[Advaita-l] Readings for Beginners

[Ramesh Krishnamurthy]

Hello Ananya,

The best way is to attend classes under a proper teacher. But that may
not be feasible for you.

If you know Sanskrit, it is best to study the Sanskrit texts. Even if
you don't know Sanskrit, it is advisable to put in some effort and
learn it so that you can read the original texts.

If you want material in English, perhaps the best contemporary source
is Swami Dayananda Saraswati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam. His
introductory books as well as more detailed expositions of the Gita
and some of the Upanishads are easily available. Even better, you can
get CDs of his talks and listen to them. I am of the opinion that
listening is better than reading, as tone and emphasis are better
captured. What's more, Swamiji is an engaging & humorous speaker and
follows a traditional methodology as well. His own studies were under
traditional teachers including notably Swami Tarananda Giri at Kailas
Ashram, Rishikesh.

As you are in Kanpur, you may consider visiting Rishikesh when you
have a few days leave.

Ramesh

2009/10/20 ananya pareek <ananyapareek at gmail.com>
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> (sorry for sending the mail with a wrong subject previously)
>
> I am very curious about the advaita philosophy and have just started. I
> would be thankful to you if you could help me by telling me about some
> reference books for starting with it.
>
>
> Thanks and regards,
>
>
> --
> Ananya Pareek
> Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering,
> Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur