|
Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian sacred works & liturgy > Sacred texts > General
Both the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud depict a wide
range of sorrowful situations tied to every level of society and to
the complexities of human behavior and the human condition. The
causes and expressions of sorrow amongst the Sages, however, are
different from their counterparts amongst common people or women,
with descriptions varying between the Babylonian and the Jerusalem
Talmud. In 'Sorrow and Distress in the Talmud', Valler explores
more than 50 stories from both the Babylonian and the Jerusalem
Talmuds, focusing on these issues.
The Heart Sutra is the most widely read, chanted, and copied text
in East Asian Buddhism. Here Frederik L. Schodt explores his
lifelong fascination with the sutra: its mesmerizing mantra, its
ancient history, the "emptiness theory, and the way it is used
around the world as a metaphysical tool to overcome chaos and
confusion and reach a new understanding of reality--a perfection of
wisdom. Schodt's journey takes him to caves in China, American
beats declaiming poetry, speculations into the sutra's true
origins, and even a robot Avalokitesvara at a Kyoto temple.
The Talmud is one of the most significant religious texts in the
world, second only to the Bible in its importance to Judaism. As
the Bible is the word of God, The Talmud applies that word to the
lives of its followers. In a range of styles including commentary,
parables, proverbs and anecdotes, it provides guidance on all
aspects of everyday life from ownership to commerce to
relationships. This selection of its most illuminating passages
makes accessible the centuries of Jewish thought within The Talmud.
Norman Solomon's clear translation from the Bavli (Babylonian)
Talmud is accompanied by an introduction on its arrangement, social
and historical background, reception and authors. This edition also
includes appendixes of background information, a glossary, time
line, maps and indexes.
This book invites readers to reconsider what they think they know
about the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis, from the
creation of the world, through the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel,
the Flood, and the Tower of Babel, to the introduction of Abraham.
Edwin M. Good offers a new translation of and literary commentary
on these chapters, approaching the material as an ancient Hebrew
book. Rather than analyzing the chapters in light of any specific
religious position, he is interested in what the stories say and
how they work as stories, indications in them of their origins as
orally performed and transmitted, and how they do and do not
connect with one another. Everyone, from those intimately familiar
with Genesis to those who have never read it before, will find
something new in "Genesis 1-11: Tales of the Earliest World."
Tracing its history from Moses Mendelssohn to today, Alan Levenson
explores the factors that shaped what is the modern Jewish Bible
and its centrality in Jewish life today. The Making of the Modern
Jewish Bible explains how Jewish translators, commentators, and
scholars made the Bible a keystone of Jewish life in Germany,
Israel and America. Levenson argues that German Jews created a
religious Bible, Israeli Jews a national Bible, and American Jews
an ethnic one. In each site, scholars wrestled with the demands of
the non-Jewish environment and their own indigenous traditions,
trying to balance fidelity and independence from the commentaries
of the rabbinic and medieval world.
Published as Dalil al-Muslim al-hazin ila muqtada-l-suluk fi'l-qarn
al-'ishrin in 1983, this book remains a timely and important read
today. Both the resurgence of Islamist politics and the political,
social and intellectual upheaval which accompanied the Arab Spring
challenge us to re-examine the interaction between the pre-modern
Islamic tradition and modern supporters of continuity, reform and
change in Muslim communities. This book does exactly that, raising
questions regarding issues about which other Muslim intellectuals
and thinkers have been silent. These include - among others -
current religious practice vs the Islamic ideal; the many additions
to the original revelation; the veracity of the Prophet's biography
and his sayings; the development of Sufism; and historical and
ideological influences on Islamic thought.
The Talmud is a confusing piece of writing. It begins no where and
ends no where but it does not move in a circle. It is written in
several languages and follows rules that in certain circumstances
trigger the use of one language over others. Its components are
diverse. To translating it requires elaborate complementary
language. It cannot be translated verbatim into any language. So a
translation is a commentary in the most decisive way. The Talmud,
accordingly, cannot be merely read but only studied. It contains
diverse programs of writing, some descriptive and some analytical.
A large segment of the writing follows a clear pattern, but the
document encompasses vast components of miscellaneous collections
of bits and pieces, odds and ends. It is a mishmash and a mess. Yet
it defines the program of study of the community of Judaism and
governs the articulation of the norms and laws of Judaism, its
theology and its hermeneutics, Above all else, the Talmud of
Babylonia is comprised of contention and produces conflict and
disagreement, with little effort at a resolution No wonder the
Talmud confuses its audience. But that does not explain the power
of the Talmud to define Judaism and shape its intellect. This book
guides those puzzled by the Talmud and shows the system and order
that animate the text.
|
Jews and the Qur'an
(Hardcover)
Meir M. Bar-Asher; Foreword by Mustafa Akyol; Translated by Ethan Rundell
|
R676
R637
Discovery Miles 6 370
Save R39 (6%)
|
Ships in 9 - 15 working days
|
|
A compelling book that casts the Qur'anic encounter with Jews in an
entirely new light In this panoramic and multifaceted book, Meir
Bar-Asher examines how Jews and Judaism are depicted in the Qur'an
and later Islamic literature, providing needed context to those
passages critical of Jews that are most often invoked to divide
Muslims and Jews or to promote Islamophobia. He traces the Qur'anic
origins of the protection of Jews and other minorities living under
the rule of Islam, and shows how attitudes toward Jews in Shi'i
Islam are substantially different from those in Sunni Islam.
