- Paperback: 1 pages
- Publisher: INNER TRADITIONS INTL (Dec 31 1990)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0892814543
- ISBN-13: 978-0892814541
- Product Dimensions: 21.5 x 24 x 0.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #525,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
Hartsuiker, a psychologist and world traveler, presents the lifestyle and beliefs of the sadhus, or Hindu holy men, in a format that is beautiful, thorough, and up-to-date. Over 100 clear and dramatic color photos of these holy men add depth and visual power to a text that itself is a masterful presentation of a complex but fascinating subject. Hartsuiker has done a marvelous job of explaining the Hindu concepts forming the foundational beliefs of these holy men, as well as explaining how the various sects developed. Separate chapters are given to those sadhus who are devotees of Shiva and Vishnu. The symbolism of the holy men's physical appearance, unfamiliar to Westerners, is lucidly explained; the color photos are strikingly captivating. An excellent bibliography is also included. Hartsuiker has given us what is sure to become a classic text on this subject. Highly recommended.
- David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
An amazing book in every sense of the word. -- The Bloomsbury Review
An important and positive contribution toward revealing India's rich, vast and mysterious religious diversity. -- Hinduism Today
I've found no comparable work on the subject. -- KK, Whole Earth, Winter 2000
This is an arresting portrait of an unusual group of people. -- MG, Napra Trade Journal
An important and positive contribution toward revealing India's rich, vast and mysterious religious diversity. -- Hinduism Today
I've found no comparable work on the subject. -- KK, Whole Earth, Winter 2000
This is an arresting portrait of an unusual group of people. -- MG, Napra Trade Journal
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I found this book fascinating,
By Andrew Olivo Parodi (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sadhus (Paperback)
This is one of my favorite books. Just by looking at the pictures I feel as though I am put in a higher state of consciousness. These men - and a few women - are fascinating. The pictures are beautifully done, and the text is very informative and provides information regarding the different groups of Sadhus and their - by our society's standards - unusual practices. Two things that I found interesting about this book were: the discussion of rituals done by the Sadhus with the intention of shedding light on the non-duality of life ("life is death, death is life"), and that to the Sadhu "rationality" is not the prime objective in life. The book says that what is considered rational is too grounded in the transient world of appearances to be of concern to the Sadhu. The goal of the Sadhu is to go beyond the world of appearances and duality, and that often means going beyond what the world would consider rational. This is a group of people that most of us will probably never be able to fully understand, and I certainly do not claim that I do. But I find them fascinating and very inspiring. This book is one of the best documentations of their life and world which, as the book mentions, may sadly be coming to an end due to the influence of the West.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews) 23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unassuming Study Of Human Devotion,
By Dr Lawrence Hauser - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Sadhus (Paperback)
The men (and very occasionally women) portrayed in this inconspicuous volume are compelling in the extreme. It is only necessary to gaze at their faces and ash-dusted bodies to fully appreciate the gift of this work. But the author/photographer offers so much more.As a study in psychology in extremis, the wealth of behavioral detail and description is satisfying. And the diverse, often incredibly imaginative, rituals of self-abnegation are conveyed with tremedous sensitivty and scrupulous balance. The text is dense, and possibly impenetrable in places. It is academic in its emphasis on getting every possible relevant detail down. So one is met with an avalanche of esoterica upon delving in. Perhaps the writing assumes a bit of knowlege and sophistication in Eastern ways? But it really doesn't matter anyway. Somehow a sense of what is important filters through after a while. And the photo captions are well-written and fascinating. This is a picture of a society of devotees who have given it ALL up in order to stay exquisitely near to the timeless, pitiless cycle of death and regeneration that powers all life. The book itself is clearly an act of devotion to that extaordinay commitment. 16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Culturally educative,
By Gabriel Cohen Henriquez - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Sadhus (Paperback)
I went to India twice, the first time for 4 months, and sadhus are definetly one of the most interesting people of the hindu world. Obviously their lifestyle is not comprehended by westerners and even less by closed-minded people who probably have never been to another continent with a different culture (as reviewer fro Hawaii); or if they have, they still have'nt learned to respect the differences and traditions among different societies. Since my first trip to India I saw this book on many bookstores there, and after comparing it to many others this is the one with the best pictures of the holly men. Incomprehension should not be a cause of disrespect; actually, this has caused wars, and still does.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Offers an esoteric perspective of Hinduism.,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Sadhus (Paperback)
Cool color pictures, and intense documentation on the fascinating aspect of Hinduism that someone who's never been to India would have a hard time learning about. This is the India that non-Indians think of when they hear the term "India;" mysterious, forboding, and hard for the mind to think of for too long without profound bewilderment. Reccomend to anyone with even a mild interest in India or Hinduism, as is this is an integral part of her past, present, and undoubtedly, her future.
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