Campbell, Joseph; Robin Stephen Larsen (ed.); Anthony van Couvering (ed.);
Baksheesh and Brahman: Asian Journals-India (Collected Works)
New World Library 2002-10-01 (Hardcover, 400 pages $22.95)
ISBN 9781577312376 / 1577312376
topics: | autobiography | india | travel
Years before he became a mythology expert and household name, Joseph Campbell journeyed to India. He was nearly 50, at a career crossroads, and after 10 years studying Indian art and philosophy he was finally going to India seeking the transcendent (Brahman), the mysteries of India. Instead he found the stark realities of baksheesh culture. His journal of those six months is the closest Campbell ever came to an autobiography. It's a diary of his adventures, insights, and ponderings; it's a window into the India of 1954 and the Joseph Campbell of 1954--both are intriguing places to visit.