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Are You Religious or...
Are You Religious or Spiritual, or Atheist or Secular, or What?
by: Sushil Kumar SrivastavaThis book targets those persons who seek to learn about and understand the multiple forms of religious or spiritual or secular life, across the globe. It aims to foster mutual understanding, communication and dialogues between persons having different religious, spiritual and secular orientations.
$20.00
ISBN: 9788124611852
Year Of Publication: 2023
Edition: 1st
Pages : xviii, 198
Bibliographic Details : Bibliography
Language : English
Binding : Paperback
Publisher: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
Size: 22
Weight: 300
The book, more than a philosophic endeavour, elaborately and meticulously discusses a vibrant thought – Are You Religious or Spiritual, or Atheist or Secular, or What? – for our deep contemplation and action, and suggests means to address the challenges that crop up in our spiritual life in a simple and lucid style. It is focuses on those persons who seek to learn about and understand the multiple forms of religious or spiritual or secular life. It aims to foster mutual understanding, communication and dialogues between persons having different religious, spiritual and secular orientations, and calls for a peaceful coexistence of people of different world views. In the present world spiritual scenario, it suggests a spiritual alternative of letting go with love and compassion, which is highly appealing. Also it gives an overview of the major religion of the world, keeping in mind both religious and non-religious people and persons from all walks of life. The unique feature of this volume is its down to earth practicality and simplicity in introducing, analysing and guiding its readers when dealt with a complex topic of religion and spirituality.
Preface
Abbreviations
1. We Are More Than Just a Body, Born to Die
1.1 Atman–Jivatma Concept
1.2 Human Life Cycle Concept
1.3 Lesson from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
1.4 Lesson from Srikalahasti Temple
1.5 Purpose of Our Life
1.6 Absolute Reality and Subjective Reality
2. Common Connected Terminologies
2.1 What Is Religion?
2.1.1 Traits/Attributes of Religion
2.1.2 Religiosity and Religiousness
2.1.3 Religion vis-à-vis Philosophy, Superstition and Paranormality
2.1.4 Religion vis-à-vis Mythology and Culture
2.1.5 What Means “To be religious”?
2.2 Faith and Belief
2.2.1 Religious faith
2.3 Atheism and Theism (Nastikata and Astikata)
2.3.1 Religion vis-à-vis Theism and Atheism
2.3.2 What Means “to be Atheist”
2.4 What Is Spirituality (Adhyatmikata in Hindi)?
2.4.1 Traits/Attributes of Spirituality
2.4.2 What Means “to be spiritual”?
2.5 Secular, Secularism and Secularization (Dharmanirapekshata)
2.5.1 Secular Humanism
2.5.2 What Means “to be secular”?
3. Brief Overview of Religions
3.1 God and the Universe
3.2 Evolution of Religions (Why and How of Religions)
3.2.1 Timeline and Flowchart for evolution of religions (When and Who of the religion)
3.3 Christianity
3.4 Islam
3.5 Hinduism
3.6 Buddhism
3.7 Taoism and Confucianism
3.8 Sikhism
3.9 Judaism
3.10 Differences between Abrahamic and Dharmic Religions
3.11 Idea of Religious Unity
3.12 Path of “Being Religious”
4. Spirituality and “Being Spiritual”
4.1 Evolution of Spirituality
4.2 Differences between Religion and Spirituality
4.3 Examples of Spirituality in Religions (Religious Spirituality)
4.4 Domains and Needs of Spirituality
4.5 Why to Practise Spirituality?
4.5.1 Prevention of Soul Exhaustion or Soul Sickness
4.6 How to Practise Spirituality (Paths to Be Spiritual)?
4.6.1 Connect with your spiritual self
4.6.2 Spiritual Practices
4.7 Spiritual Traps and Spiritual Bypassing
4.7.1 Spiritual Invigorator and Spiritual Cleansing
4.7.2 Cleansing of aura
4.8 Spirituality and Mindfulness
4.9 Levels of Spirituality (Stages of Spiritual Growth) and Where Are You?
4.9.1 Body, Mind, Emotion and Spirit Connection
4.10 Types of Spirituality and Spiritual Paths
4.11 How to Know If We Are Spirituality Connected to Someone
4.12 Spirituality at Workplace (Workplace Spirituality)
5. Religion, Spirituality and Secularism
5.1 Religion and Spirituality in Human Being
5.1.1 Division of Spiritual and Religious peoples
5.2 Yuga-Dharma and Spirituality
5.3 Comparison of Spiritual Practices of S&B, SBNR and RBNS
5.4 Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR)
5.4.1 Categorization of SBNR
5.4.2 Problems of being SBNR
5.5 Secular vis-à-vis Religious/Spiritual
5.5.1 Types of seculars/secularism
5.5.2 Living a secular life
5.5.3 Secular life vis-à-vis spiritual life (Secular spirituality)
5.6 Transformation of Faiths (One to Another)
6. What and Where Are “You”?
6.1 Believers of Uncreated Universe
6.2 Believers of Chance-Creation of Universe and Cycle of Universe
6.2.1 Hindu Approach to Cycle of Universe
6.2.2 Scientific Approach to Cycle of Universe
6.2.3 Concept of Inside God and Outside God
6.3 Further Classification of Atheists/Nastikas
6.4 Belief Ovals for “Where Are You”?
7. Spiritual Awakening
7.1 How Do You Know You Are Spiritual?
7.2 What Is Spiritual Awakening (Adhyatmikajagriti)?
7.3 What Causes Spiritual Awakening?
7.4 How to Proceed for Spiritual Awakening?
7.5 How to Know (Signs) You are Spiritually Awakening
7.6 A Few Myths about Spiritual Awakening
7.7 Problems and Challenges in Way of Spiritual Awakening
Bibliography
“Are You Religious or Spiritual, or Atheist or Secular, or What?”
