Memoir of an Artist is a compelling account of an unpredictable life that stretches through India, Nigeria, and Paris. As a student, he was a witness to the student revolt in Paris in 1968; in the seventies, he was in Nigeria observing the post-Biafra scenario as a teacher in the university. As a product of institutional education that shaped and groomed the new artists, he realizes the impact of Eurocentric dialogue on Indian art so imposing that it makes Indian art in perpetual transit. ...

Th e art of vernacular painting in India is not only varied and rich but also intriguing for several reasons. With such observations the book addresses certain issues, like the validity of the historical information on Indian Art that excludes vernacular trends. The information on vernacular art in India has either been ignored such as in ancient literary discourses or inadvertently misconstrued within the theoretical purviews of modern days. If the hierarchy of the Hindu caste system has ...

Gods in the Bazaar is a fascinating account of the printed images known in India as “calendar art” or “bazaar art,” the color-saturated, mass-produced pictures often used on calendars and in advertisements, featuring deities and other religious themes as well as nationalist leaders, alluring women, movie stars, chubby babies, and landscapes. Calendar art appears in all manner of contexts in India: in chic elite living rooms, middle-class kitchens, urban slums, village huts; hung o...

*Does Buddhism require faith? Can an atheist or agnostic follow the Buddha’s teachings without believing in reincarnation or organized religion?This is one man’s confession.*In his classic Buddhism Without Beliefs, Stephen Batchelor offered a profound, secular approach to the teachings of the Buddha that struck an emotional chord with Western readers. Now, with the same brilliance and boldness of thought, he paints a groundbreaking portrait of the historical Buddha...

How can we live a balanced life in unbalanced times? How can the practices of meditation and yoga support our relationships, our work lives, and the greater good? Author, teacher, and psychotherapist Michael Stone presents the essential insights of mindfulness and yoga, emphasizing the teachings of simplicity and the interdependence of all life.Stone explains that the practices of yoga and meditation are not about escaping reality but about living fully in the here and now, opening...

Buddhism is a vast and complex religious and philosophical tradition with a history that stretches over 2,500 years, and which is now followed by around 115 million people. In this introduction to the foundations of Buddhism, Rupert Gethin concentrates on the ideas and practices which constitute the common heritage of the different traditions of Buddhism (Thervada, Tibetan, and Eastern) which exist in the world today. From the narrative of the story of the Buddha, throughdiscussions of asp...

Existence is a constant reminder, according to Osho; one just needs to be sensitive and alert to pick up the messages. The selected quotes in one of Osho’s most accessible books create an urgency very much in tune with a growing worldwide awareness that everything is not right with humanity and our beautiful planet Earth. These powerful meditations cover a wide range of subjects including love, death, friendship, and hate; together they remind us that we have only one moment in our hands, ...

Dating from about the third century A.D., the Yoga Sutra distills the essence of the physical and spiritual discipline of yoga into fewer than two hundred brief aphorisms. It is the core text for any study of meditative practice, revered for centuries for its brilliant analysis of mental states and of the process by which inner liberation is achieved. Yet its difficulties are legendary, and until now, no translation has made it fully accessible.This new translation, hailed...

Interest in India has never been greater. Here Shashi Tharoor, one of the subcontinent’s most respected writers and diplomats, offers precious insights into this complex, multifaceted land, which despite its dazzling diversity of languages, customs, and cultures remains-more than sixty years after its founding-the world’s largest democracy. He describes the vast changes that have transformed this once sleeping giant into a world leader in science and technology, a nation once poverty-stric...

Some twenty-five centuries after the Buddha started teaching, his message continues to inspire people across the globe, including those living in predominantly secular societies. What does it mean to adapt religious practices to secular contexts?   Stephen Batchelor, an internationally known author and teacher, is committed to a secularized version of the Buddha’s teachings. The time has come, he feels, to articulate a coherent ethical, contemplative, and philosophical vision of ...

In The World We Have peace activist and venerable Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh offers a dramatic vision of the future of our planet facing multiple crises.Thich Nhat Hanh finds answers to the critical problems of our time in the Buddhist teaching of the impermanence. He demonstrates how this teaching can offer inner peace and help us use our collective wisdom and capability to restore the Earth's balance.Mixing inspiring insights with practical strategies, Thic...

Hinduism is practised by nearly eighty per cent of India's population, and by some seventy million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyses the challenges facing it in the twenty-first century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of Brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, a...