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The Nirvana express : how the search for enlightenment went West / Mick Brown.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: London : Hurst & Company, 2023Copyright date: ©2023Description: xiv, 400 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
  • still image
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 1805260197
  • 9781805260196
Subject(s):
Contents:
First wave: The book -- The light of Asia -- The Swami comes west -- Lady Emily's dilemma -- The Bhikku and the beast -- Hyman, the bootmaker's son -- Meher Baba comes to the West -- Ramana Maharshi -- Mercedes and Somerset -- The life and death of Paul Brunton -- Second wave: The sacrament -- 'We are all Hindus in our essence' -- Allen Ginsburg's vision -- "Love Is All You Need": The Maharishi and the Beatles -- Rajneesh: The last guru -- Down on the ranch.
Summary: "The Victorians had conflicted views on the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian sub-continent, blending fascination and suspicion. But within two generations, legions of young Westerners would be following the 'hippie trail' to India, and the Beatles would be meditating at the feet of the guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Journalist Mick Brown's vivid account charts the eccentric history of the West's evolving love affair with Indian religion through a curious cast of scholars, seekers, charlatans and saints." -- Provided by publisher.
Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 294.3423 B879 Available 33111011211881
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The captivating story of the West's love affair with Indian spirituality--from the orientalism of the British Empire to modern counterculture.In 1897, an Indian yogi exhibited himself at London's Westminster Aquarium, demonstrating yoga positions to a bemused audience. Four years earlier, Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda spoke at the first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where Annie Besant extolled the 'exquisite beauty' of his spiritual message.The Victorians were fascinated by, yet suspicious of, Indian religious beliefs and practices. But within two generations, legions of young Westerners were following the 'hippie trail' to the subcontinent, the Beatles meditating at the feet of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Journalist Mick Brown's vivid account charts this eccentric history of Western obsessions with Indian faith, through a curious cast of scholars, seekers, charlatans and saints.From bestselling epic poems on the Buddha to murder plots, magic and the occult, The Nirvana Express is an exhilarating, sometimes troubling journey through the West's search for enlightenment.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 375-380) and index.

First wave: The book -- The light of Asia -- The Swami comes west -- Lady Emily's dilemma -- The Bhikku and the beast -- Hyman, the bootmaker's son -- Meher Baba comes to the West -- Ramana Maharshi -- Mercedes and Somerset -- The life and death of Paul Brunton -- Second wave: The sacrament -- 'We are all Hindus in our essence' -- Allen Ginsburg's vision -- "Love Is All You Need": The Maharishi and the Beatles -- Rajneesh: The last guru -- Down on the ranch.

"The Victorians had conflicted views on the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian sub-continent, blending fascination and suspicion. But within two generations, legions of young Westerners would be following the 'hippie trail' to India, and the Beatles would be meditating at the feet of the guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Journalist Mick Brown's vivid account charts the eccentric history of the West's evolving love affair with Indian religion through a curious cast of scholars, seekers, charlatans and saints." -- Provided by publisher.

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