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Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Non-Western philosophy > Oriental & Indian philosophy
How should we evaluate the success of each person's life?
Countering the prevalent philosophical perspective on the subject,
Steven M. Cahn and Christine Vitrano defend the view that our
well-being is dependent not on particular activities,
accomplishments, or awards but on finding personal satisfaction
while treating others with due concern. The authors suggest that
moral behavior is not necessary for happiness and does not ensure
it. Yet they also argue that morality and happiness are needed for
living well, and together suffice to achieve that goal. Cahn and
Vitrano link their position to elements within both the Hellenistic
and Hebraic traditions, in particular the views of Epicurus and
lessons found in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Written in an accessible
style and illustrated with incisive vignettes drawn from history,
literature, films, and everyday life, Happiness and Goodness is a
compelling work of philosophy for anyone who seeks to understand
the nature of a good life.
This volume covers the philosophical, historical, religious, and
interpretative aspects of the ancient Guodian bamboo manuscripts (
) which were disentombed in the Guodian Village in Hubei Province,
China, in 1993. Considered to be the Chinese equivalent of the Dead
Sea Scrolls, these manuscripts are archaeological finds whose
importance cannot be underestimated. Many of the texts are without
counterparts in the transmitted tradition, and they provide unique
insights into the developments of Chinese philosophy in the period
between the death of Confucius (551-479 BCE) and the writings of
Mencius (c.372-289 BCE), and beyond. Divided into two parts, the
book first provides inter-textual contexts and backgrounds of the
Guodian manuscripts. The second part covers the main concepts and
arguments in the Guodian texts, including cosmology and
metaphysics, political philosophy, moral psychology, and theory of
human nature. The thematic essays serve as an introduction to the
philosophical significance and the key philosophical
concepts/thought of each text contained in the Guodian corpus. Each
chapter has a section on the implications of the texts for the
received tradition, or for the purpose of comparing some of the
text(s) with the received tradition in terms of the key
philosophical concepts as well as the reading and interpretation of
the texts. The volume covers most of the texts inscribed on the
800-odd slips of the Guodian corpus dated to the fourth century
BCE.
Bringing the Dao to life for readers of all generations Fables
entertain us, enlighten us, and guide us. We recognize ourselves in
the characters, be they emperors, village children, or singing
frogs. They help us see our own weaknesses, our strengths, and the
many possibilities. Their lessons transcend time and culture,
touching what it really means to be alive. Whoever we are, wherever
we're going, these short tales help us along the path-the Way. Some
offer a moral compass. Some illustrate the dangers in human folly.
Others just make us laugh. In this collection of fables, Dr. Yang,
Jwing-Ming shares the stories that have influenced him most as a
teacher, a partent, martial artist and lifelong student of the Dao.
These fables bring the Dao to life for readers of all generations.
The Dao in Action will inspire young readers to refine their
character. Older readers will smile and recognize moments of truth.
This collection is for anyone who would like to explore the
enduring lessons of virtue and wisdom. These lean, concise fables
illustrate balance, the duality of yin and yang, always shifting,
always in correction. They help us laugh at our human
predicaments-and maybe even at ourselves. We can all use some
reflection and inspiration from time to time.
The first complete translation of the classic Buddhist text
One of the greatest works created by any culture and
overwhelmingly the most significant of all Tibetan Buddhist texts
in the West, "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" has had a number of
distinguished but partial translations. Now the entire text has not
only been made available in English but also in a translation of
remarkable clarity and beauty. Translated with the close support of
leading contemporary masters, this complete edition faithfully
presents the insights and intentions of the original work. It
includes one of the most detailed and compelling descriptions of
the after-death state in world literature, practices that can
transform our experience of daily life, guidance on helping those
who are dying, and an inspirational perspective on coping with
bereavement.
The basic writings of Chuang Tzu have been savored by Chinese
readers for over two thousand years. And Burton Watson's lucid and
beautiful translation has been loved by generations of readers.
Chuang Tzu (369?-286? B.C.) was a leading philosopher
representing the Taoist strain in Chinese thought. Using parable
and anecdote, allegory and paradox, he set forth, in the book that
bears his name, the early ideas of what was to become the Taoist
school. Central to these is the belief that only by understanding
Tao (the Way of Nature) and dwelling in its unity can man achieve
true happiness and freedom, in both life and death.
"Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings" includes the seven "inner
chapters," which form the heart of the book, three of the "outer
chapters," and one of the "miscellaneous chapters." Watson also
provides an introduction, placing the philosopher in relation to
Chinese history and thought.
Witty and imaginative, enriched by brilliant imagery, and making
sportive use of both mythological and historical personages
(including even Confucius), this timeless classic is sure to appeal
to anyone interested in Chinese religion and culture.
From the early years of the Common Era to 1700, Indian
intellectuals explored with unparalleled subtlety the place of
emotion in art. Their investigations led to the deconstruction of
art's formal structures and broader inquiries into the pleasure of
tragic tales. Rasa, or taste, was the word they chose to describe
art's aesthetics, and their passionate effort to pin down these
phenomena became its own remarkable act of creation. This book is
the first in any language to follow the evolution of rasa from its
origins in dramaturgical thought-a concept for the stage-to its
flourishing in literary thought-a concept for the page. A Rasa
Reader incorporates primary texts by every significant thinker on
classical Indian aesthetics, many never translated before. The
arrangement of the selections captures the intellectual dynamism
that has powered this debate for centuries. Headnotes explain the
meaning and significance of each text, a comprehensive introduction
summarizes major threads in intellectual-historical terms, and
critical endnotes and an extensive bibliography add further depth
to the selections. The Sanskrit theory of emotion in art is one of
the most sophisticated in the ancient world, a precursor of the
work being done today by critics and philosophers of aesthetics. A
Rasa Reader's conceptual detail, historical precision, and clarity
will appeal to any scholar interested in a full portrait of global
intellectual development. A Rasa Reader is the inaugural book in
the Historical Sourcebooks in Classical Indian Thought series,
edited by Sheldon Pollock. These text-based books guide readers
through the most important forms of classical Indian thought, from
epistemology, rhetoric, and hermeneutics to astral science, yoga,
and medicine. Each volume provides fresh translations of key works,
headnotes to contextualize selections, a comprehensive analysis of
major lines of development within the discipline, and exegetical
and text-critical endnotes, as well as a bibliography. Designed for
comparativists and interested general readers, Historical
Sourcebooks is also a great resource for advanced scholars seeking
authoritative commentary on challenging works.
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The Art of War
(Paperback)
Sun Tzu; Contributions by Mint Editions
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R108
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The Art of War is the collection of leadership and military
strategies composed by the esteemed Chinese general, Sun Tzu.
Divided into 13 distinct chapters, each category gives clarity and
voice to varying subjects pertaining to the intricacies of war and
wartime strategy. Having inspired generations of readers,The Art of
War continues to be perceived as a kind of spiritual lighthouse for
all those seeking sage leadership advice. Though Sun Tzu's
expertise was considered to be professing wartime strategy, the
principals enumerated within the text extend far beyond the
logistics of a battlefield. Having lived during the Warring States
Period, Sun Tzu understood conflict and political strife. Sun Tzu,
using the culmination of decades worth of knowledge inspired
generations of leaders with his words. His insight was not wasted
on the bloodshed of lives lost in battle, yet it was composed into
beautifully succinct proverbs and adages that make up the whole of
The Art of War. Perhaps his most well-known axiom is, "Know the
enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with
no danger of defeat." With proverbs as popular as the one above,
the entirety of his work is composed of this level of insight. As
pertinent as it was when it was written over 2,000 year ago, The
Art of War is a true work of philosophical mastery. With
eye-catching new covers and a professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of The Art of War is both modern and readable.
This illuminating account of contemporary American Buddhism shows
the remarkable ways the tradition has changed over the past
generation The past couple of decades have witnessed Buddhist
communities both continuing the modernization of Buddhism and
questioning some of its limitations. In this fascinating portrait
of a rapidly changing religious landscape, Ann Gleig illuminates
the aspirations and struggles of younger North American Buddhists
during a period she identifies as a distinct stage in the
assimilation of Buddhism to the West. She observes both the
emergence of new innovative forms of deinstitutionalized Buddhism
that blur the boundaries between the religious and secular, and a
revalorization of traditional elements of Buddhism, such as ethics
and community, that were discarded in the modernization process.
