he took out a cash and said:
-Can you tell me how to appreciate alms?
The monk had nothing to say.
P'ang... continue...

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The majority of the following books are from the library of Chon Tri. Many of the summaries and in his own words. If you wish to purchase the book, click on the cover image and you will be linked to Amazon.com.
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buy this book 101. HINDU: HEART OF AWARENESS: A TRANSLATION OF THE ASHTAVAKRA GITA
by Thomas Byrom (translator)
Publisher: Random House, Inc (ISBN #: 1570628971, Paperback, 128 pp, November 2001)
» Submit a review

Summary
From The Critics
This is a beautiful rendering of Advaita Vedanta teachings written by a follower of Shankara probably working in either the 8th or the 14th century C.E. The text sees duality as the root of evil, asserts the importance of belief in sharing one's world as limited or unbounded, and confidently proclaims radical monism. This book can increase understanding of the most important Hindu philosophical system and provide practical wisdom not only for Hindus but also for those inspired by the lyrical and ecstatic mysticism it conveys. Library Journal

buy this book 102. HINDU: MAHABHARATA: THE GREATEST SPIRITUAL EPIC OF ALL TIME
by Krishna Dharma (translator)
Publisher: Torchlight Publishing (ISBN #: 1887089179, Hardcover: 944 pages, August 1999)
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Summary
FROM THE PUBLISHER
One of the oldest and most cherished of all Indian classics, filled with deep spiritual wisdom, it is the story of five heroic brothers who were destined to rule a vast kingdom.

FROM THE CRITICS
Midwest Book Review
Dharma successfully captures the mood and majesty of a rich and ancient epic and, in the process, does full justice to the critical elements of the complex story? A well-wrought saga that will be appreciated by Western readers and admirably serve to introduce a new generation to the rich spiritual, cultural, and historic legacy of India. Highly recommended.

Mahesh Nair - India Today
Rarely, if ever, has an ancient epic received such modern blockbuster treatment? The narrative moves effortlessly, often as racily as a thriller, without compromising the elevated style and diction. The visual imagery is every bit as impressive as anything achieved in the cinematic editions.

James F. DeRoche - Library Journal
Dharma’s Mahabharata is very readable, its tone elevated without being ponderous. Though condensed, it still runs to more than 900 pages and would interest all serious students of Hinduism. Recommended for academic libraries and public libraries with collections on religion.

buy this book 103. HINDU: MEDITATION, MIND AND PATANJALI'S YOGA: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH FOR EVERYONE
by Swami Bhaskarananda
Publisher: Viveka Press (ISBN #: 1884852033, Paperback, 253 pp, June 2001)
» Submit a review

Summary
Book Description
A comprehensive yet utterly engaging book on meditation, Yoga and other spiritual practices, with special reference to Patanjali. The book discusses in depth finding a genuine spiritual teacher, meditation techniques, Japa, over-coming spiritual obstacles, Yoga, Samkhya philosophy, stages of spiritual growth, levels of illumination, and how to remove stress.

buy this book 104. HINDU: RAMAYANA: "INDIA'S IMMORTAL TALE OF ADVENTURE,LOVE AND WISDOM - REVISED EDITION"
by Valmiki, Krishan Dharma (translator), Michael Galligan (illustrator)
Publisher: Torchlight Publications (ISBN #: 1887089225, Hardcover: 488 pages , August 2000)
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Summary
Author's comments, May 1, 2001
Reviewer: Krishna Dharma (Manchester UK)
Ramayana must rank as one of the most loved and revered books of all time. A part of India's ancient Vedas, it is a beautiful story of romance and adventure. It recounts the history of Rama, said be an incarnation of the Godhead, and his divine consort Sita. Filled with magic and mysticism, it entrances the reader and stirs deeply moving emotions. At the same time its profound spiritual messages leave one feeling uplifted and enriched. This is a novelisation of the classic. It contains all the essential narrative of the original Sanskrit poem, but written in a contemporary style. Whilst adhering closely to the original, I have tried to make it as readable as possible, using the techniques of character development and dramatisation to draw the reader into the action. By weaving in other spiritual commentaries on this sacred text, I have also tried to offer the reader the benefit of the wisdom of India's seers and sages. As I am sure you will discover when your read the book, that wisdom is as relevant in today's stressful world as it was thousands of years ago, when it was first written.

buy this book 105. HINDU: SANKARA ON THE YOGA SUTRAS
by Trevor Leggett
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass (ISBN #: 8120810287, Hardcover: 418 pages , February 1996)
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Summary
Editorial Reviews

Book Description
This is a complete English translation of a highly significant Sanskrit sub-commentary vivarana purporting to be by Sankara, on the Yoga sutras of Patanjali. The vivarana is written with great originality. The long commentary on God completely jettisons the narrow sutra definition in favour of a supreme Creator, as evidenced by many ingenious arguments on the lines of the present-day cosmological anthropic principle. The doctrine that the future already exists, and that time is purely relative, anticipate the Einstein era.

buy this book 106. HINDU: SELF-KNOWLEDGE (ATMABODHA)
by Sankaracarya, Swami Nikhilananda (translator)
Publisher: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center (ISBN #: 0911206116, Hardcover: 248 pages , March 1987)
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Summary
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Self-Knowledge is published by The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York which bases it teachings on the principles of Vedanta, or Hinduism. Hinduism teaches that every soul is potentially divine, and that its divinity may be manifested through worship, contemplation, unselfish work, and philosophical discrimination. According to Hinduism, Truth is universal and all humankind and all existence are one. It preaches the unity of the Godhead, or ultimate Reality, and accepts every faith as a valid means for its own followers to realize the Truth.
SYNOPSIS
Self-Knowledge is a translation by Swami Nikhilananda of the sacred text, Atmabodha, composed by the 8th century philosopher and mystic of India, Sankara. Self-Knowledge sets forth the principles of Non-dualistic Vedanta: the divinity of the soul, the unity of existence, the oneness of the Godhead, and the harmony of religions.

