• Why do we like a particular dish? A dress? A movie? • Why is a live event more engaging to a concert goer or a sports enthusiast than an electronic transmission? • What explains the talent of child prodigies? • What builds countries like USA? And what ails them? • What throws up leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela? • Why does the sight of a baby bring a smile to the lips and warmth to the heart? Embark on the journey which answer these questions. In the process, home into your real purpose as a human being. Become a fuller person, always at peace, by discovering a new perspective to interpret the happenings to, and around, you. Welcome to Advaita!

This booklet is based on AtmajnAnopadeshavidhi, a short treatise (prakaraNa grantha) of Shankaracharya, much respected within the Advaita tradition. It leads the reader, literally holding his/her hand, from the simple way we observe the objects in the world to the inexpressible “Consciousness principle” (brahman) that is present in all of us and everywhere without any abstruse quotes or indecipherable terminologies. “This translation by Dr. Ramesam Vemuri has made one of the most valuable works on Advaita now accessible to the English speaking public. – Peter Francis Dziuban, author of Consciousness Is All: Now Life Is Completely New “A must-read for all Non-Dual practitioners who want to cut through the illusion and experience the Truth directly for themselves.” – Padma Neppalli, author of Not Two: The Essence of Non-duality “It provides an easy-to-read summary of some of the fundamental concepts of Advaita and, as such, will greatly benefit the beginning student.” – Dennis Waite, author of A-U-M: Awakening to Reality

Thanks to the many seekers for their questions on different concepts of deity, worship and spirituality in Sanatana Dharma, which propelled the author to provide a graded, elaborate response for clarification. The answers herein cover a wide range of topics in copious detail from the most elementary processes to the peaks of Vedanta. Even a random opening of the book can be revelatory.

This book by D. S. Sarma, a well-known educationist and a learned exponent of Hinduism, briefly deals with all the fundamental doctrines of the Hindu religion and philosophy stitched in the form of questions and answers between a daughter and a father. The book is enriched with an article on Hinduism and an appendix consisting of selections from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. This primer will provide a good introduction on Hinduism to the school and college students.

Swami Akhandananda Saraswati Maharaj, also known as Maharajshri, spent his entire life teaching Vedanta through his discourses and writings on the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Brahma Sootras, the Shrimad Bhagavatam, as well as the classical texts of Bhagavan Shri Shankaracharya. His scholarship and command over these texts is rarely found in a teacher. Furthermore, he was able to convey nuances of the most complex concept in a listener-friendly manner. Most of Swamiji's teachings were written in Hindi. In order to make his teachings accessible to a larger audience, this author has made an attempt to translate the Vedanta Bodha, a textbook containing the essence of Swamiji's teachings, into English. Annotations have also been added for clarity. About The Author GK Marballi works in the technology industry and is presently based in New York City. He received his bachelors degree in commerce from the University of Mumbai, and his MBA from Harvard Business School.