''The Lotus and the Robot'' is a 1960 book by

Arthur Koestler Arthur Koestler, (, ; ; hu, Kösztler Artúr; 5 September 1905 – 1 March 1983) was a Hungarian-born author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria. In 1931, Koestler join ...

, in which the author explores eastern

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

. Although later dated by Westerners' greater exposure to Oriental practices, it concentrates mainly on Indian and Japanese traditions, which form the two parts—the "lotus" and the "robot" respectively. The book was banned in India for its negative portrayal of

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

References

1960 non-fiction books Books by Arthur Koestler English-language books Hinduism studies books Macmillan Publishers books Shinto Book censorship in India {{Reli-book-stub