WhoaitsZ

I am way past broke and spent awhile fruitlessly looking for ebooks on Hinduism.

My arms no longer allow me to hold books and I'd like to read the info on my Nook.

suggestions?

Baraka_Guru

What are you looking for specifically?

Are you interested in the historical/philosophical perspectives? Are you after the sacred texts?

If you haven't found this site, it's pretty cool. It's basically an organized source for public domain titles, and it allows you to download them in any format. And depending on the title, you can also find audiobooks.

For example, there are the following titles on Hinduism:

• The Upanishads by Swami Paramananda - Free eBook
• The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa by Kisari Mohan Ganguli - Free eBook
• The Bhagavad-Gita by Anonymous - Free eBook
• Hindu Literature by Epiphanius Wilson - Free eBook
• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Charles Johnston - Free eBook
• Hindu Gods and Heroes by Lionel D. Barnett - Free eBook
• Hinduism and Buddhism, Volume 1 by Sir Charles Eliot - Free eBook
• Hinduism and Buddhism, Volume 2 by Sir Charles Eliot - Free eBook

All the stuff on the website is older, but at least it's free and convenient in terms of finding compatible files to use on your reader.

I suppose this is a start.

So, what are you looking for? What do you know about Hinduism already?

If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend starting with the Upanishads, a foundational sacred text of Hinduism. It's absolutely gorgeous. I'll also recommend the Bhagavad-Gita, which is a section of the epic Mahabharata. I haven't read the wider epic yet, but I want to one day. The Gita is definitely worth reading if you haven't done so already.

The title listed as Hindu Literature above contains the Ramayana, which I've heard of but haven't taken a look at yet. It's another of the ancient epics.

I'm assuming the last few titles on the above list are more or less "about" Hinduism than "of" Hinduism. I'm not sure what it was you were looking for specifically, so here's a bit of a scatter shot.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

WhoaitsZ

sorry I was not specific because I had to rush out.

I want to start with basic history and mythologies of Hinduism and going from there. I'm curious to the different branches of belief and its ties with Buddhism. besides that I have no idea. I assume the Sacred Texts would be a bit much for me at this point because my knowledge of Hinduism is fairly limited right now.

Thanks a lot Baraka! I had a feeling you and Cyn would deliver and you both did.

Baraka_Guru

The sacred texts are quite accessible. At least have a look at the Upanishads. But if you want to look at an intro to Hinduism, then I'm not sure what you can find for free.

The Upanishads examine the metaphysical beliefs (what is existence? what is the self? etc.), while the Gita is broader regarding one's role in the world, while doing so using war as an allegory.

Don't be afraid to try them out. They're accessible in terms of readability. I suppose where it gets difficult is realizing the deeper philosophical messages/meaning.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot