This volume is an example of fusion of philosophy and science. It seeks to interpret the concept of religion through the eyes of a scientist. Right at the outset, the author explains that Vedanta is not a religion but a philosophy of religion. A novel feature of this study is the discussion on distress: from spirituality to psychobiology. There is a detailed discussion on different types of stress as well as stress models and therapies, including diagrams of the nervous system and the endocrine and immune systems. The author points out the importance of meditation: the effectiveness of meditation, one of the eight limbs of the science of yoga, in overcoming stress and related complications has now been accepted even by the hard-core antagonists of this methodology. In the chapters on happiness, the author first deals with the Vedantic view and then proceeds to psychosocial variables. The chapter on the Joy of Death convincingly argues that the fear of death is baseless and that death is not the end of life. The author concludes that those who are desirous of liberation have to lead a life which represents a synthesis of Karmayoga, Jnanayoga and Bhaktiyoga philosophy. This volume is the culmination of years of in depth research done meticulously by a scientist who has turned to philosophy and religion. It should be of great value to scholars as well as laymen. It is hoped that readers who have distanced themselves from spirituality will have a second thought after reading this book.
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