Download or read book Ascetic Figures before and in Early Buddhism written by Martin G. Wiltshire and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2013-07-31 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sinceits founding by Jacques Waardenburg in 1971, Religion and Reason has been a leading forum for contributions on theories, theoretical issues and agendas related to the phenomenon and the study of religion. Topics include (among others) category formation, comparison, ethnophilosophy, hermeneutics, methodology, myth, phenomenology, philosophy of science, scientific atheism, structuralism, and theories of religion. From time to time the series publishes volumes that map the state of the art and the history of the discipline.
Download or read book Ascetic Practices in Japanese Religion written by Tullio Federico Lobetti and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-09-11 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ascetic practices are a common feature of religion in Japan, practiced by different religious traditions. This book looks at these ascetic practices in an inter-sectarian and inter-doctrinal fashion, in order to highlight the underlying themes common to all forms of asceticism. It does so by employing a multidisciplinary methodology, which integrates participant fieldwork – the author himself engaged extensively in ascetic practices – with a hermeneutical interpretation of the body as the primary locus of transmission of the ascetic ‘embodied tradition’. By unlocking this ‘bodily data’, the book unveils the human body as the main tool and text of ascetic practice. This book includes discussion of the many extraordinary rituals practiced by Japanese ascetics.
Download or read book The Hermit s Hut written by Kazi K. Ashraf and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2013-10-31 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Hermit’s Hut offers an original insight into the profound relationship between architecture and asceticism. Although architecture continually responds to ascetic compulsions, as in its frequent encounter with the question of excess and less, it is typically considered separate from asceticism. In contrast, this innovative book explores the rich and mutual ways in which asceticism and architecture are played out in each other’s practices. The question of asceticism is also considered—as neither a religious discourse nor a specific cultural tradition but as a perennial issue in the practice of culture. The work convincingly traces the influences from early Indian asceticism to Zen Buddhism to the Japanese teahouse—the latter opening the door to modern minimalism. As the book’s title suggests, the protagonist of the narrative is the nondescript hermit’s hut. Relying primarily on Buddhist materials, the author provides a complex narrative that stems from this simple structure, showing how the significance of the hut resonates widely and how the question of dwelling is central to ascetic imagination. In exploring the conjunctions of architecture and asceticism, he breaks new ground by presenting ascetic practice as fundamentally an architectural project, namely the fabrication of a “last” hut. Through the conception of the last hut, he looks at the ascetic challenge of arriving at the edge of civilization and its echoes in the architectural quest for minimalism. The most vivid example comes from a well-known Buddhist text where the Buddha describes the ultimate ascetic moment, or nirvana, in cataclysmic terms using architectural metaphors: “The roof-rafters will be shattered,” the Buddha declares, and the architect will “no longer build the house again.” As the book compellingly shows, the physiological and spiritual transformation of the body is deeply intertwined with the art of building. The Hermit’s Hut weaves together the fields of architecture, anthropology, religion, and philosophy to offer multidisciplinary and historical insights. Written in an engaging and accessible manner, it will appeal to readers with diverse interests and in a variety of disciplines—whether one is interested in the history of ascetic architecture in India, the concept of “home” in ancient India, or the theme of the body as building.
Download or read book The Emergence of Buddhism written by Jacob N. Kinnard and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This brief survey tells the story of Buddhism as it unfolds through the narrative of the Brahmanical cosmology from which Buddhism emerged, the stories and myths surrounding the Buddha's birth, the Buddha's path to enlightenment, and the eventual spread of his teachings throughout India and the world. Jacob N. Kinnard helps readers understand complex concepts such as the natural law of cause and effect (Karma), the birth/life/death/rebirth cycle (samsara), the everchanging state of suffering (dukkha), and salvation or the absence of all states (Mivana). Several illustrations, together with biographical sketches and primary sources, help to illuminate the extraordinary richness of the Buddhist traditon. "At last, a textbook on Buddhism that integrates new and old methods for telling the story of Buddhism's development in India and its expansion into other parts of Asia; this book is a jewel. Kinnard's skill as an interpreter of material culture in the history of South Asian religions gives him insight into content students of Buddhism should know. Students will appreciate the towering personalities and dramatic choices of the men and women who shaped the story of buddhism in India and Other parts of Asia." Elizabeth Wilson Professor and Chair of comparative Religion Maimi University, Ohio "In an admirably succint fashion, Jacob Kinnard traces the development of Buddhism in India during the first fifteen hundred years of its history there. In so doing he sets the stage for the consideration of Buddhist traditions elsewhere, always attened to the Social, economic, political, and relious contexts in which this development occurred, the author pays particular attention to the lifestory of the buddha and to the evolution of his ongoing presence in his teachings, his relics, his images, and the pilgrimage sites associated with him. All of this is nicely complemented by brief teachings his relics, his images, and the pilgrimages sites associated with him. All of this is nicely complemented by brief biographics of prominent Buddhist historical figures and by a judicious selections of translations of pali and Sanskrit texts. Clearly and engagingly written, this classroom-friendly volume will also be of interest to scholars of religion. John Strong Charles A. Dana Professor of Asian Studies, Bates College Author of The Experience of Buddhism and The Buddha: A Beginner's Guide
