Customer Reviews

The Madness of the Saints: Ecstatic Religion in Bengal

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A great book about the Bhakta traditions of West Bengal. Having lived in India and traveled to West Bengal, I can state that Mrs. McDaniel not only captures the facts, but also the deeper sense of it. She hits at the heart of things in way that to one informed stick out. It is not only what is written, but the way in which it is written that makes me know for certainty that the author knows her stuff. Also provided in the book are rare quotes from tantric literature, as well as stories of little know saints, like vama khepa(the mad saint of the cremation grouds). What makes the book so impressive is that while it comes from an obviously informed prospective, she does not fall into the annoying trap of evangenlist. Moreover, she does not interject herself into the text at all, which seems to be the self important trend of many professors. A great book. I'm surprised it isn't more popular....

Madness of the Saints will not disappoint lovers of Indian culture and religion. The book is full of fascinating stories and lore about the mad saints and their devoted followers. For centuries Indians have believed that certain people can take on god-like qualities including some very eccentric ones. A saintly person might take on the character of the mischievous boy Krishna, and his followers will indulge his antics and needs with the steady love of a true bhakta. Some saintly types in India are considered exempt from the restrictions of ordinary morality such as the tantrikas who seek moksha (liberation) through sexual yoga or certain saddhus (renunciates) who seek enlightenment and liberation through extreme practices like hanging weights from their genitals, standing on one leg, or holding one arm aloft all the time. To a person conditioned by western ways the mad saints may seem baffling until he or she reads Ms McDaniel's excellent explanations of how the odd behaviors of the saints are justified by traditional Indian ideology. She elucidates with great clarity the key place of ecstatic experience in the search for self-liberation. Ms McDaniel's deep love of India comes through on every page. A great book.