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The book presents the Buddhist iconography as depicted in the Butsuzo-zui Buddhism adapted in Japan with the collections of icons divided into five parts. It introduces the amalgamation of Buddhist and the native Shinto deities, a unique feature of Japanese Buddhism.
The volume presents the Buddhist iconography of Japan as depicted in the Butsuzozui, a collection of iconographic sketches of various Buddhas that falls under the genre of Zuzo collections of iconic drawings in black and white. Inspired by the Chinese style of paintings called Paihuo or Hakubyo, the over 800 sketches presented here bear reference to the landmark work of this genre compiled in ce 1175 under the title of Besson Zakki and are arranged on the basis of the treatise of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Butsuzozui presents Buddhism as it has been adapted in Japan, with the collections of Buddhist icons divided into five parts. It contains the list of sources, especially the scriptures. It deals with the Chinese icons of Fudaishi and his sons Þ the laughing Buddhas; sketches on the birth of the historical Buddha, his search, sambodhi and parinirvana; the nine categories of Amida and the classification of the Seven Buddhas of healing (Shichi Yakubutsu). It introduces the amalgamation of Buddhist and the native Shinto deities, a unique feature of Japanese Buddhism. The sections that follow expand the list of the protector gods associated with the Japanese beliefs and the different historical personalities associated with the various sects of Buddhism in Japan.
The volume will interest scholars of Buddhist religion and art.
The volume contains scholarly essays that make an in-depth study of Buddhist logical theory in the background of Buddhist epistemology. Two crucial philosophical concepts: trairåpya and apoha have also been discussed, besides the contributions of the leading Buddhist scholars like Diïnàga and Dharmakãrti.
The history of Buddhist logical and epistemological theories constitutes an interesting study for Buddhist religious scholars and philosophers.
This volume contains scholarly essays, presented at a seminar, that make an in-depth study of Buddhist logical theory in the background of Buddhist epistemology. Scholars from different parts of the world combine historical and philological scholarship with philosophical acumen and linguistic insight to examine the issues relating to problems of inductive logic and the problem of meaning and the universals. They also address the crucial question regarding the relevance of logical theory to Buddhism, especially to the philosophical soteriology such as Madhyamika. Using both Tibetan and Sanskrit texts to delve deep into the logical issues and philosophical questions, they focus attention on two crucial philosophical concepts: trairupya or the triple character of evidence, and apoha its meaning as exclusion. They examine the contributions of Buddhist scholars of yore in this regard, such as that of the Buddhist master Dinnaga and his general theory of inference, and in particular, his Hetucakradamaru, a study of propositions; Dharmakirti, particularly his theory of inference and definition of points of defeat; besides Shantarakshita and Ratnakirti.
The volume, offering original perspectives based on detailed study of ancient texts and their interpretations, will prove an informative source for scholars of Indology, particularly those involved in Buddhist religion and philosophy.
It deals with the development and fundamental aspects of Buddhist Tantrism and its impact on paintings and the sculptural art of India. It discusses concepts and schools of Tantrism citing Buddhist Tantric works.
In (perhaps) secret defiance of the rigid prescriptive codes of the Buddhist monastic order cropped up a new, esoteric cultic phenomenon. Which, later known as Buddhist tantra, not just compromised Shakyamunis ethical legacy, but came to be administered by a whole host of mudras, mandalas, kriyas, caryas and mysteriously ritualistic elements, even hedonistic practices. Dr. Mishras book attempts afresh to investigate when, why and how emerged this secrecy-ridden cult: now a spiritual tradition in its own right. The author, who has had long, personal interactions with some of the living tantriks, here enters the dark alleys of Buddhist tantra to look for its nucleus, its evolution, its culmination, and the causes of its disintegration. Focussing, further, on the shifting philosophical tenets of Buddhism: from Hinayana to Mahayana, Vajrayana, Kalacakrayana and, finally, Sahajayana, Dr. Mishra spells out quintessentially the world-view of Buddhist Tantra and its path to nirvana or sukhavati: the abode of bliss, together with a wide range of tàntric concepts that remain guhya (secret) to the uninitiated. Also showing how Buddhist art, almost from the beginning, has been compellingly influenced by tantric practices, the book exemplifies the manifestations of this influence in the iconographic representations of the Buddhist deities, illustrated manuscripts, thangkas, and even in the use of colours by the Buddhist artists.
