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Ethics and Culture:S...
Ethics and Culture:Some Indian Reflections
by: Indrani Sanyal , SashinunglaThe book explores values that involve mans existence and his interaction and interrelations with others and deal with the Vedantic, political and economic thoughts of eminent saints and thinkers of India. The articles also include various viewpoints with the hope to ignite the spirit of better understanding of values.
₹795.00 ₹716.00
ISBN: 9788186921524
Year Of Publication: 2010
Edition: 1st
Pages : viii, 364
Language : English
Binding : Hardcover
Publisher: Decent Books
Size: 23
Weight: 700
The anthology Ethics and Culture: Some Indian Reflections looks into global and local questions pertaining to individual morality and social ethos in the larger domain of man in relation to man, in relation to various domains of society and also in relation to nature/world/cosmos. A group of philosophers have presented a panorama of pluralistic Indian perspectives that include classical, traditional Vedic, contemporary and tribal viewpoints with the hope to ignite the spirit of better understanding of values. The result is a well-planned text for students of philosophy, sociology, anthropology and politics and an analytic and authentic reference for researchers with interest in these areas of thought.
Any forward-looking reader with a wider interest may find this anthology to be quite useful.
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Sale!Journey to the Centre of my Being by: Jim Wilson
₹350.00₹315.00Jim 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. -
Sale!Akbar, The Aesthete by: Indu Anand
₹4,800.00₹4,320.00Mughal miniatures are a vivid account of the cultural, sociopolitical scenario of the Mughal era. Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar, the most powerful Mughal emperor, was a great aesthete and promoter of arts. Eminent Persian and Indian artists thronged his Royal Studio and were encouraged to paint numerous emotive miniatures of style and substance, communicating highly complex narratives. These miniatures are a beautiful manifestation of human expressions, vividly encapsulating moments of history for posterity.
This book combines the sources and methodology of history and art history of the Mughal era, and is an analysis of a select group of paintings of Akbar’s reign. The miniature paintings incorporate a wide variety of rich, vibrant and varied themes, ranging from durbar scenes, depicting Akbar in different moods and forms, the princes and nobles in their finery, hunting and battle scenes, elaborate scenes of royal births, construction scenes, ascetics, common man, and countryside scenes, to the flora and fauna. Individual analyses of these miniatures, shows the manner of their composition and the inherent value of their sociocultural content in a lively manner. These paintings became a passion and a diversion for Akbar, who had an innate aesthetic sense.
However, there are hardly any true-to-life paintings of women of the royal seraglio. This book thus attempts to cover some images of femininity, whether it is of Queen Alanquwa, Akbar’s mother, or of Madonna as sacred mothers, and women, per se, in different roles. These miniatures make one wonder how much these women contributed to the life of Mughal India.
This unique volume, having given transliteration and translation of the original Persian text of the miniatures, provides an insight into Akbar as an aesthete, and will help academics and laymen alike in appreciating the beauty and history of Akbar’s period. -
Sale!MAHAMUDRA AND ATIYOGA by: Giuseppe Baroetto
₹650.00₹585.00Mahāmudrā and Atiyoga are particular forms of Buddhist spirituality: Mahāmudrā, the ‘Great Seal’, is considered by Tibetan teachers to be the essence of both the short path and the final instructions that conclude the gradual common and esoteric paths of Buddhist doctrines; Atiyoga or ‘Extreme Union’ represents the Buddhist Dzogchen or ‘Great Completeness’ doctrine.
This volume comprises commentaries on and the transliteration of some ancient Tibetan texts, authored by Buddhist mystics and Tāntric teachers of Mahāmudrā and Atiyoga.
Translated from the Italian, the book is based on oral instructions received by the author from Tibetan teachers. It discusses the insights of the sacred texts and the commentaries on them with respect to the nature of consciousness and phenomenal existence, meditation on guru and deity, Tāntric sexuality, and the introduction to and realization of non-dual awareness.
Simple to understand, the commentaries explain the many meanings of the texts and the symbols and images used. They motivate readers to observe for themselves and personally experience the significance of the traditions and the application of their methods of practice.
The volume will be useful to all students and scholars of Buddhist studies, particularly of the Buddhist Tàntric tradition, and of Tibetan religion and culture. -
Sale!Absence of the Buddha Image in Early Buddhist Art by: Kanoko Tanaka
₹1,500.00₹1,350.00It is next to impossible today to even think of Buddhism without the presence of the Buddha image! The image of the Buddha, in truth, has not only come to symbolise the essence of Buddhism but is also a brilliant expression of the cultural/artistic achievements of the Buddhists since ancient times. Surprisingly, the Buddha image developed at a later stage of the evolutionary process; after the parinirvana of the Buddha, the Buddhists for a considerable time beheld the Buddha and experienced him in their own minds without taking recourse to the Buddha image itself. In Absence of the Buddha Image in Early Buddhist Art, Dr. Tanaka, a well-versed scholar, has for the first time ever explored the absence of the Buddha image in Buddhist art particularly in the period from third century bc to late first century ad in order to rediscover the significance of this phenomenon. Dr. Tanaka observes Bharhut and Sanchi sculptures to point out the most essential motifs and elements of stupa-art design the visible facts pertaining to the absence of the Buddha image. The author studies the religious, philosophical, artistic and political significance of the visible facts, highlighting the concept of the empty throne as the motif representative of that absence. She applies the empty throne concept to the sanctuaries of monotheistic religions, and thus undertakes a comparative study of Buddhism and other religions, particularly, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism to suggest that present-day discussions on the linkage between religions can centre on this theme. The dexterous handling of the topic combined with the authors use of first-hand research material makes this an erudite study. The directness in the authors approach and the unwavering eye on the theme sustains the interest throughout. An abundance of visual material, i.e., drawings and photographs, and tables immensely aid in analysis of the visible facts. This intense work on a rich theme offers well-researched and interesting material that will be useful to scholars of religious studies, fine arts and even philosophy.
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Sale!Indian Movements by: Subhash Chandra Malik
₹1,300.00₹1,170.00Does Indian civilization have the capacity to change or has it been static? The impression of this civilization as an unchanging one has been revised today. Conflict-tension processes in a complex heterogeneous civilization like that of India are equally important and require in-depth studies along with investigating the continuity of tradition. It is in this context that protest, dissent and reform movements have also played a critical role and facilitated adjustments to changing social realities over the centuries. From time to time alternate systems to the accepted ideological or normative patterns have been suggested. Apparently many of these movements were religious in nature, but the socio-economic context which remains in the background does require further detailed examination. The present volume reflects some aspects of these movements. It is one in the series undertaken as part of the group project A Sourcebook of Indian and Asian Civilizations at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The essays in this volume by such scholars as Arun Bali, Savitri Chandra, Narendra Mohan, M.G.S. Narayanan and Veluthat Kesavan; Y.M. Pathan, M.S.A. Rao, Sachchidananda, G.B. Sardar and Pushpa Suri will stimulate discussion and generate new perspectives towards understanding Indian civilization.