Nagendra

Scott Meredith is a very interesting guy. If you are interested in martial arts or Eastern philosophy or blissful experiences or taking no bulls*!t from anyone you are constantly coming across his work in your search engines. This book- I believe his first novel-is said to talk about the journey of the Buddha's son through rebellion at the peaceful paradox of the Buddha's philosophy into a pursuit of power. Nagendra seeks power to face any and all situations that he may encounter so that he might not appear weak (as he might have assumed his father was from the gentleness of his teachings). Nagendra encounters many forms of power, most deeply rooted in the martial arts tradition of India which many Westerners are not aware of). Mr. Meredith is a scholar and the scholarship shows-if you look for it!. This book is a very well told story and not stuffy in any way, yet if you pursue the names of his characters and the layers of legend that are available to anyone looking at the names and places in any search engine you will move from a simple story to something far more. Many in the martial arts are concerned that they might not be finding the real thing. They are concerned that most of Western martial arts training is purposely devoid of the esoteric teachings which have not been consistently handed down. Mr. Meredith is constantly revealing these esoteric concepts in all his books but he insists that you pay attention in order to find them. He is very clear about this in his martial arts books and videos where he warns people away who won't sit still long enough to realize that what they have been looking for is hiding in plain sight. So too with this book which can be read as a great story about a different road to transcendence or it can be mined for the gems of esoteric knowledge which appear on every page. What power are you really chasing after when you practice martial arts? Are you simply shoring yourself up against your fear of mortality? What would it be like if you truly had all the power you thought you might need? How does your humanity interface with this martial power you seek to develop? Is there a way to understand why a center for martial arts development was a Buddhist temple (Shaolin?) You can ponder these things-or not, because without the pondering you still will have an amazing read and a taste of the ancient epic stories.

My karma was rewarded. Thank you for the book and story. You are a wonderful crafter of images with power behind them. It is one thing to create images, but images with punch so to speak is rare. And you treated so many topics and issues that are relevant in our society with the same flare for depth of imagery and feeling. Then wove them together into seamless narrative so that I wasn't left asking questions or a feeling of elements not working together. And although improbable the dismembered yogis seemed to flow and have sense within the story. Is that a cult of yoga within some Kali lineage? I sense the beginning of a review that I can post on Amazon. Have you written fiction before? A secret log of unpublished novels? If this is the first I find that is amazing.

Re-reading this book recently, I realized that it's not "just" a powerful tale of a spiritual journey, like "Siddhartha"--it's also a vivid and moving love story. I dug up this quote--from the English writer Somerset Maugham, about another novel--that captures what I love about the relationship at the center of Meredith's book:"But what makes [this book] remarkable is the passion that quivers in the love story of which the plot consists. It is more than a trifle coarse; but you do get the impression of young love, idealistic and yet vehemently sexual; it is so vivid and so deeply felt that it takes your breath away. It seems to throb on the printed page like the pulse of life. It has no reticence. It is absurd, scandalous, and beautiful. It is like a force of nature. That is passion all right. There is nothing, anywhere, so moving and so awe-inspiring."

Wow - a really great read! Full of suspense, beauty, drama, and real true hard won insight that sticks with you. I am familiar with SE Meredith's non-fiction so I expected well structured & insightful elucidation delivered with a twinkle in the eye but I was not prepared for the beautiful, compelling and at times ecstatic/hallucinatory power of his fiction. In narrative drive and structure it reminded me not only of Siddhartha but equally of Kipling's short stories Toomai of the Elephants and The Miracle of Purun Bhagat and of the classic Richard Thompson song '1952 Vincent Black Lightning'"I see angels and aerials in leather and chrome, swooping down from heaven to carry me home...".Bravo! I certainly hope for more fiction from this unique and exciting voice.

Herman Hesse changed my life with his novels. I don't mean just that they inspired me, though they did that too. When I was growing out of my teens they changed me, they were like a door I stepped through. Steppenwolf affected me the most directly but Siddartha seemed the most profound.It has been at least a dozen years since I'd read any of Hesse's works. When I saw this book and it's title, I was very apprehensive. I'm a little precious with my literature, especially when it has touched my heart. I knew of the author through his martial arts books, and because they've all been so wonderful, I was willing to give this unexpected sequel a chance.The first thing that struck me while reading was how right on the tone of the prose is. By the time I was through the first chapter I had forgotten my misgivings because the style drew me strongly back into Hesse's world. It really captures the spirit of his books. 'Nagendra' opens up the world of Siddhartha, subtly weaving in echoes and refrains of Hesse's other novels.The plot works, it's immersive and compelling. I was worried I'd be reading a stale homage or a breathy fan-fiction, but somehow 'Nagendra' leaps over these tropes. Through some minor miracle it also believably blends in a very modern, cinematic quality to the storytelling. The imagery is exciting, the form is familiar and fresh. The spiritual quest rings true. It is both psychedelic and sobering. 'Nagendra' is the rightful heir to the throne and I'm looking forward to reading it again.