This book studies the iconography of the design elements typically employed by craftspersons of Tai textiles from the Laos, Lan Na and Isan areas. With numerous splendid illustrations of the designs, it deals with their art of weaving, various textile forms to be found in the region and the suitable and inherently powerful motifs woven.
Textiles from Laos, Lan Na and the Isan are prized for their artistic brilliance and aesthetic beauty. They speak volumes on a weaving tradition that has evolved through centuries and shaped the socio-cultural life of the people associated with it. This book studies the iconography of the design elements typically employed by craftspersons of textiles from these areas: it deals with their art of weaving, various textile forms to be found in the region and the suitable and inherently powerful motifs woven. With numerous splendid illustrations of the designs, it involves study of design elements on articles of daily use as well as those used for ceremonial purposes and the kind of forms and iconography depicted like ancestor figures, animal and plant forms, water creatures, objects used in ceremonies and geometric forms. Viewing Buddhism as the prime influence upon the objects though Hinduism is also an important referent, it explores the symbols the design elements involve and their many meanings and the dimensions they encompass their fertility-related, religious and universal associations, for instance. The designs considered in the study are based upon the square grid and the design elements are shown in the typical graph form employed by weavers. It also gives Indian (Sanskrit) and Thai equivalents for English terms of plant and animal species and clarifies a number of terms all of which make this painstakingly-conducted research a thorough work on the subject. The book will be very useful to scholars of Textile designs, Buddhist art and culture; and the cultural traditions of South-east Asia. The scholars of Buddhist studies, specially of Buddhist tantra and art, will find the book as both interesting and useful.
This book offers a fresh exposition of the Buddhist theory of meaning (apohavada) against the backdrop of Indian linguistic thought and shows how this theory is positioned vis-a-vis current issues and assumptions in language. Consists a very useful glossary.
For over two millennia, language has been one of the prime concerns in nearly all philosophical systems of India: Grammar, Mimamsa, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Jaina and Bauddha which, in turn, not only have shaped the Indian perception of vak, but also constitute the essential background to study the major concerns of language that have been taken up in the subsequent phases of philosophical-linguistic developments. Rajnish Mishras book offers a fresh, in-depth exposition of the Buddhist theory of meaning (apohavada) against this stupendous backdrop of Indian linguistic thought and also tries to show how this time-honoured theory is positioned vis-a-vis the current issues and assumptions in language. Surveying the evolution of apoha across the ages specially in its four kindred perspectives, viz, the Abhidharmika, the Sautrantika, the Yogacara and the Madhyamika schools of Buddhist philosophy, the author sets out, on its basis, a cognitive-epistemological model for literary analysis and illustrates as well the applicational aspects of this model with meticulous analysis of Wordsworths poetic masterpiece, Tintern Abbey. Based, as it is, on wide-ranging primary sources, including the Buddhist philosophical-epistemological texts in Sanskrit, the book sheds altogether new light on the Buddhist theory of meaning and, simultaneously, argues against the fallacies that have cropped up around its latter-day interpretations. A work of specific contemporary relevance to the ongoing post-structuralist debates, the book also carries a comprehensive, highly valuable cross-referential glossary of conceptual Sanskrit terms.
Dr. Thomas Dahnhardt deals with the evolution of the Indian lineage of the Naqshbandiyya also called Mujaddidiyya to study the spiritual symbiosis between the Hindu and Muslim communities. He surveys various masters of the tradition, the establishment of a new khanaqah and the emergence and methodology of the Hindu offshoot of the Mujaddidiyya Mazhariyya.
The common heritage of India is an active concept expressing itself in the myriad forms of integration of diverse cultures and traditions. Change and Continuity in Indian Sufism explores this common heritage through a study of the esoteric relationship between Indias two major religious traditions, Hinduism and Islam as expressed in the sufi tradition. Dr. Thomas Dahnhardt focuses on the evolution of the Indian lineage of the Naqshbandiyya, generally known as the Mujaddidiyya, in Indian sufism as an example of the intense spiritual symbiosis between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Based on a field study among the Hindu and Muslim representatives of the Naqshbandiyya lineage, he presents a social and historical study of the Naqshbandiyya Mujaddidiyya, surveying the various masters of the tradition and taking up specifically the establishment of a new khanaqah of the Mazhariyya branch of the Mujaddidiyyal in Old Delhi, one of the most important Naqshbandi centres of the tradition in the Indian subcontinent. The work goes in detail into the emergence, doctrines and methodology of the Hindu offshoot of the Mujaddidiyya Mazhariyya along with creation of regional sub-Hindu branches. The book would be useful to scholars of inter-religious studies, Sufism and Indian religious traditions as well as general readers interested in the process of integration of traditions and communities.
