Download or read book Meditations Through the Rig Veda written by Antonio T. De Nicolás and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2003 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reconstructs the original and origins of the Rig Veda, (between 5.000 to 2.500 B.C, ) the first Indo-European written document ever to show the origin of cultures and the power of music in the recitation and construction of the original hymns. Here we find the original geometries, original forms, original sacrifice of any form to claim supremacy over the others and the continued movement of human life. This book brings together early humans with modern neurobiological discoveries and shows the origins of multiple centers of knowing (the gods), the movement of the singer and the song in a world that avoids idolatry of substances by insisting in the constant movement of singer, song, and music. If you thought you knew all there is to know about the language you use, read this book and find out the idolatry of its imagery and the possible sacrifice needed for a happy, communal and divine life.
Download or read book The New Theogony written by Maria M. Colavito and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1992-09-01 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a sustained focus of on those original human acts that gave us the gods, the human psyche, and the stories about them. Dr. Colavito divides myth into four distinct but inseparable "acts": first is the original power to create; second, the stories about the manifestation; third, the imitation and duplication of the manifested images; and four are the theories regarding the first three. Development of these four "acts" provides the foundation for studying and interpreting myth cross-culturally.
Download or read book The Rig Veda written by Wendy Doniger and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2005-03-31 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas, and the first extensive composition to survive in any Indo-European language, the Rig Veda (c. 1200-900 BC) is a collection of over 1,000 individual Sanskrit hymns. A work of intricate beauty, it provides a unique insight into early Indian mythology, religion and culture. This selection of 108 of the hymns, chosen for their eloquence and wisdom, focuses on the enduring themes of creation, sacrifice, death, women, the sacred plant soma and the gods. Inspirational and profound, it provides a fascinating introduction to one of the founding texts of Hindu scripture - an awesome and venerable ancient work of Vedic ritual, prayer, philosophy, legend and faith.
Download or read book Meditation from Buddhist Hindu and Taoist Perspectives written by Robert Altobello and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2009 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Engages readers with its original philosophical and pragmatic analysis of traditional Asian religions, philosophy, meditation practice, and the supreme spiritual ideals associated with the Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist traditions. The text boldly bridges the theory/practice distinction. A central underpinning rests on the assumption that meditation practice without theory is groundless and that theory without practice is useless. Identifies and analyzes common elements found across traditions in which the practice of meditation plays a central role in human development, and readers will find a wealth of detailed reflection on the relationship between spiritual growth and meditation practice from the Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist perspectives. From publisher description.
Download or read book The Artful Universe written by William K. Mahony and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides an accessible introduction to the Vedic religious world by focusing on the role of divine and human imagination in sacred texts.
Download or read book The Indian Way written by John M Koller and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-23 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is no other book that explains both the philosophies and religions of India in their full historical development. The Indian Way is accessible to beginning students, and does justice to the Indian tradition’s richness of religious and philosophical thought. Clear and powerful explanations of yajna and dharma, and appealing, intimate descriptions of Krishna, Kali, and Shiva allow students to read some of the great Indian texts for themselves.
Download or read book Myth and Method written by Laurie L. Patton and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In confronting these tension, they provide an outline of the most troubling questions in the field and offer a variety of responses to them.
Download or read book San Juan de la Cruz written by Saint John of the Cross and published by Weiser Books. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: St. John (San Juan de la Cruz) is one of the greatest mystics and poets in any language. This is a new introduction and translation of St. John'' poetry (presented in both Spanish and English) and prose commentaries that includes his biography, providing an integrated vision that resurrects the power of his poetic voice.
Download or read book The Social Self in Zen and American Pragmatism written by Steve Odin and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1996-01-10 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The thesis of this work is that in both modern Japanese philosophy and American pragmatism there has been a paradigm shift from a monological concept of self as an isolated "I" to a dialogical concept of the social self as an "I-Thou relation," including a communication model of self as an individual-society interaction. It is also shown that for both traditions all aesthetic, moral, and religious values are a function of the social self arising through communicative interaction between the individual and society. However, at the same time this work critically examines major ideological conflicts arising between the social self theories of modern Japanese philosophy and American pragmatism with respect to such problems as individualism versus collectivism, freedom versus determinism, liberalism versus communitarianism, and relativism versus objectivism.
