WIJSHEID VAN INDIA

The spiritual heritage of India has become an essential part of Western thinking. Here, two of the world's greatest religions were born, as well as the techniques of release and ecstasy that bequeathed yoga, Tantra and the legendary powers of the yogis to future centuries.This book describes the main themes in the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and other spiritual traditions of India, and explores their points of contact with Western preoccupations — above all the quest for an understanding of the human predicament.That the Indian legacy has become such a potent influence in the West is due largely to the new ambassadors of Indian spirituality — the religious leaders and gurus who have brought its message westward. The book gives due emphasis to their teachings, summarizing the main points of their beliefs.A documentary reference section at the back of the book includes a guide to meditation techniques, a gazetteer of sacred pilgrimages, and a full glossary of specialist terms, with profiles of gods and goddesses.Richard Waterstone was born in Calcutta and spent several years in India before completing his MA in Anthropology at Edinburgh University based on field work with a rainforest tribe in Kerala, South India. He studied Sanskrit at Edinburgh, under Paul Dundas, who has served as General Consultant for this book. Richard Waterstone has presented a documentary for BBC television on the effects of deforestation in Thailand, and in 1993 was nominated for the Amnesty International Journalism Award.