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Philip Goldberg

Author of American Veda

20 Works 303 Members 6 Reviews

About the Author

Philip Goldberg grew up in Brooklyn and now lives in Los Angeles. A professional writer for more than 40 years, he is author or co-author of some 25 books published in more than a dozen languages. He is also a skilled public speaker, a workshop leader, a spiritual counselor, and the co-host of the show more popular podcast Spirit Matters. He blogs at Elephant Journal and Spirituality Health, and contributes to other publications. His most recent book prior to this one, American Veda, chronicles the impact of India's spiritual teachings on the West; it was named by The Huffington Post and Library Journal as one of the Top 10 Religion Books of 2010. www.philipgoldberg.com show less

Works by Philip Goldberg

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Common Knowledge

Birthdate
1944-12-05
Gender
male
Nationality
USA

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Reviews

After more than a 100 years of contact with Vedanta and Indian spiritualism, starting with Vivekananda's address in 1893 in Chicago, it seems that it has penetrated the very core of American thinking. Here is an excerpt,

In five to thirty minutes from my home in Los Angeles, I can be at any of the following: The Self-Realization Fellowship's lake shrine; the Sivananda Yoga-Vedanta Center; the Hare Krishna temple; Ananda L.A.; the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center; the Sri Aurobindo Center; the Universal Shaiva Fellowship; the Transcendental Meditation center; Radha Govinda Dham; classes Loyola Marymount's Yoga Philosophy Program; regular satsangs or study groups with devotees of Satya Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi, Ramana Maharishi, Neem Karoli Baba, Swami Rudrananda, Adi Da Samraj, Ma Jaya Sati Bhagvati, Eckhart Tolle and Krishnamurti.… (more)
 
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danoomistmatiste | 4 other reviews | Jan 24, 2016 |
After more than a 100 years of contact with Vedanta and Indian spiritualism, starting with Vivekananda's address in 1893 in Chicago, it seems that it has penetrated the very core of American thinking. Here is an excerpt,

In five to thirty minutes from my home in Los Angeles, I can be at any of the following: The Self-Realization Fellowship's lake shrine; the Sivananda Yoga-Vedanta Center; the Hare Krishna temple; Ananda L.A.; the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center; the Sri Aurobindo Center; the Universal Shaiva Fellowship; the Transcendental Meditation center; Radha Govinda Dham; classes Loyola Marymount's Yoga Philosophy Program; regular satsangs or study groups with devotees of Satya Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi, Ramana Maharishi, Neem Karoli Baba, Swami Rudrananda, Adi Da Samraj, Ma Jaya Sati Bhagvati, Eckhart Tolle and Krishnamurti.… (more)
 
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kkhambadkone | 4 other reviews | Jan 17, 2016 |
Some of the people who have thought most closely about relating to what is ultimate and important are the Hindus (although that may be a misnomer). Several of them have brought their findings to America, and the history of their reception can be interesting.

The history of their reception is the subject of the book American Veda by Philip Goldberg. It touches only lightly on the thinking. I have heard a lot of names over the years even having sought and read The Autobiography of a Yogi in my young adult days when one had to chase it down. In the recent documentary about Paramahansa Yogananda Goldberg was cited a few times, so I chased down his book, an almost instantaneous chase with the internet.

To get two hundred years into fewer than 400 pages requires some thinning, but I still think that there is a solid survey here. The author does not grind any axes, and you can see in it how the problem the Transcendentalists faced about whether to restructure the interior or do justice in the exterior has impacted the reception of the Indian message in America. It starts with Emerson and runs through some of the less obvious diversions like Unity and Religious Science. But it concentrates on the people bringing the Vedas even as it recognizes the secularization of asanas and meditation.

I think I got quite a bit out of this book.
… (more)
 
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Mr.Durick | 4 other reviews | Apr 7, 2015 |
Goldberg says in the introduction that he's no academic (true) and that he's tried to approach the material as a good journalist. What he doesn't say is that he's a true believer who is going to interpret all the data he finds in the most positive light for it being related to the Indian Vedanta tradition. In doing this he leaves out or ignores vasts amounts of information from Zoroastrianism to the foibles of Madame Blavatsky. If you want an unbiased account of the influence of Indian philosophy on the West, look elsewhere.… (more)
 
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aulsmith | 4 other reviews | Dec 31, 2014 |

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Works
20
Members
303
Popularity
#77,624
Rating
3.8
Reviews
6
ISBNs
40
Languages
5

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