Download or read book Karma and Creativity written by Christopher Key Chapple and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 1986-01-01 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conception of karma in the religious traditions of India has prompted numerous interpretations, many of which equate karma with notions of fate. Karma and Creativity presents a perspective on karma that emphasizes the efficacy of human activity in bringing about desired results--from upholding societal order to the attainment of spiritual liberation. Karma is examined in light of several classical Indian texts. Special attention is given to the concept of mind-only in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The study focuses on the positive approach to action first learned by the sage Vasisin the Mahabharata and then taught by him to Sri Rama in the Yogavasis. It concludes with an exploration of the theological and ethical implications of action and creativity.
Download or read book Ploughing the Clouds written by Peter Lamborn Wilson and published by City Lights Books. This book was released on 2021-10-20 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Rig Veda, written in India about 1500BC, praises a holy plant called Soma, which is sacrificed and consumed, granting the drinker an experience of enlightenment and ecstasy. The late Gordon Wasson identified Soma as a "magic mushroom," Amanita muscaria, and he and his followers discovered that such Indo-Europeans as the ancient Greeks, Iranians and Norse had also used a Soma-type plant. In Ploughing the Clouds Peter Lamborn Wilson investigates the probability of a Soma cult in ancient Ireland, tracing clues in Irish (and other Celtic) lore. By comparing Celtic folktales, romances, epics and topographic lore with the Rig Veda, he uncovers the Irish branch of the great Indo-European tradition of psychedelic (or "entheogenic") shamanism, and even reconstructs some of its secret rituals. He uses this comparative material to illuminate the deep meaning of the Soma-function in all cultures: the entheogenic origin of "poetic frenzy," the link between intoxication and inspiration.
Download or read book The Mystery of Numbers written by Annemarie Schimmel and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1994-04-07 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is the number seven lucky--even holy--in almost every culture? Why do we speak of the four corners of the earth? Why do cats have nine lives (except in Iran, where they have seven)? From literature to folklore to private superstitions, numbers play a conspicuous role in our daily lives. But in this fascinating book, Annemarie Schimmel shows that numbers have been filled with mystery and meaning since the earliest times, and across every society. In The Mystery of Numbers Annemarie Schimmel conducts an illuminating tour of the mysteries attributed to numbers over the centuries. She begins with an informative and often surprising introduction to the origins of number systems: pre-Roman Europeans, for example, may have had one based on twenty, not ten (as suggested by the English word "score" and the French word for 80, quatrevingt --four times twenty), while the Mayans had a system more sophisticated than our own. Schimmel also reveals how our fascination with numbers has led to a rich cross-fertilization of mathematical knowledge: "Arabic" numerals, for instance, were picked up by Europe from the Arabs, who had earlier adopted them from Indian sources ("Algorithm" and "algebra" are corruptions of the Arabic author and title names of a mathematical text prized in medieval Europe). But the heart of the book is an engrossing guide to the symbolism of numbers. Number symbolism, she shows, has deep roots in Western culture, from the philosophy of the Pythagoreans and Platonists, to the religious mysticism of the Cabala and the Islamic Brethren of Purity, to Kepler's belief that the laws of planetary motion should be mathematically elegant, to the unlucky thirteen. After exploring the sources of number symbolism, Schimmel examines individual numbers ranging from one to ten thousand, discussing the meanings they have had for Judaic, Christian, and Islamic traditions, with examples from Indian, Chinese, and Native American cultures as well. Two, for instance, has widely been seen as a number of contradiction and polarity, a number of discord and antithesis. And six, according to ancient and neo-platonic thinking, is the most perfect number because it is both the sum and the product of its parts (1+2+3=6 and 1x2x3=6). Using examples ranging from the Bible to the Mayans to Shakespeare, she shows how numbers have been considered feminine and masculine, holy and evil, lucky and unlucky. A highly respected scholar of Islamic culture, Annemarie Schimmel draws on her vast knowledge to paint a rich, cross-cultural portrait of the many meanings of numbers. Engaging and accessible, her account uncovers the roots of a phenomenon we all feel every Friday the thirteenth.
Download or read book Powers of Imagining written by Antonio T. de Nicolas and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1986-06-30 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a new translation of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius de Loyola, of his Spiritual Diary, of his Autobiography, and some of his letters. These translations are introduced by a hermeneutical commentary laying out the theory and practices of the decision-making power of imagining. Ignatius proposed in his Spiritual Exercises a form of decision-oriented mysticism, and through their use, gathered around him a group of associates who became the first members of the Jesuit Order. Under the control of later, doctrinally oriented theologians, the practical, decision-oriented mystical character of the original Exercises was gradually replaced by a more theoretical and devotional character. Antonio T. de Nicolas recovers in his translations and through his critical apparatus the original decision-oriented thrust of Ignatius.