Bar-Asher sheds light on the extraordinary contribution of Jewish
tradition to the Muslim exegesis of the Qur'an, and draws important
parallels between Jewish religious law, or halakha, and shari'a
law. An illuminating work on a topic of vital relevance today, Jews
and the Qur'an offers a nuanced understanding of Islam's engagement
with Judaism in the time of Muhammad and his followers, and serves
as a needed corrective to common misperceptions about Islam.
This is the first in a two-volume annotated translation of Tsong
Khapa's "Illumination of the Hidden Meaning" ( "sbas don kun sel").
A magnificent and massive commentary on the "Cakrasamvara Tantra,"
this is first English translation of a work that marks a milestone
in the Tibetan assimilation of the Indian Buddhist tantras.
This first volume, which includes Tsong Khapa's detailed
introduction to chapters 1 to 24 of the 51 chapter root tantra,
covers the history of the tradition, its interpretation, and a
range of topics including the construction of the mandala, the
consecration therein, and the decoding of mantras and their ritual
applications, as well as extensive details concerning the clans of
the yoginis and the procedures to win their favor. David B. Gray
situates the work in context and explores in depth the sources used
in composing this commentary. He also provides detailed notes, a
trilingual English-Tibetan-Sanskrit glossary, and an appendix that
includes a translation and a critical edition of the
"Laghusamvaratantrapatalabhisandhi," a synopsis of the
"Cakrasamvara Tantra" composed by Sumatikirti, which is quoted in
its entirety by Tsong Khapa in his commentary. This work will be
followed by a second volume of the annotated translation subtitled
"Yogic Vows, Conduct, and Ritual Praxis (An Annotated Translation
of Chapters 25-51)" and a third volume that will include a critical
edition of the entire Tibetan text.
Published by American Institute of Buddhist Studies (AIBS)
|
Kali Puja
(Paperback)
Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Shree Maa
|
R592
Discovery Miles 5 920
|
Ships in 9 - 15 working days
|
|
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is widely regarded as the most
authoritative text on yoga. It comprises a collection of 196 Indian
sutras ("threads" - as sutra translates from Sanskrit) written
1,700 years ago. These threads or aphorisms were compiled by the
Indian sage Patanjali and offer guidelines for living a meaningful
and purposeful life. The book is organized into four parts and
provides descriptions of the eight limbs of yoga, such as pranayama
and asana. The translated text is presented alongside a clear and
insightful commentary by Swami Vivekananda, which makes them more
accessible to the modern reader and yoga practitioner. His message
of universal brotherhood and self-awakening remains relevant today,
especially in the current backdrop of widespread political turmoil
around the world.
Originally published in 1976, Leon Hurvitz's monumental
translation of the "Lotus Sutra" is the work scholars have
preferred for decades. Hailed by critics as an "extraordinary" and
"magnificent" achievement, Hurvitz's translation is based on the
best known Chinese version of the text and includes passages of the
original Sanskrit that were omitted from the Chinese.
Beloved for its mythology and literary artistry, the "Lotus
Sutra" is one of the most popular and influential texts of Mahayana
Buddhism, asserting that there is only one path to enlightenment,
the bodhisattva path, and that all followers without exception can
achieve supreme awakening. The text argues that the Buddha cannot
be delimited by time and space and that a common intent underlies
the diversity of Buddhist teachings. Through parables of the
burning house, the wayward son, and other tales that have come to
be known throughout East Asia, the sutra skillfully concretizes
abstract religious concepts and clarifies bold claims about the
Buddhist tradition. Urging devotees to revivify doctrine through
recitation and interpretation, the sutra powered an organic process
of remaking that not only kept its content alive in the poetry and
art of premodern Asia but also introduced new forms of practice and
scriptural study into contemporary Buddhism. Stephen F. Teiser's
foreword addresses this vital quality of the sutra, discusses its
background, and reflects on the enduring relevance of Hurvitz's
critical work.