Dr. Thomas Dahnhardt deals with the evolution of the Indian lineage of the Naqshbandiyya also called Mujaddidiyya to study the spiritual symbiosis between the Hindu and Muslim communities. He surveys various masters of the tradition, the establishment of a new khanaqah and the emergence and methodology of the Hindu offshoot of the Mujaddidiyya Mazhariyya.
The common heritage of India is an active concept expressing itself in the myriad forms of integration of diverse cultures and traditions. Change and Continuity in Indian Sufism explores this common heritage through a study of the esoteric relationship between Indias two major religious traditions, Hinduism and Islam as expressed in the sufi tradition. Dr. Thomas Dahnhardt focuses on the evolution of the Indian lineage of the Naqshbandiyya, generally known as the Mujaddidiyya, in Indian sufism as an example of the intense spiritual symbiosis between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Based on a field study among the Hindu and Muslim representatives of the Naqshbandiyya lineage, he presents a social and historical study of the Naqshbandiyya Mujaddidiyya, surveying the various masters of the tradition and taking up specifically the establishment of a new khanaqah of the Mazhariyya branch of the Mujaddidiyyal in Old Delhi, one of the most important Naqshbandi centres of the tradition in the Indian subcontinent. The work goes in detail into the emergence, doctrines and methodology of the Hindu offshoot of the Mujaddidiyya Mazhariyya along with creation of regional sub-Hindu branches. The book would be useful to scholars of inter-religious studies, Sufism and Indian religious traditions as well as general readers interested in the process of integration of traditions and communities.
This commentary volume contends that, from the Gospel accounts of Bible, one may perceive, in Jesus’s life and words, the same absolutist vision that underlies the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. Echoeing interreligious harmony, it invites non-Christians to visit the great enlightened guru in Jesus, and the Christians to imbibe the spirit of Advaita Vedanta in Jesus’s teachings.
The ocean of philosophical insight hiding in the words and story of Jesus Christ has influenced and charged millions of people and are still inspiring. The teaching and philosophy discerned across the four Gospels According to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have stirred the philosophical perspective of Muni Narayana Prasad and it paved the way for him making a Gospel commentary in the light of Indian philosophy, Advaita Vedanta. In his scholarly attempt, the author has brought an apocryphal Gospel of Thomas too into its ambit.
Though the words of wisdom revealed by Jesus across these Gospels differ in language and style from Indian Vedanta, they reveal the same wisdom or supreme happiness that the Vedanta philosophy talks about. In this book, the author has attempted to explain the wisdom found in one cultural frame of reference as found in the other. That is, the teachings of Jesus Christ are elucidated in terms of the characteristics of Advaita Vedanta. Jesus, seen across these Gospels, always maintains his position of an enlightened seer (rishi). Thus the author calls him a sad-guru.
The author contends that from the Gospel accounts one may perceive, in Jesus’s life and words, the same absolutist vision that underlies the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. Echoing interreligious harmony, the author invites the non-Christians to visit the great enlightened guru in Jesus and the Christians to imbibe the spirit of Advaita Vedanta in Jesus’s teachings.
A must-collect, the book should find favour with the spiritual gurus, philosophers, and all progressive-thinking persons across religions.
This work, in simple language, is meant for non-Christians, particularly Hindus, who may be interested in knowing about Christianity, professed by about a third of the world’s population what it teaches, how do Christian doctrines compare with Hindu dictums, what are the various denominations, etc.
Christianity is the worlds largest religion today: about 33.6 per cent of the worlds population has Christianity as their religion. It is also a religion that struck roots early in India as early as middle of the first century ce. The book is an account on Christianity that blends aspects of Christian belief and worship with matters like its significance and the urgent need for interfaith understanding in the globalised and pluralistic societies of today. It is meant for non-Christians, particularly Hindus, who are keen to understand the essential aspects of the religion.
In simple language, the work reveals the essence of the Christian beliefs, its spread over history and its prevalence now, and its importance as a world religion. It examines doctrines of the Church, significance of Jesus Christ, and historical forms of Christianity like Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism. It examines the history of Christianity in India. The interesting work refers to a number of religious works on Christianity and writings of men who commented on Christianity and personified its values like love, compassion and sacrifice. It also deals with some controversial features of the religion like its need to proselytise.