Download or read book Healing Mother Earth written by Lloyd Lill and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2018-05-04 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The vulnerability of our planet is evident everywhere with daily revelations of the effects of climate change. Global warming began with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, with the burning of fossil fuels as reflected in carbon dioxide (CO2), which measured 300 ppm (parts per million) at the time of the Industrial Revolution and today stands at 400 ppm. The climate change is creating multiple problems. The concerns of melting sea ice and glaciers are contributing to rising sea levels. The increases in the warmer seas are fueling damaging hurricanes and typhoons, as witness the recent sequence of hurricanesHarvey, Irma, Jose and Mariaand typhoon Haiyen in the Philippines. Extreme heat waves and droughts are impacting farming and creating a world of environmental refugees. There is mounting evidence that soil, water, and air pollution increases are impacting our health. The dramatic loss of species worldwide is unsettling. A response to our troubling time is found in ancient teachings of the Vedic heritage. Their teachings are as relevant today as they were 3,500 years ago. These insights are found in the Samhistas and the texts of the VedasRgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads. Additional understanding of the inner nature is found in the five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. The lynchpin of my book is the idea that it is not too late to protect and save our environment and our planet earth. Readers will also value the books appeal to the world communities and their reflective concern in caring for Mother Earth. The aim of this book is to showcase the Vedic teachings and how they can transform our current thinking and, at the same time, how they impact your personal renewal.
Download or read book Deconstructing Zen written by William C. Dell and published by American Book Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Wisdom of the Ancient Seers written by David Frawley and published by Lotus Press (WI). This book was released on 2000-11-01 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work offers a glimpse into Vedic spirituality, vision and culture. An interpretation of one of the oldest sacred scriptures in the world, the composers are portrayed as sages, seers and poets, adept at symbolic and metaphoric communication
Download or read book The Harmonic Origins of the World written by Richard Heath and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-03-20 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A profound exploration of the simple numerical ratios that underlie our solar system, its musical harmony, and our earliest religious beliefs • Reveals how the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus relate to the Moon and the inner planets as an octave with musical scales • Explores how this harmonic planetary knowledge was encoded within ancient monuments and temples then spread within oral traditions • Explains how the solar system functions as a musical instrument and how this led to the rise of intelligent life, civilization, and culture on our planet As modern humans first walked the Earth roughly 70,000 years ago, the Moon’s orbit came into harmonic resonance with the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. The common denominators underlying these harmonic relationships are the earliest prime numbers of the Fibonacci series--two, three, and five--the same numbers that interact to give us the harmonic relationships of music. Exploring the simple mathematical relationships that underlie the cycles of the solar system and the music of Earth, Richard Heath reveals how Neolithic astronomers discovered these ratios using megalithic monuments like Stonehenge and the Carnac stones, discoveries that informed later myths and stories including the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Resurrection of Osiris, the Rg Veda, the Hebrew Bible, Homer’s epic tales, and the Return of Quetzalcoatl. He explains how this harmonic planetary knowledge formed the basis of the earliest religious systems, in which planets were seen as gods, and shows how they spread through Sumer, Egypt, and India into Babylon, Judea, Mexico, and archaic Greece. He exposes how the secret knowledge encoded within the Bible’s god YHWH was lost as Greek logic and reason steadily weakened mythological beliefs. Revealing the mysteries of the octave and of our musical scales, Heath shows how the orbits of the outer and inner planets gave a structure to time, which our Moon’s orbit could then turn into a harmonic matrix. He explains how planetary time came to function as a finely tuned musical instrument, leading to the rise of intelligent life on our planet. He demonstrates how this harmonic science of numbers can be read in the secret symbolism and sacred geometry of ancient cities such as Teotihuacan and in temples such as the Parthenon, connecting the higher worlds of planetary time and harmonics with the spiritual and physical life on Earth. Recasting our understanding of the solar system, Heath seeks to reawaken humanity’s understanding of how sacred numbers structure reality, offering an opportunity to recover this lost harmonic doctrine and reclaim our intended role in the outer life of our planet.