Download or read book Shared Characters in Jain Buddhist and Hindu Narrative written by Naomi Appleton and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-11-25 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taking a comparative approach which considers characters that are shared across the narrative traditions of early Indian religions (Brahmanical Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism) Shared Characters in Jain, Buddhist and Hindu Narrative explores key religious and social ideals, as well as points of contact, dialogue and contention between different worldviews. The book focuses on three types of character - gods, heroes and kings - that are of particular importance to early South Asian narrative traditions because of their relevance to the concerns of the day, such as the role of deities, the qualities of a true hero or good ruler and the tension between worldly responsibilities and the pursuit of liberation. Characters (incuding character roles and lineages of characters) that are shared between traditions reveal both a common narrative heritage and important differences in worldview and ideology that are developed in interaction with other worldviews and ideologies of the day. As such, this study sheds light on an important period of Indian religious history, and will be essential reading for scholars and postgraduate students working on early South Asian religious or narrative traditions (Jain, Buddhist and Hindu) as well as being of interest more widely in the fields of Religious Studies, Classical Indology, Asian Studies and Literary Studies.
Download or read book Pneumatology and the Christian Buddhist Dialogue written by Amos Yong and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2012-07-26 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This project at the interface of Buddhist-Christian studies, comparative theology, and Christian systematic theology proceeds by way of exploring questions related to the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in a 21st century world of many faiths.
Download or read book Jainism and Early Buddhism written by Olle Qvarnström and published by Jain Publishing Company. This book was released on 2003 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of papers presented at an international conference on Jainism and early Buddhism in honor of Prof. Padmanabh S. Jaini, organized and hosted by the Department of History of Religions at the University of Lund, Sweden in 1998. Prof. Jaini is professor emeritus of Buddhist Studies at University of California, Berkeley, California, USA and one of the foremost contemporary scholars of Buddhism and Jainism. The two part festschrift contains papers presented by thirty seven prominent scholars, covering a wide range of topics in both religions.
Download or read book Asceticism written by Vincent L. Wimbush and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2002-05-23 with total page 678 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From meditation and fasting to celibacy and anchoritism, the ascetic impulse has been an enduring and complex phenomenon throughout history. Offering a sweeping view of this elusive and controversial aspect of religious life and culture, Asceticism looks at the ascetic impulse from a unique vantage point. Cross-cultural, cross-religious, and multidisciplinary in nature, these essays provide a broad historical and comparative perspective on asceticism--a subject rarely studied outside the context of individual religious traditions. The work represents the input of more than forty preeminent scholars in a wide range of fields and disciplines, and analyzes asceticism from antiquity to the present in European, Near Eastern, African, Asian, and North American settings. Asceticism is organized around four major themes that cut across religious traditions: origins and meanings of asceticism, which explores the motivations and impulses behind ascetic behaviors; hermeneutics of asceticism, which looks at texts and rhetorics and their presuppositions; aesthetics of asceticism, which documents responses evoked by ascetic impulses and practices, as well as the arts of ascetic practices themselves; and politics of asceticism, which analyzes the power dynamics of asceticism, especially as regards gender, cultural, and ethnic differences. Critical responses to the major papers ensure the focus upon the themes and unify the discussion. Two general addresses on broad philosophical and historical-interpretive issues suggest the importance of the subject of asceticism for wide-ranging but serious cultural-critical discussions. An Appendix, Ascetica Miscellanea, includes six short papers on provocative topics not related to the four major themes, and a panel discussion on the practices and meanings of asceticism in contemporary religious life and culture. A selected bibliography and an index are also included. The only comprehensive reference work on asceticism with a multicultural, multireligious, and multidisciplinary perspective, Asceticism offers a model not only for an understanding of a most important dimension of religious life, but also for future interdisciplinary study in general.
Download or read book The Origins of Yoga and Tantra written by Geoffrey Samuel and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008-03-27 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Yoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernized forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism or Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 CE, with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns.
Download or read book The Living and the Dead written by Liz Wilson and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection examines the social dimensions of death in South Asian religions, exploring the ritualized exchanges between the living and the dead performed by Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and other religious groups. Using ethnographic and historical tools associated with the comparative and historical study of religion, the contributors also record the voices and actions of marginalized groups—such as tribal peoples, women, and members of lower castes—who are often underrepresented in studies of South Asian deathways, which typically focus on the writings and practices of elite groups. For many religious people, death entails a journey leading to some new condition or place. As the ultimate experience of passage, it is highly ceremonial and ritualized, and those beliefs and practices associated with the moment of death itself—death-bed ceremonies, funerary rites, and rituals of mourning and of remembering—are examined here. The Living and the Dead offers historical depth, ethnographic detail, and conceptual clarity on a subject that is of immense importance in South Asian religious traditions.
