Hinduism For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)) [Paperback]

HINDUISM FOR DUMMIES is an excellent and comprehensive introduction to Hinduism, in most of its forms and features. Clearly written and organized, it is likely to appeal to three kinds of readers: 1) Hindus seeking to refresh or expand their knowledge; 2) non-Hindus wanting to learn about Hinduism; 3) and spiritual seekers in search of traditions, teachings or practices which speak to their souls - articulating and/or confirming their own attunement to spirit.

Forty years ago, I majored in religion, specializing in eastern religion. Over the years, although I remember the essence of the teachings, I forgot the particulars. I therefore decided to read HINDUISM FOR DUMMIES - clearly neither for dummies nor high-end scholars - and found it to be a goldmine of information, comprehensive in its scope and lucid in its explanations.

The book is divided into six parts: 1) introduction and summary; 2) gods, goddesses and religious leaders; 3) sacred texts; 4) Hindu practices; 5) philosophical schools and paths; 6) and common questions, prayers and mandates. Within these chapters we learn about many facets of Hinduism - deities, prayers, rituals, the stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, the yogic path, and Vedanta. Each topic is clearly explained and summarized.

The author Dr. Srinivasan, a practicing Hindu and founder of a Hindu Temple Society, has obviously experienced, studied and /or practiced most facets of his religion and become adept at translating complex concepts into understandable language (accompanied by helpful examples and analogies). His occasional side commentaries on teaching and practices provide an insider's perspective, giving the book a personal, human touch.

Recently watching a documentary featuring Deepak Chopra, I vaguely remember mention of differences between Hindus at birth and Westerners embracing Hinduism. Easterners tend to emphasize prayers and rituals, whereas Westerners are more oriented toward meditation, mantras, chanting and yoga practices. As a meditator in the latter category, I was a bit disappointed that HINDUISM FOR DUMMIES barely even mentioned meditation or mantras, and didn't even refer to Kashmir Shaivism, a school of Hinduism presented MEDITATION FOR THE LOVE OF IT, a book which I highly recommend and recently reviewed here on Amazon.

A few other minor quibbles: First, Srinivasan does not discuss differences between Buddhism and Hinduism. As I am particularly drawn to Mahayana Buddhism, I kept finding myself wondering: Is dharma/duty in Hinduism so much more important than cultivating compassion - the essence of Mahayana? Does Hinduism teach us that we have specific duties that take precedence over human love? I would have welcomed such discussion.

Second, rather than a chapter on the caste system, I would have preferred more elucidation of the changing role of women in Hinduism today. And third, although HINDUISM FOR DUMMIES clearly defines terms and recommends books, it could have benefitted from a glossary and a bibliography of recommended readings. Often at the end of a chapter, I found myself wanting to know where to turn for further information.

As a whole, however, the book exceeded my expectations. I was fascinated by the stories of the Ramayana and motivated to read several of the Upanishads. Of the Hindu gods, I felt drawn to Shiva, and so captivated by Lakshmi that I intend to introduce a prayer and mantra pertaining to her into my life. Finally, I honor Hinduism for its provision of a multitude of pathways and allowance for personal choice in both belief and practices.

Whether you personally adopt any attitudes or practices described in this book, you are likely to be much more informed about and appreciative of this very rich Hindu tradition once you have read HINDUISM FOR DUMMIES.

If you are a little mystified about Hinduism and are looking for the best introductory overview to help you make sense of it, this is it. As a "Dummies" book it is written clearly and is easy to follow and understand; but this book is actually quite detailed in its content and coverage. I was quite impressed at its depth.

One thing that makes this book superior to others is the fact that it is written by a man who has a deep understanding of both Indian and American cultures. This is because Dr. Srinivasan was born and raised in India and has also lived in the United States for many years. He has spent much of his adult life studying and practicing Hinduism as a priest, scholar, and principle founder of one of the largest temples and Hindu communities on the east coast. This means he really knows and understands Hinduism well, and he is able to explain it in a way that Americans and other westerners can easily understand.

And when it comes to Hinduism, this is a truly valuable trait. I teach a world religions class at the community college-level and one of the things I always tell my students when we cover Hinduism is that it can seem like the most complicated and confusing of all of the major world religions; but if you approach it the right way, the confusion can fall away to clarity and it all seems to make sense. This process itself is one of the main goals of Hinduism, and Hinduism for Dummies does a great job of `lifting the veil' of "maya" or illusion, to reveal the truths of Hinduism. For example, how Hinduism can be both polytheistic and monotheistic at the same time or the relationship between one and the infinite. Or, who are all these gods and incarnations? And what's the difference between karma and dharma, caste and class, or Brahma, Brahman, and Brahmin? You can find the answers to all these and more in Hinduism for Dummies.

That said, even the best books have their limitations, and the one complaint I had was the chapter on yoga, which at twelve pages looked to be the shortest chapter in the whole book. This is especially disappointing because many Americans and westerners start their interest in Hinduism from yoga, which is quite popular in the west these days (even if not necessarily very authentic). So, this is not the book to get if you want to delve in-depth into yoga philosophy. Still, even in twelve pages, Dr. Srinivasan covers all the key ideas effectively so if you don't know anything about yoga, you can actually get a good basic understanding of it in a very quick read.

I will also add that I have been studying Hinduism for many years myself and have a whole bookshelf full of books on it, including several from India, and even the Complete Idiot's Guide. I kept collecting them over the years because I was never satisfied with any of them as far as helping me really get a handle on the religion. It would have been so much easier if I had this one earlier, because it genuinely has what you need to get a handle on the facts of the religion. And once you have that you can start reading original sources like the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata or the works of Vivekananda, and of course probably the single most important text, The Bhagavad Gita. These are the very texts that Hinduism for Dummies recommends for further reading, and I would concur.

I married into a wonderful family and have collected a half a dozen versions of the Gita, one of the Upanishads and some books focused on different aspects of the avatars and books describing the stories of the deities and.... I still felt pretty lost much of the time.
This book gives a nice, comprehensive outline to an extraordinarily complex religion. It explains the difference between the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and Vedas. It offers the key teaching of spiritual leaders.
More importantly to my in-laws... it has done so with respect for the traditions, teaching and beliefs of those that practice hinduism.
I have a feeling I will read this a couple more times and then go back and work my way through the Gita once more. I have a feeling it will be a much richer experience with the base of knowledge underneath it all.