About Book
Bettina Sharada Bäumer, a disciple of Swami Lakshman Joo and a scholar-practitioner of Kashmir Saivism, has been teaching various texts of this sacred tradition in intensive seminars for the last 25 years. This book is an account of her inspiring pilgrimage through life, in her own words. Beginning with her birth in Austria during the years of World War II and her family barely escaping the Nazi persecution, she gives a vivid account of her formative experiences which launched her on a lifelong quest for the Divine. With the life-changing, early influence of great religious figures like Raimon Panikkar and Swami Abhishiktananda, she was initiated into the experiential depths of Hindu-Christian dialogue. Coming in contact with the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and the Upani?ads, her pilgrimage took a decisive turn as she made Banaras (Varanasi) her centre for studying the Indian traditions. It remained her place of work and living. But it was only in 1986, when she met her Guru, Swami Lakshman Joo, that her quest found its fulfilment in the spirituality of non-dualist Trika Saivism. Continuing the responsibilities received from Swami Lakshman Joo and his closest disciples, Devis Sharika and Prabha, Bettina Sharada has dedicated her life to studying and disseminating the teachings of this great tradition. She has authored/edited more than 25 books, and continues to engage with seekers from all over the world who are interested in a spirituality which addresses the challenges of the present age. For her contributions to the field of education and towards promoting bilateral relations between India and Austria, she has been awarded the Cross of Honour for Science and Art by the Government of Austria (2012), and Padmashri by the Government of India (2015).
About Author
Bettina Sharada Baumer, Indologist from Austria and Professor of Religious Studies (Visiting Professor at several universities), has lived and worked in Varanasi since 1967. She is the author and editor of a number of books and over 50 research articles. Her main fields of research are non-dualistic Kashmir Saivism, Indian aesthetics, temple architecture and religious traditions of Odisha, and comparative mysticism. She has been Coordinator of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Varanasi. She has translated important Sanskrit texts into German and English. Her important publication is Abhinavagupta's Hermeneutics of the Absolute, Anuttaraprakriya (2011). In 2015 she received the Padma Shri award from the Presient of India. She has been extensively giving seminars on texts of Kashmir Saivism in India and Europe over the last 20 years.