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Hinduism and Scienti...
Hinduism and Scientific Quest (PB)
by: TRR IyengarThe author focuses on some of the contemporary scientific ideas vis-a-vis the achievements of old-world Hinduism in cosmogony, astronomy, meteorology and psychology. The book, in the process, unfolds some fundamental Hindu philosophical concepts.
₹504.00
ISBN: 9788124604496
Year Of Publication: 2004
Edition: 2nd
Pages : ix, 284
Bibliographic Details : Bibliography; Glossary; Index
Language : English
Binding : Paperback
Publisher: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
Size: 23 cm.
Weight: 500
Hinduism is not just a religion. It synonymizes the five-millennia of Indias cultural heritage. Which is unequivocally manifest in the Hindus architecture, sculptural art, music, mythology, Sanskrit literary classics, social institutions, and ethical/legal codes. And also in their complex philosophical systems addressing perpetually baffling questions concerning creation, existence, cosmic consciousness, reincarnation, and the like. Yet, ironically perhaps, not many know about the striking breakthroughs of Hindu sages in astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, metallurgy, and other ancient-time sciences leave alone a deficient awareness of the monumental treatises of Charaka, Aryabhatta, Bhaskara and Kautilya that still remain as landmarks in the scientific history. Here is a book trying to highlight how Hinduism of yore : both in its motivations and methodology, laid the foundations of modern scientific quest. Drawing on the prodigious mass of Vedic/post-Vedic Sanskrit writings, the author focuses specially on some of the contemporary scientific ideas vis-a-vis the achievements of the old-world Hinduism in cosmogony, astronomy, meteorology and psychology. Contextually, Iyengars book also unfolds the Hindu worldviews of creation, soul and determinism, among other fundamental philosophical concepts. Discerning readers will find Hinduism and Scientific Quest as much a useful read as the scholars of traditional Indian philosophy and history of science.
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Cosmogony
Ideas of the East
Ideas of the West
Vedic Cosmogony
The Samkhya Cosmology
Ancient Hindu Views about Akasha and Prana
Prakriti and Purusha
Theory of Knowledge
3. The Upanishadic Conception of Creation and Modern Science
The Scientific Conception of the Universe
History of the Evolution of Human Life
Process of Gods Evolution
Matter and Spirit
The Scientific Conception of the Universe
Science and Religion
Mythological Evolution
4. The Role of the Gods
Terrestial God
5. Science, Modern and Ancient
Modern Science and Vedanta
Astronomy
General Mathematics
Theory of Numbers
Physics
The Science of Warfare
Archery
Civil Engineering
Chemistry
Botany
Symbiosis
Atharvaveda as Monuments of Indian Medicine
Occultism and Prayers for Material Welfare
Medical Science
Geo-botany
Horticulture
Spies
Prognostication
Physiognomy and Palmistry
Relativity
Weather Science in Ancient India
6. Advaita and Science
Super Symmetry
7. Determinism
8. Soul and Body
Bibliography
Glossary
Index
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Sale!Absence of the Buddha Image in Early Buddhist Art ₹1,350.00
It 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!Ramayana in Cambodia ₹2,700.00
The book commences with a short wrap-up of the history of Cambodia with the arrival of Sage Kaundinya and comes down to the coronation ceremonies of Cambodian monarchs to whom the brahmin Grand Master hands the statues of Lords Siva and Visnu as the keeper of Divine Values (dharmaraja), and the Sacred Sword with the mantra ‘Take, for Thou art the Lightning of Indra’. The Grand Master is called Rama-rajya-adhipati. Prof. RaghuVira wanted to publish all the 442 Sanskrit inscriptions of Cambodia in Devanagari and their facsimiles. Prof. Coeaes sent their list which has been reproduced here. It shows how Sanskrit was the language of the state till the 12th century. After long-drawn negotiations the Government of Cambodia sent monk Ven. Candravarna in 1961. He obtained the Ramakirti from his uncle (parts 1-6, 8-10, 75). He used to transcribe the Cambodian text into Devanagari and give a resume which wrote down in English. Both have been reproduced here
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Sale!Sleeping to Dream and Dreaming to Wake Up ₹1,440.00
“Dreams play a significant role in our life, meaningfully affecting us in the development of our personality and our spiritual journey. They are an everyday experience for any human being. Dreams have always been of great interest to poets and philosophers alike since ancient times and examples are aplenty in Indian and Western scriptures. However, it is an uphill task for an ordinary person to fully appreciate the intricacies and significance of dreams in the day-to-day life. It is here that this book proves as an invaluable guide providing deep understanding on the nature of dream and sleep.
This book is a repertoire of human wisdom – gathered for centuries and attested by the modern science – offering enormous insights into our dream and deep-sleep states. It asks, from a common man’s point of view, many a question that perturb us and provides answers to them from the scientific and spiritual perspectives in a captivating way. Some such questions include:
• Do we see dreams in black and white or in colour?
• What does a visually-challenged person see in his dreams?
• Why are some of our dreams extraordinarily vivid with electric colours, the clarity and brilliance of which, we may never encounter in our ordinary waking lives?
• Why are we non-reflective, irrational in our dreams?
• Are the dream time and waking time equal?
• How does our memory work in dream state? Why do we forget our dreams and is it possible to improve dream recall and cultivate awareness in dreams?
• Why do we fail to distinguish a dream object from the physical world object while we are dreaming?
• If the dream experience exactly feels like the real world and we fail to distinguish it from the waking world while we are dreaming, how can we be certain that we are not dreaming now?
• How does a dream contain various persons exhibiting opposite emotions at the same time when all the dream characters including the witnessing dreamer are produced out of single mind of the dreaming person?
• Can we intentionally transform the dream scenarios? If so, what would be the philosophical implications of it?
• Can dreams and sleeps be utilized for spiritual elevation?
… and many more questions we always wondered about the daily eight hours of our bed time, but never got the right answers to! We find new meanings and ways in dealing with our dreams in this volume, therefore, it is a must read for every dream enthusiast as well as any serious spiritual seeker.
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Sale!Journey to the Centre of my Being ₹315.00
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. -
Sale!Visistadvaita’s Critique of the Advaita Hermenqutics ₹450.00
Vedānta is the very heart of Indian philosophy. The various schools of Vedānta have been explored under diverse categories including ontological and epistemological, but they are a storehouse of so much more. “Hermeneutics” in simple words can be the theory of interpretation and this book has studied the critique of the Advaita hermeneutics by Rāmānujācārya based on Vedic statements like tat tvam asi, tadaikāta bahu syāma, neha nānāsti kiñcana and many others in his book Vedārthasaṁgraha which mirrors a complete vision of the Upaniṣads. Rāmānujācārya has shown how the Śruti statements can be seen in a coherent manner resolving the conflicts of bheda and abheda. The nature of a word and its various śaktis, followed by how successful are words in describing the concepts of sat, cit and ānanda, are also discussed here.
This book is an initial effort in the hermeneutic studies of Indian texts, which have been kept limited to the scope of philosophy, theology or religion alone. Many more linguistic treasures can be found here.
