Originally I was interested in the different interpretations of the relationship between Atman and Brahman in Hinduism. I started searching with the term “Atman and Brahman.” This turned out to be too specific and the search only turned up one physical book, the blurb of which described it more as an introduction to Hinduism. I used the broader term “moksha,” but that was too broad and turned up a number of books on topics other than the relationship between Atman and Brahman. The last term I used was “Hinduism Dualism,” and while I did not find a book specifically about Atman and Brahman, I did find Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History, which piqued my interest.

Although the book had a rather unassuming plain red cover, a brief reading of its introduction and a flip through some of its pages revealed an argument  against attempts to present Hinduism as a single unifying set of philosophies and beliefs. The book seemed to portray Hinduism as a religion in a more nuanced light, discussing diversity in philosophies and practices within Hinduism, as well as the notion of Hinduism as an inclusive culture. This topic on inclusiveness within Hinduism seemed particularly interesting, as from what I read, it appeared to discuss how followers of certain philosophies of Hinduism acknowledged and incorporated differing beliefs and philosophies into their own practice. Overall, even though it did not focus on the topic I was originally searching for, the book appeared to cover interesting subject matter that relates to the way we might view religions as we study them.

Near where I found the book, there were a number of other books focusing on various topics related to Hinduism. I found a number of volumes related to epics we discussed in class, such as the Ramayana. There was also a book that seemed to be an introduction to Hinduism located right next to the book I found.

Nicholson, Andrew J., Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History, New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. Print.