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Advaita (PB) $20.00
For over a millennium, Shankaras advaitism: non-dualism, has been exposed to extensive discussion, debate, and even polemic. In modern times, it has often been viewed as a system of metaphysical thought, involving a set of several subtle, though interrelated, doctrines which all have the Upanishads at their base. But, wittingly or unwittingly, modern theoreticians/scholars tend to gloss over Shankaras acumen as a philosophical analyst though his interpretations of the Upanishadic writings have indisputably shown his uncommon, rather unrivalled, genius for logic and meticulous philosophical analysis. Professor Ramamurtys work is, thus, a departure from run-of-the-mill studies attempting, as it does, an indepth conceptual analysis of advaita vedanta. The book does not just present advaita as a system of metaphysical thought. It is essentially an off-beat effort seeking to philosophically analyse the concepts of Atman, Brahman, and the World which not only count among the fundamental concepts in the philosophic thought of the Upanishads, but also help capture the true meaning, profoundity, richness and beauty of Shankaras advaita itself. Also, in the specific contexts of Shankaras philosophy vis-a-vis the Upanishadic texts, Professor Ramamurty tries to explore, perhaps for the first time, the meaning and functions of language and the problem that stem from it. Highlighting Shankaras advaitism: his insistence on the oneness of Brahman, the book offers a unique philosophic representation of the Upanishadic vision, which the scholars of classical Indian philosophy and discerning readers would love to share alike.
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Journey to the Centre of my Being $12.00
Jim Wilson is an adventurer: mountaineering; Antarctic exploration; adventure films with Sir Edmund Hillary (on one of which he drove a jet boat up Mother Ganga from ocean to sky); climbing and school building with Sir Edmund in the Everest region of Nepal; and sailing to Pacific islands in a small yacht. These physical adventures provide an exciting backdrop to this book.
But Jim is also a religious adventurer. He relates in depth, with clarity and humour, his long journey in search of a satisfying way of understanding and experiencing the true nature of his self, and of his place in this mysterious universe. Studying Western philosophy and theology moved him away from intense involvement in the liberal Christianity of his parents. So he looked to India, inexhaustible source of inspiration. For two years he studied Indian philosophy and religion at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Then he taught for 23 years in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, returning many times to India and Nepal.
Though profoundly moved by the religions he studied and taught about, he was unable to accept the metaphysical beliefs underpinning them. Increasingly, though, he became fascinated by modern scientific discoveries about the universe, and about our planet and the evolution of life on it. So he wove together elements from religious and scientific traditions. In particular, he took Adi Shankara’s Advaita, also known as spiritual monism, and applied it to the physical universe, adding in also feelings and attitudes from New Zealand’s indigenous Maori religion. He now believes that the centre of his being is the physical energy of the universe, with which, therefore, he is at one. He finds this deeply satisfying in understanding, and emotionally and morally experiencing, his place on this planet and in the universe. Because it owes so much to spiritual monism he calls it physical monism, or physical Advaita. -
Vada in Theory and Practice $44.00
Vada, meaning debates, dialogues, discussions, was the quintessential of Indian spirit, enabling and promoting the growth of different philosophical and knowledge systems of India. It percolated deep into our mindset and enriched the moral, ethical, religious and sociocultural edifice of anything that was essentially Indian in nature. As continuation of Anvikshiki from the bc era, vada helped thrive Indian traditional knowledge systems. It subsists on diversity and its tradition envisages pluralism.
Most of our Sanskrit works, covering a wide gamut of knowledge systems, are structured in the techniques of debate. This reality applies not only to the philosophical writings, but to Indian medical systems (Ayurveda), Arthashastra of Kautilya and Kamasutra of Vatsyayana as well. Even great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata are no exceptions.
Vada culture involved verbal duals, attacks and even violence of speech, and all major religious systems — old or modern — were parties to it. This book also elucidates how vata was vital and critical for the growth of our socio-political fabrics. It shows how some of the major conflicts in philosophical systems were centred around karma, jnana, choice between violence and non-violence, pravritti and nivritti. It also presents the manifestations of vada on a vast canvas during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Modern spiritual and religious gurus like Ramana Maharshi, J. Krishnamurti and Vinoba Bhave were men of dialogues. Our scholars have applied the varied techniques of vada against the philosophical and scientific systems of the West to prove them correct.
This collector’s issue should enthrall a wide audience of philosophers, scholars and believers in Indian knowledge systems. -
The Philosophy of George Santayana $38.00
This book discusses the quintessential aspects of George Santayana’s wide and comprehensive philosophy. Its critical and comparative discussions centre round the problems of Epistemology, Metaphysics, Aesthetics, Ethics and Religion. This makes it all the more interesting.
What is noteworthy about this book is that it shows how naturalism serves as a basis of the idealistic philosophy of George Santayana. Moreover, the illustrious part of this treatise is that essence, as discovered by Santayana by the doubting process, serves as the keynote of his whole philosophy.
The exposition of Santayana’s philosophy on the basis of the above two points is an outstanding feature of the present work. What is captivating about this book is that it shows how the natural gets reconciled with the ideal by making the former the ground of the latter.
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