A cultural and intellecual history of Ancient India.
Impeccably crafted… a monumental achievement. —Rich Follett for Readers’ Favorite ★★★★★
Sitting down with the Bhagavad Gita at the age of sixteen opened many new channels in my mind. Ever since, for the best part of thirty years, I have been searching for a book on Indian thought that ties it all up, coherently and succinctly.
Write the book you want to read, they say—and this, here, is it.
While covering all the important areas (see contents list below), you will learn:
- How the Vedic gods are related to the Greek and Roman ones.
- The secret of the self that even the gods were desperate to learn.
- How to stop suffering, according to the Buddha.
- How to achieve enlightenment, according to the Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.
- How the swastika came to be appropriated by the Nazis.
- How Gandhi’s non-violence is rooted in Indian philosophy.
- Why the Kama Sutra is about a lot more than sex.
- What yoga’s actually about—not even my yoga teacher knew this.
- How the Gupta Golden Age led to the invention of zero, chess, and nose jobs.
- And much, much more.
Never before has the history of Indian thought and culture been laid out as clearly and succinctly as in Burton’s book. —Prof Nicolas Martin, Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zürich
The parallels between Indian and Greek philosophy amazed me… This book will hold your interest until the last page. —Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers’ Favorite ★★★★★
Burton shines a fascinating light on one of the world’s most ancient, and still thriving, cultures. —The US Review of Books (Recommended)
Neel is an incredibly insightful and elegant writer, with a deep knowledge of all he surveys. —Dr James Davies, medical anthropologist and psychotherapist, author of ‘Cracked’
Burton’s writing blends deep knowledge of his subject with lively anecdote and a genuine concern for how we might draw on the insights of psychology and philosophy to live a better life. Highly recommended! —Dr Gareth Southwell, philosopher and writer, author of ‘Words of Wisdom’
I’ve read many Neel Burton books. He’s a wonderful writer and able to immerse you lightly in pretty heavy stuff. —Adrian Bailey, Vine Voice
Contents List
Preface
Introduction: A Picture of India
1. The Indus Valley Civilization
2. The Aryans and their Vedas
3. Vedic Gods: Indra, Agni, Soma, and the Rest
4. Sanskrit and the Grammar of Panini
5. The Upanishads
6. Brahman and Brahma
7. Atman, or the Self
8. Karma, Samsara, Moksha, Yoga
9. Life of the Buddha
10. Buddhist Philosophy
11. The Jataka Tales
12. The Panchatantra
13. Jainism, Ahimsa, and Gandhi’s Satyagraha
14. The Mauryas: Chandragupta and Ashoka
15. Greek India
16. Dharma, the Laws of Manu, and the Caste System
17. The Arthashastra of Kautilya
18. The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana
19. The Ramayana of Valmiki
20. The Mahabharata of Vyasa
21. The Bhagavad Gita, or Song of God
22. The Puranas: Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi
23. The Guptas: The Golden Age of India
24. The Six Darshanas: Samkhya-Yoga
25. The Six Darshanas: Nyaya-Vaisheshika
26. The Six Darshanas: Mimamsa-Vedanta
Final words