Based on extensive ethnographic and textual research, the book
ranges from mindfulness debates in the Vipassana network to the sex
scandals in American Zen, while exploring issues around racial
diversity and social justice, the impact of new technologies, and
generational differences between baby boomer, Gen X, and millennial
teachers.
The main purpose of this book is to offer to philosophers and
students abroad who show a great interest in Japanese philosophy
and the philosophy of the Kyoto school major texts of the leading
philosophers. This interest has surely developed out of a desire to
obtain from the thought of these philosophers, who stood within the
interstice between East and West, a clue to reassessing the issues
of philosophy from the ground up or to drawing new creative
possibilities.The present condition seems to be, however, that the
material made available to further realize this kind of
intellectual dialogue is far too scarce. This book is intended to
be of some help in this regard.The book presents selected texts of
representative philosophers of the Kyoto school such as Nishida
Kitaro, Tanabe Hajime, Miki Kiyoshi, Nishitani Keiji, and others
who best illustrate the characteristics of this school, and works
that together portray its image as a whole. Those who are
interested in Japanese philosophy or specifically the philosophy of
the Kyoto School can survey a comprehensive representation from
this book.These texts are, of course, quite difficult and cannot be
well understood without sufficient preliminary knowledge.
Expository essays have therefore been included after each text to
provide guidance. In each of these commentaries a scholar of our
time with deep understanding of the philosopher in question has
provided an account of his life, intellectual journey, and the
significance of the text included here.From this book will emerge a
new dialogue of ideas that in turn will engender new developments
in philosophy, thereby further expanding the network of
philosophical thought worldwide.
Kokugaku "national study" is an academic field of study that spans
a number of disciplines, including philology, poetry, literature,
linguistics, history, religion, and philosophy. It began as a
movement to recapture a sense of Japanese uniqueness, by focusing
on Japanese poetic and linguistic elements found in the earliest
surviving texts. As the movement grew, there was an attempt to
separate native religious elements from Buddhist elements. This
expanded to a vigorous attempt to weed out Confucian (and by
extension anything "Chinese") elements from native elements. This
began as an investigation into the earliest anthology, Man'yoshu,
which some Kokugaku scholars argued preserved a pristine picture of
the "true heart" of the ancients. Kokugaku matured under the
tutelage of Kamo no Mabuchi and Motoori Norinaga, and expanded to
include literary, linguistic, and historical analysis. With the
death of Norinaga the philosophy of the movement fractured, and
under Hirata native religious elements were amplified, with an
advance toward nationalism. This anthology contains 26 essays by 13
influential Kokugaku scholars, covering roughly two centuries of
thought, from 1690 down to the beginning of the Meiji Restoration
in 1868. The volume is arranged according to four subjects: poetry,
literature, scholarship, and religion/Japan (as a state).
Enlighten yourself in 2019 with the simple but powerful teachings
of Sri Ramana Maharshi - one of India's most revered spiritual
masters. 'Our own Self-realization is the greatest service we can
render the world' _________ Be As You Are is the definitive guide
to his knowledge, edited by the former librarian from Sri
Maharshi's ashram, which can be found flourishing at the foot of
the holy mountain of Arunchala. The book collects conversations
with the many seekers who came to him for guidance, answering the
questions sought on the road to enlightenment. Through this book,
we can discover the essence of Sri Ramana's teaching: that
self-realisation is the vital quest we must all pursue, before we
can attempt to understand the world. Reissue of the classic
spiritual work, updated with a new cover.
This book provides a philosophical foundation to the theory and
practice of education from the Indian perspective. It is guided by
an 'axionoetic' approach to education and therefore it deals with
the epistemological foundation and value orientation of education.
The author discusses the ontological, epistemological, logical,
ethical and axiological bases of education in a holistic and
integrated manner. The author maintains that education is a
planned, methodical and purposive enhancement of human
potentialities as a natural development. This presupposes correct
and adequate formulation of the objectives and goals of education
as per the needs and aspirations of pupils. Education also equips
individuals for a good quality of life. Keeping in view the applied
dimension of philosophy, this book analyses practical issues of
moral education like character building value-negativism in the
context of education. It also deals with issues concerning peace,
sustainable development, sustainable judicious consumption etc.
which should have a bearing on educational policies and programmes.
