From Here to Nirvana [Paperback]

Anne Cushman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999

For the curious beginner or the seasoned pilgrim, From Here to Nirvana is the be-all, end-all guide to yogis and gurus, ashrams and temples--the lowdown on food, facilities, and bringing your own mosquito net, as well as where to go, what to pack, and how to get there--from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Malabar coast. It's the first comprehensive book on the art of pilgrimage in the subcontinent.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If your dreams of traveling to India include some sort of spiritual exploration, here's an essential guide that will help ease your planning and your mind. Coauthor Anne Cushman is senior editor at Yoga Journal magazine, and along with Jerry Jones has researched hundreds of yogis, gurus, ashrams, and temples to make this "the first comprehensive book on the art of pilgrimage in the subcontinent."

After some useful general background material, the book devotes the bulk of its pages to a directory of ashrams, yoga schools, and meditation centers. The listings are presented alphabetically by state, and include facilities and food, fees, schedules, how to get there, other services, books, and tapes. Descriptions are entertaining and informative. Here's a sampling from the introduction to Prasanthi Nilayam Ashram in Andhra Pradesh: "With over ten million devotees worldwide--and 1,638 centers in 137 countries--Sathya Sai Baba is undoubtedly the most famous of India's living gurus. He's believed by his disciples to be an avatar, a human incarnation of God, and his plump, frizzy-haired visage can be spotted on rickshaw dashboards, cash registers, phone booths, and altars all over India, alongside more traditional deities like Krishna and Ganesh."

In addition to a useful "Indian Philosophies and Religions" section and a glossary, intriguing sidebars include: "All About Sadhus," "Neo-Buddhist Headquarters," "Exploring Tibetan Buddhism," "The Hindu Pantheon," and "Festivals of India." --Kathryn True --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573227153
• ISBN-13: 978-1573227155
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Useful, July 20, 2000

By 

Frikaloopa (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Here to Nirvana (Hardcover)

This is a great book.It was written for those of us who want to travel to India and learn more yoga, meditation etc.Not all places are described in equal length and depth but you will always find useful information about yoga schools, ashrams and monasteries in all the parts of India.In a lot of cases, the writers have been there and they took the classes for you, sat through the satsangs and tried the food and water.The book talks about each place separately and gives you info on "Teachers & Teachings", "Facilities and Food", "Schedule","Fees","Contact Information","How To Get There",etc.A very helpful guide for spiritual seekers who intend to travel to India.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars definitely useful!, June 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: From Here to Nirvana (Paperback)

Thanks to this book, I was able to arrive in Delhi at midnite, go to the taxi stand at the airport and not wonder where I would end up for the night. I had already made arrangements to stay in an ashram in Delhi that night. And taxi drivers don't give you the hotel runaround when you tell them to take you directly to a particular ashram. For that alone, this book was worth every penny to me.

I would recommend reading it before you go because some of the places/people to be contacted must be done ahead of time. and you may find that contact information can change sporadically in India (one of the many beautiful challenges you'll find on your travels there).

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, one of a kind, should be updated!, March 12, 2010

By 

L. Ceriello (Vashon Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: From Here to Nirvana (Paperback)

This book is a godsend (pun unavoidable) for anyone with a spiritual bent traveling to India. I used it in 2005 to find some amazing places, and will take it with me this year again because it's so useful. The only issue is that now it is 10 years old and so naturally it may not be up to date. it doesn't have websites. But it's still worth gold to have the ashrams and their specifics-- programs, residential opportunities, spiritual traditions followed-- identified and the contact information there.