Download or read book Buddha Jesus and Muhammad written by Paul Gwynne and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-12-23 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This cool, clear-sighted comparative study has no theological axe to grind. It offers a trusty thematic guide to the figureheads of three of the largest religions in the world. The comparative approach is descriptive and even-handed, highlighting both similarities and differences across a range of major areas. The thematic chapters cover: early life, followers, the core message, political attitudes, relations with women, and death. The engaging writing and descriptive approach make this an ideal text for students, instructors and general readers.
Download or read book An Analysis of the Pali Canon and a Reference Table of Pali Literature written by Russell Webb and published by Buddhist Publication Society. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Analysis of the Pali Canon is a comprehensive overview of the contents of the works that make up the Tipitaka, the Canon of the Theravada school of Buddhism. It also contains an index of the suttas and sections of the Tipitaka, as well as an extensive bibliography of the translations of canonical works and secondary literature. The second part of this book, A Reference Table of Pali Literature, is an extensive list of all the works composed in the Indic language known as Pali. It lists all the works of the Tipitaka, the commentaries and subcommentaries, historical chronicles, works on medicine, cosmology, grammar, law, astrology, Bible translations, etc. It also gives data on the authors, time of composition, country of origin and includes references to secondary literature that provide more information on the works listed. This book is an essential resource for students and researchers of the Tipitaka and other Pali literature.
Download or read book Collected Wheel Publications Volume XV written by Various Authors and published by Buddhist Publication Society. This book was released on 2012-12-01 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains fifteen numbers of the renowned Wheel Publication series, dealing with various aspects of the Buddha’s teaching. Wheel Publication No. 216: The Buddhist Attitude to Other Religions by K. N. Jayatilleke; 217-220: An Analysis of the Pali Canon by Russell Webb; 221-224: Kamma and Its Fruit by Leonard A. Bullen, Nina van Gorkom,Bhikkhu Nanajivako, Nyanaponika Thera,Francis Story; 225: Buddhism and Sex by M. O'C. Walshe; 226-230: A Technique of Living by Leonard A. Bullen;
Download or read book Buddhist Forum Volume V written by K. R. Norman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Download or read book The Philosophy of Desire in the Buddhist Pali Canon written by David Webster and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Webster explores the notion of desire as found in the Buddhist Pali Canon. Beginning by addressing the idea of a 'paradox of desire', whereby we must desire to end desire, the varieties of desire that are articulated in the Pali texts are examined. A range of views of desire, as found in Western thought, are presented as well as Hindu and Jain approaches. An exploration of the concept of ditthi(view or opinion) is also provided, exploring the way in which 'holding views' can be seen as analogous to the process of desiring. Other subjects investigated include the mind-body relationship, the range of Pali terms for desire, and desire's positive spiritual value. A comparative exploration of the various approaches completes the work.
Download or read book Nirvana and Other Buddhist Felicities written by Steven Collins and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-05-13 with total page 710 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents an answer to the question: what is nirvana? Part I distinguishes between systematic and narrative thought in the Pali texts of Theravada Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, arguing that nirvana produces closure in both, and setting nirvana in the wider category of Buddhist Felicities. Part II explores other Buddhist utopias (both eu-topias, 'good places', and ou-topias, 'no-places'), and relates Buddhist utopianism to studies of European and American utopian writing. The book ends with a close reading of the Vessantara Jataka, which highlights the conflict between the ascetic quest for closure and ultimate felicity, and the ongoing demands of ordinary life and society. Steven Collins discusses these issues in relation to textuality, world history and ideology in premodern civilizations, aiming to contribute to an alternate vision of Buddhist history, which can hold both the inside and the outside of texts together.
Download or read book The World s Greatest Religious Leaders 2 volumes written by Scott E. Hendrix and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 850 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides reliable information about important world religious leaders, correcting the misinformation that can be on the internet. Religious leaders have shaped the course of history and deeply affected the lives of many individuals. This book offers alphabetically arranged profiles of roughly 160 religious leaders from around the world and across time, carefully chosen for their impact and importance and to maximize inclusiveness of faiths from around the world. Scholars from around the world, each one an expert in his or her field and all holding advanced degrees, came together to create an essential resource for students and for those with an interest in religion and its history. Every entry has been carefully edited in a two-stage review process, guaranteeing accuracy and readability throughout the work. Not strictly a biographical reference that recounts the facts of religious figures' lives, the book helps users understand how the selected figures changed history. The entries are accompanied by excerpts of primary source documents and suggestions for further reading, while the book closes with a bibliography of essential print and electronic resources for further research.