buy this book 107. HINDU: SHANKARA'S CREST JEWEL OF DISCRIMINATION: TIMELESS TEACHINGS ON NON-DUALITY
by Shankara, Swami Prabhavananda & Christopher Isherwood (translators)
Publisher: Vedanta Press (ISBN #: 0874810388, Hardcover, 139 pp, June 1970)
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Summary
Translation of the Vivekachudamani, April 18, 2001
Reviewer: Per Kistler (Zurich, Switzerland)

Prabhavananda used to be an indian monk of the Ramakrishna order directing the hollywood branch of that organisation in the first half of the last century. Isherwood was a famous writer who worked together with Prabhavananda. They translated indian scriptures and wrote several books, either together or independently. This particular book is a translation of the Vivekachudamani, a compact presentation of advaita vedanta, attributed to Shankara. It's pleasant to read and contains deep wisdom. The Ramakrishna Vivekananda Organisation has also another version of the Vivekachudamani on sale, which contains the Sanskrit text as well.

buy this book 108. HINDU: TEN UPANISHADS OF FOUR VEDAS
by Ram K. Piparaiya (editor)
Publisher: Bhavan's Book University & Indusvista Heritage Res (ISBN #: 8172762984, Library Binding: 609 pages, December 2003)
» Submit a review

Summary
Book Description
Upanishads are a record of human mind’s earliest comtemplative flights to the Unknown. Many of the anonymous seekers preceded great Masters and Prophets like Lao-Tzu, Confucius, Socrates, Zoroaster, Buddha, Mahavira, Abraham and Jesus, by at least a few centuries.
Upanishads are ahead of even modern times. Physicists’ concept of Ultimate Reality has progressed from atoms to sub-atomic particles to vibrating strings; and search for a Theory of Everything continues. Upanishads declare that Ultimate Reality – or what we call "God"–is Pure and Absolute Consciousness. Space–time, matter–energy and life– mind are It’s conditioned and relative manifestations. Human mind is a miniature Cosmic Mind. Everything in the universe is interconnected. Micro and micro-worlds have identical patterns. The universe is an embodiment of perfect harmony when viewed in it’s totality. Upanishads point to interplay of ego and Self as the root cause of evil and good. Every person has a unique ego, which makes him different from all others. However every person has one and the same Self, which makes him concerned for others. Ego helps progress, but it also gives rise to evils like selfishness, possessiveness and intolerance. These are balanced by enhancing our awareness of One Self in all. Knowledge of Self spurs peace. We need both progress and peace.
Upanishads use many captivating dialogues, stories and metaphors to bring out the relationship between man, God and world. Timeless truths are condensed in profound aphorisms. After a few glimpses of Upanisadic texts, their mere presence on a bookshelf inspires thoughts of wisdom.

buy this book 109. HINDU: THE BHAGAVAD GITA
by Juan Mascaro (translator)
Publisher: Penguin Classics; Revised Edition (ISBN #: 0140449183, Paperback: 160 pages , January 2003)
» Submit a review

Summary
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Richard (me@pss3.com), spiritual seeker..., August 25, 2003,
A magnificent translation - a MUST read
It's never easy to translate a story from a language such as Sanskrit, and even those most fluent in it are rarely as gifted as the divinely-inspired golden words of the original. It would be accurate to say 'A cold wind is not nearly as rotten as an ungrateful person.' But do these words really convey Shakespeare's anguished lament when he said: 'Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man's ingratitude.' Similarly, a great translation must be written by someone as brilliant and talented as the work being translated, and, by God, Juan Mascaro is! I have read many a Bhagavad Gita, but never was another translation as beautiful or inspiring as this one. The introduction alone is worth ten times the price of this little book (do NOT skip THIS introduction!). I could, of course, wax on and on about this fabulous tome, but what would be the point? All i could convey to you about Hinduism and the Bhagavad Gita can simply be summed up in 3 little words: READ THIS BOOK. Don't waste your time on any other translation. Disregard my advice at your own peril. :-)

buy this book 110. HINDU: THE BHAGAVAD GITA
by Swami Radhakrishnan (translator)
Publisher: HarperCollins; New Edition (ISBN #: 1855384574, Paperback: 400 pages, January 1995)
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Summary
The most poetic of translations., September 18, 2002
Reviewer: David Fowler (Bellevue, WA USA)
Gandhi found this translation of the Gita to be the best he was able to find. Little more need be said.

Reviewer: S. C. Curtis "oakshaman" (Sturgeon Bay, WI United States)
This text is the excellent verse translation of Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904.) The Sanscrit terminology is all explained either in the forward, in footnotes, or immediately in the poetical, but highly comprehendable, text. I am not sure why this particular volume is listed as "abridged" for it is not. It is only abridged in the sense that the Bhagavadgita is an abridgment of the larger Mahabharata.

Possibly the best commentary of Bhagavadgita ever written, October 7, 1997
Reviewer: chuck@mailhost.mitani.co.jp (Fukui, Japan)
S. Radhakrishnan's is the best commentary I have ever read on the background to the meaning of the Gita and it's application to correct daily living. I own eleven translations of the Gita that I have read and studied for the past ten years and this is by far the most moving of them all. Each verse or group of verses is dealt with in a sensitive and often times inspiring manner. If one loves the Gita one will grow to love the God who inspired it even more by reading and rereading this text. A close second, in depth and feeling is Juan Muscaro's introduction to his translation of the Gita (Penguin Classics). If you want to learn to live a better life, this is a highly recommended source of wisdom.

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