The "Platform Sutra" comprises a wide range of important
Chan/Zen Buddhist teachings. Purported to contain the autobiography
and sermons of Huineng (638--713), the legendary Sixth Patriarch of
Chan, the sutra has been popular among monastics and the educated
elite for centuries. The first study of its kind in English, this
volume offers essays that introduce the history and ideas of the
sutra to a general audience and interpret its practices. Leading
specialists on Buddhism discuss the text's historical background
and its vaunted legacy in Chinese culture.
Incorporating recent scholarship and theory, chapters include an
overview of Chinese Buddhism, the crucial role of the "Platform
Sutra "in the Chan tradition, and the dynamics of Huineng's
biography. They probe the sutra's key philosophical arguments, its
paradoxical teachings about transmission, and its position on
ordination and other institutions. The book includes a character
glossary and extensive bibliography, with helpful references for
students, general readers, and specialists throughout. The editors
and contributors are among the most respected scholars in the study
of Buddhism, and they assess the place of the "Platform Sutra" in
the broader context of Chinese thought, opening the text to all
readers interested in Asian culture, literature, spirituality, and
religion.
A comprehensive, yet entertaining introduction to Advaita, the
non-dual philosophy which provides a completely reasonable
explanation for who we are and the nature of the universe. There
are many self-help approaches promising enlightenment and happiness
but most are illogical and lack any proven capability. Advaita has
a guru-disciple tradition stretching back for several thousand
years and can guarantee the sincere seeker a progressive path to
self-realization. A 21st Century treatment of this ancient eastern
philosophy, this book addresses all of the issues that are covered
by both traditional teachers from the lineage of Shankara and by
modern satsang teaching and Direct Path methods stemming from
Ramana Maharshi and Krishna Menon. The topics are explained in an
accessible and readable manner, using amusing quotations and
stories along with an abundance of metaphors from a wide variety of
sources.
One of the most influential books in human history, in a revelatory
new translation. China's first and greatest teacher, Confucius
traveled from state to state as an itinerant philosopher. The
Analects preserves his major teachings, as compiled by his
disciples after his death - everything from how people should
relate to each other (the Golden Rule, which he was the first to
define), to how a country should be organized (like a family), to
how to lie in bed (not like a corpse). This new translation, by one
of the pre-eminent scholars of Confucius, draws on the most recent
excavated texts and latest scholarship. The historian Annping Chin
sets out to illuminate the historical context of Confucius's
teachings, explaining who the many local figures referenced in The
Analects are, and navigating a rich tradition of historical
commentaries to provide a map of Confucian thought that brings us
as close as possible to experiencing Confucius as his followers
might have 2,500 years ago. Confucius (551-479 B.C.) was a
philosopher, political figure and founder of one of the major
schools of thought in Chinese history. Annping Chin is a senior
lecturer in the history department at Yale and is the author of The
Authentic Confucius: A Life of Thought and Politics and a coauthor,
with Jonathan Spence, of The Chinese Century: A Photographic
History of the Last Hundred Years. She lives in New Haven,
Connecticut.
What standards should we use to evaluate culturally distinct
philosophies? What kind of barrier does language or cultural
difference pose in our attempts to understand other traditions? How
do we avoid our comparisons being biased? Doing Philosophy
Comparatively answers these questions by providing a thorough
overview of the methodology involved in extending philosophy across
linguistic and cultural boundaries. Now revised and updated to
showcase the most recent developments in the field, this second
edition engages with philosophies beyond the Anglo-European
tradition and features: * Examples of cross-cultural philosophy
from a wider range of non-Western traditions * Methodological
innovations from works of comparative philosophy published in the
last decade * Focused exercises for each chapter demonstrating how
to interact meaningfully with primary texts and engage with recent
debates in comparative philosophy * Updated discussion questions
and readings Introducing the main problems, methods, and approaches
of comparative philosophy, this new edition shows you how to make
informed cross-cultural judgments through reflection and practice.
It remains an essential toolkit for the practice of doing
comparative philosophy.
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