A fascinating comparative account of sacred languages and their
role in and beyond religion written for a broad, interdisciplinary
audience Sacred languages have been used for foundational texts,
liturgy, and ritual for millennia, and many have remained virtually
unchanged through the centuries. While the vital relationship
between language and religion has been long acknowledged, new
research and thinking across an array of disciplines including
religious studies, sociolinguistics, sociology, linguistics, and
even neurolinguistics has resulted in a renewed interest in the
area. This fascinating and informative book draws on Christian,
Islamic, Hindu, Judaic, and Buddhist traditions to provide a
concise and accessible introduction to the phenomenon of sacred
languages. The book takes a strongly comparative, wide-ranging
approach to exploring ways in which ancient religious languages,
such as Latin, Pali, Church Slavonic, and Hebrew continue to shape
the beliefs and practices of religious communities around the
world. Informed by both comparative religion and sociolinguistics,
it traces the histories of sacred languages, the myths and
doctrines that explain their origin and value, the various ways
they are used, the sectarian debates that shadow them, and the
technological innovations that propel them forward in the
twenty-first century. * A comprehensive but succinct account of the
role and importance of language within religion * Takes an
interdisciplinary approach which will appeal to students and
scholars across an array of disciplines, including religious
studies, sociology of religion, sociolinguistics, and linguistics *
Provides a strongly comparative exploration, drawing on Christian,
Islamic, Hindu, Judaic, and Buddhist traditions * Uses numerous
examples and ties historic debates with contemporary situations *
Satisfies the rapidly growing demand for books on the subject among
both academics and general readers Sacred Languages of the World is
a must-read for students of religion and language, scripture,
religious literacy, education and language, the sociology of
religion, sociolinguistics. It will also have strong appeal among
general readers with an interest comparative religion, history,
cultural criticism, communication studies, and more.
The Wisdom of Love strives to challenge the discrepancy between the
way source texts relate to love and the way they are perceived to
do so, introducing readers to the extensive, profound, and
significant treatment of love in the Jewish canon. This is a book
about love, not its repression; it is an opportunity to study the
wisdom of love, not those who lack such wisdom and are unlikely to
ever acquire it. The Wisdom of Love brings about not only a change
in perception recognizing the existence of the wisdom of love per
se but also the realization that this wisdom is the very foundation
of religious wisdom as a whole, rather than a peripheral branch of
it. All love derives from a single source: love between man and
woman. It is from this source that all other manifestations of
love, such as love of God, love of wisdom, and love of one s
fellow, draw their meaning.
Every work on Jewish thought and law since the twelfth century
bears the imprint of Maimonides. A. N. Whitehead's famous dictum
that the entire European philosophical tradition 'consists of a
series of footnotes to Plato' could equally characterize
Maimonides' place in the Jewish tradition. The critical studies in
this volume explore how Orthodox rabbis of different
orientations-Shlomo Aviner, Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin (Netziv),
Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, Joseph Kafih, Abraham Isaac Kook, Aaron
Kotler, Joseph Soloveitchik, and Elhanan Wasserman-have read and
provided footnotes to Maimonides in the long twentieth century. How
well did they really understand Maimonides? And where do their
arguments fit in the mainstream debates about him and his works?
Each of the seven core chapters examines a particular approach.
Some rabbis have tried to liberate themselves from the influence of
his ideas. Others have sought to build on those ideas or expand
them in ways which Maimonides himself did not pursue, and which he
may well not have agreed with. Still others advance patently
non-Maimonidean positions, while attributing them to none other
than Maimonides. Above all, the essays published here demonstrate
that his legacy remains vibrantly alive today.
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 more than 1,000 individual Sanskrit hymns. A work of
intricate beauty, it provides unique insight into early Indian
mythology and culture. Fraught with paradox, the hymns are meant
?to puzzle, to surprise, to trouble the mind, ? writes translator
Wendy Doniger, who has selected 108 hymns for this volume. Chosen
for their eloquence and wisdom, they focus on the enduring themes
of creation, sacrifice, death, women, and the gods. Doniger's "The
Rig Veda" provides a fascinating introduction to a timeless
masterpiece of Hindu ritual and spirituality.
A landmark new translation of the sacred text of Islam? in an
elegant deluxe edition
Literally ?the recitation, ? "The Qur?an" is considered within the
Muslim faith to be the infallible word of God. Tarif Khalidi, the
foremost scholar of Islamic history and faith, provides a fresh
English translation that captures the startling, exquisite poetry
of one of the world's most beloved religious texts. Retaining the
structure and rhythms of the original Arabic, Khalidi enlivens the
ancient teachings and prophetic narratives central to the Muslim
faith and solidifies "The Qur?an" as a work of spiritual authority
and breathtaking beauty.
A landmark new translation of the sacred text of Islam? in an
elegant deluxe edition
Literally ?the recitat ion, ? "The Qur?an" is considered within
the Muslim faith to be the infallible word of God. Tarif Khalidi,
the foremost scholar of Islamic history and faith, provides a fresh
English translation that captures the startling, exquisite poetry
of one of the world's most beloved religious texts. Retaining the
structure and rhythms of the original Arabic, Khalidi enlivens the
ancient teachings and prophetic narratives central to the Muslim
faith and solidifies "The Qur?an" as a work of spiritual authority
and breathtaking beauty.
|
|