In the varied concatenation of life's experiences lies its essence-a journey full of joy and pain. Man comes with pristine qualities of truthfulness, simplicity, and the wonder of nature. In his birth lies his religion. It is his passage through the world that is often full of struggle; in response, he looks for a God to help him.

"A Beautiful Pain" presents a collection of poems ruminating on joy, beauty, and the wonder of life. Meditating on life's meaning, it explores the range of human emotions, from the pain of first heartbreak to a study of the quintessence of inner luminosity. Poet Maharaj Kaul searches for the truth of life in this collection, which like life itself is multi-faceted and has a few grand themes running through it.

"There is a road in front of us smoother than any highway we have seen,
There is music beckoning us more rapturous than we have ever heard,
There is faith in us stronger than a million facts we have known,
There is a light within us more luminous than the thousand exploding suns,
We were born with a spirit thirsting for the infinite."
-from "Quintessence of Inner Luminosity"

In his second compilation of poetry, Kashmiri-American poet Maharaj Kaul explores the shimmering emptiness of modern life.

From the author of "Meditations On Time and Inclinations And Reality: The Search For The Absolut"e comes an exciting new book of poetry, "The Light Through The Woods." In it the poet bemoans how modern man has sacrificed his inner freedom and natural joy in living by creating and believing in the present culture of materialism and technology. He believes that man is born with inner freedom, joy, grandeur, and grace but as he grows up the existing culture corrupts him to realize these powerful elements. He strongly urges man to spiritually reconnect with nature to regain his soul.

The poems also celebrate the poet's stunningly beautiful birthplace, Kashmir, India, and express his joy in reminiscing about his childhood there as well as his sadness as he contemplates the wastefulness of its political struggles and the tragic dispossession and diaspora of his people, Kashmiri Pandits.

The poems also reflect on the drama of human condition and the search of the human values.

A visionary collection of poems dreaming of man regaining his natural inner beauty.

Kashmir has been on the mind of Maharaj Kaul ever since the eruption of the civil war there in 1989, and it has been in his mind since his childhood, as he was born there. For him Kashmir is more than his birthplace, it is an irrigator of his consciousness.

The author of the books "The Light Through The Woods: Dreams Of Survival Of Human Soul In The Age Of Technology" and "Inclinations And Reality: The Search For The Absolute" published last year examines the ongoing civil war in Kashmir over the last two decades that has wounded both the Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits in the spheres of personal, economic, social, and political lives and it has rendered the latter into refugees in their own nation, exiled from their home of 5,000 years. Thousands of Kashmiris have died, a lot more wounded; but the end is not even in sight. The soul of Kashmir is under pressure.

The book explores the causes and history of Kashmir Problem and what its solution should be. It also celebrates some of its outstanding people and provides vignettes of some of its popular places, culture, life, and mystifying natural beauty.

It is both a mourning over the tragedy of Kashmir and a celebration of its spiritual essence.

In the varied concatenation of life's experiences lies its essence-a journey full of joy and pain. Man comes with pristine qualities of truthfulness, simplicity, and the wonder of nature. In his birth lies his religion. It is his passage through the world that is often full of struggle; in response, he looks for a God to help him.

"A Beautiful Pain" presents a collection of poems ruminating on joy, beauty, and the wonder of life. Meditating on life's meaning, it explores the range of human emotions, from the pain of first heartbreak to a study of the quintessence of inner luminosity. Poet Maharaj Kaul searches for the truth of life in this collection, which like life itself is multi-faceted and has a few grand themes running through it.

"There is a road in front of us smoother than any highway we have seen,
There is music beckoning us more rapturous than we have ever heard,
There is faith in us stronger than a million facts we have known,
There is a light within us more luminous than the thousand exploding suns,
We were born with a spirit thirsting for the infinite."
-from "Quintessence of Inner Luminosity"

Kashmir has been on the mind of Maharaj Kaul ever since the eruption of the civil war there in 1989, and it has been in his mind since his childhood, as he was born there. For him Kashmir is more than his birthplace, it is an irrigator of his consciousness.

The author of the books "The Light Through The Woods: Dreams Of Survival Of Human Soul In The Age Of Technology" and "Inclinations And Reality: The Search For The Absolute" published last year examines the ongoing civil war in Kashmir over the last two decades that has wounded both the Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits in the spheres of personal, economic, social, and political lives and it has rendered the latter into refugees in their own nation, exiled from their home of 5,000 years. Thousands of Kashmiris have died, a lot more wounded; but the end is not even in sight. The soul of Kashmir is under pressure.

The book explores the causes and history of Kashmir Problem and what its solution should be. It also celebrates some of its outstanding people and provides vignettes of some of its popular places, culture, life, and mystifying natural beauty.

It is both a mourning over the tragedy of Kashmir and a celebration of its spiritual essence.

In his second compilation of poetry, Kashmiri-American poet Maharaj Kaul explores the shimmering emptiness of modern life.

From the author of "Meditations On Time and Inclinations And Reality: The Search For The Absolut"e comes an exciting new book of poetry, "The Light Through The Woods." In it the poet bemoans how modern man has sacrificed his inner freedom and natural joy in living by creating and believing in the present culture of materialism and technology. He believes that man is born with inner freedom, joy, grandeur, and grace but as he grows up the existing culture corrupts him to realize these powerful elements. He strongly urges man to spiritually reconnect with nature to regain his soul.

The poems also celebrate the poet's stunningly beautiful birthplace, Kashmir, India, and express his joy in reminiscing about his childhood there as well as his sadness as he contemplates the wastefulness of its political struggles and the tragic dispossession and diaspora of his people, Kashmiri Pandits.

The poems also reflect on the drama of human condition and the search of the human values.

A visionary collection of poems dreaming of man regaining his natural inner beauty.