The book, a Festschrift volume in honour of Prof. Trichur S. Rukmani, focuses on diverse themes: Patanjali’s Yogasutras, Advaita Vedanta, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Shaivism, grammar and epic literature. It also addresses issues of contemporary relevance relating broadly to non-violence, environment, gender and syncretism.
This book is a Festschrift volume in honour of Prof. Trichur S. Rukmani that reflects the plethora of issues which she studied in her scholastic life. It includes twenty-four essays by distinguished scholars on various classical and contemporary issues pertaining to Indian studies. While the volume discusses current research in the field of Yoga Prof. Rukmani’s primary research field it also invites further reflection on other areas of Indian thought which have attracted her attention in the course of her long and fruitful academic career.
The volume is divided thematically into six sections. The first two sections deal with the interpretation of the Yoga, Vedanta and Gaudiya-Vaishnava traditions, exploring issues of hermeneutics, methodology and philosophical analysis. The third section addresses issues of continuity within the Indian tradition and includes essays on tantric Shaivism, Mimamsa and the Bhagavad-Gita. The next two sections feature essays on the Sanskrit philosophical discourse, grammar, epic literature and renunciation in the Indian tradition. The last section of the volume takes up issues of contemporary relevance such as the insights from the Hindu tradition towards environmental ethics, the Svadhyaya movement and its dharmic ecology, non-violence, gender, cultural identity as well as syncretism.
The volume, including essays as diverse as Prof. Trichur S. Rukmani’s own scholarly interests, will certainly benefit all scholars and students of Indology, especially those concerned with the religious and philosophical traditions of India.
This volume deals with different issues related to religious practices and institutions in South Asia. It further seeks to substantiate the well-known opposition between the so-called orthodox sovereignty and the heterodox one, of which the so-called vratya-power seems to be a prime example.
This volume, Cross-cutting South Asian Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach focuses on two themes that are central to Indological studies: religious practices and heterodox sovereignty.
The first part of this volume The Indian Ocean of Religious Practices: Past and Present deals with different issues related to religious practices and institutions in South Asia. These contributions share a similar theoretical perspective on religion: they all highlight, in various ways and through different disciplinary approaches, how, in order to fully understand religious practices and their inherent dynamics, it is essential to consider the power relations that continually imbue and shape them.
The second part Kings, Priests and Prominent Roles Interpreted through the Visual, Literary, Speculative, and Technical Indian Arts seeks to substantiate the well-known opposition between the so-called orthodox sovereignty and the heterodox one, of which the so-called vratya-power seems to be a prime example. Therefore, the target of the relevant contributions consists in focusing on different contexts where the king or chieftain, or merely the patron of the sacrifice, gains his temporary pre-eminence in an agonistic way which includes an important non-permanent ascetic dimension.
The book discusses the pre-Christian iconographic cruciform Hindu and Buddhist temple structures and in detail the Christian cross iconography and the varied types of crosses. It presents numerous forms of Latin and Greek crosses, mainly from the ecclesiastical and heraldic viewpoint, along with a few other cross forms.
In top-of-the-mind reading, crosses are the iconographic representation of Christianity, though cross became an embodiment of Christian iconography only after the fifth century ce. In this volume, the author unveils the existence of 500 plus crosses, of which around 300 are of ecclesiastical, heraldic or mundane crosses. Most of these cruciforms were introduced before the twentieth century.
Cruciform was antecedent of Christianity. There were numerous cruciform Hindu and Buddhist temples, even before the advent of Christianity and thus these hold no Christian ecclesiastical relevance. Of late many churches, cathedrals and basilicas applied cruciform to their structure and look in conformity with the Christian iconography. This enunciates the endless design possibilities of cruciform. The book discusses the pre-Christian iconographic cruciform Hindu and Buddhist temple structures and in detail the Christian cross iconography and the varied types of crosses. It delves deep into the numerous forms of Latin and Greek crosses, mainly from the ecclesiastical and heraldic viewpoint. Crosses adorned ecclesiastical, military, professional and trade implications, and were carved on shields and coats of arms.
This volume also addresses other categories of crosses such as solar crosses, saltire crosses and miscellaneous crosses though they too have occasional ecclesiastical and heraldic implications. The book thus gives a fair account of the emergence, use and application of cruciforms until the twentieth century.
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