Darsan

Rating:
Summary: Visions of God-Hinduism's essence
Review: Diana Eck is one of the West's greatest writers on Hinduism. In this little book, Darsan..Seeing the Divine Image in India, she captures the essence of Hindu devotion. She is not an apologist; rather, she sees Hindu religious practice just as a Hindu would, perhaps with an even more enlightened understanding. There is a great deal of information that most Hindus would not be aware of. Bringing God into an image for worship is anathema to western cultures and religions. Yet it has been part of Hinduism and Paganism for thousands of years. Diana Eck reveals the nature of image worship, from the selection and consecration of the image, to the actual practice of Hindu devotion. Image worship is part of daily life for hundreds of millions of people today. I cannot think of a better book than this one to help develop a compassionate and enlightened understanding of the practice. It will be part of my home library always. Raja Bhat

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, yet over-simplified
Review: The book was interesting, especially the way the photographs were incorporated in with the text, however for a person with knowledge of the Hindu religion, it is a boring and redundant book. Concepts and ideas are greatly simplified for the uninformed reader, so the book is not very appropriate for one with much knowledge of Hinduism. Ideas tended to be overstated and overexplained. In my opinion, the book could've been half its size and still been just as clear, concise and in-depth.

Rating:
Summary: A Profound Book
Review: This book was my introduction to Hinduism, given to me by a friend following my first personal experience with darsan and Hindu devotion. It is a stunningly clear and subtle book, offering a careful, complex discussion of the unique nature of the Hindu conception of the divine. I read it then in 3 days and am rereading it now as a student of Hinduism, looking forward to seeing this great book from a new perspective.