The Wisdom of Vedanta

A series of lectures by an American author who has been steeped in Vedanta for four decades. The introduction explains the history of Vedanta along with its ideas about God, the world and the Self. Shankaracharya is quoted as explaining that the 'Self is the Witness, beyond all attributes, beyond action. It can be directly realised as pure consciousness and infinite bliss.' For the author, Vedanta if essentially surrender to and remembrance of God. Meditation is essential for the realisation of the Self. Some chapters are commentaries on the Upanishads while others deal with such topics as joy, self-knowledge, renunciation, divine love and the nature of the mind. And there is a meditation at the end of each chapter. The shortness of the sections makes this a good book for contemplative reading.