Hinduism, the Truth is not a sect of a faith or a man-made religion. The Cosmic Truth of Hinduism is non denominational and universal and its founder is unknown. However, ancient Rishis and Saints have nurtured and revived it into what it is today. Hinduism's basic concept is unique with its link to Cosmic Energy, its traditions and culture is also linked to nature.

A diagram explaining the distribution of Cosmic energy is explained, is given in this book. Lord Shiva is the Cosmic dancer. It is depicted that Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva is in charge of evolution, for easy understanding by the people.

This book deals with speculations about the origin of Hinduism and its association with nature. The design and energy of the Hindu temple and how the energy is associated with the power of Yantras, and Chakras in the human body, mantras and their connection with sound waves, Solar system, and Time. Idol / Deity worship and rituals etc.

The book covers the five Ishwarams temples of Shiva, Sakthi, Karthigeya, Vishnu, Kannagi in Sri Lanka, worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. Hinduism had its origin in the Indus valley civilization. The word Hindu is derived from the Indus river and dates back to over 5,000 years or more. This book also touches the link between the Hinduism and Buddhism. Kannagi (Pathini) and her worship by Sri Lankan Tamils and Singhalese is also explained in the book.

This study revisits one of the most extensive examples of the spread of ideas in the history of civilization: the diffusion of Indian religious and political ideas to Southeast Asia before the advent of Islam and European colonialism. Hindu and Buddhist concepts and symbols of kingship and statecraft helped to legitimize Southeast Asian rulers, and transform the political institutions and authority of Southeast Asia. But the process of this diffusion was not accompanied by imperialism, political hegemony, or "colonization" as conventionally understood. This book investigates different explanations of the spread of Indian ideas offered by scholars, including why and how it occurred and what were its key political and institutional outcomes. It challenges the view that strategic competition is a recurring phenomenon when civilizations encounter each other.

Buddhism has played a significant role in the current global rise in religious nationalism and violence, but the violent aspects of Buddhist tradition have been neglected in the outpouring of academic analyses and case studies of this disturbing trend. This book offers eight essays examining the dark side of a tradition often regarded as the religion of peace. The authors note the conflict between the Buddhist norms of non-violence and the prohibition of the killing of sentient beings and acts of state violence supported by the Buddhist community (sangha), acts of civil violence in which monks participate, and Buddhist intersectarian violence. They consider contemporary and historical cases of Buddhist warfare from a wide range of traditions - Tibetan, Mongolian, Japanese, Chinese, Sri Lankan, and Thai - critically examining both Buddhist textual sources justifying violence and Buddhist actors currently engaged in violence. They draw not only on archival material but interviews with those living and involved in war zones around the world. The book enriches our understanding both of the complexities of the Buddhist tradition and of the violence that is found in virtually all of the world's religious traditions.

Presenting a comprehensive portrayal of the reading of Chinese and Buddhist philosophy in early twentieth-century German thought, Chinese and Buddhist Philosophy in Early Twentieth-Century German Thought examines the implications of these readings for contemporary issues in comparative and intercultural philosophy. Through a series of case studies from the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, Eric Nelson focuses on the reception and uses of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in German philosophy, covering figures as diverse as Buber, Heidegger, and Misch. He argues that the growing intertextuality between traditions cannot be appropriately interpreted through notions of exclusive identities, closed horizons, or unitary traditions. Providing an account of the context, motivations, and hermeneutical strategies of early twentieth-century European thinkers' interpretation of Asian philosophy, Nelson also throws new light on the question of the relation between Heidegger and Asian philosophy. Reflecting the growing interest in the possibility of intercultural and global philosophy, Chinese and Buddhist Philosophy in Early Twentieth-Century German Thought opens up the possibility of a more inclusive intercultural conception of philosophy.

Burning for the Buddha is the first book-length study of the theory and practice of ""abandoning the body"" (self-immolation) in Chinese Buddhism. It examines the hagiographical accounts of all those who made offerings of their own bodies and places them in historical, social, cultural, and doctrinal context. Rather than privilege the doctrinal and exegetical interpretations of the tradition, which assume the central importance of the mind and its cultivation, James Benn focuses on the ways in which the heroic ideals of the bodhisattva present in scriptural materials such as the Lotus Sutra played out in the realm of religious practice on the ground.

The Mahabharata preserves powerful journeys of women recognized as the feminine divine and the feminine heroic in the larger culture of India. Each journey upholds the unique aspects of women's life. This book analytically examines the narratives of eleven women from the Mahabharata in the historical context as well as in association with religious and cultural practices. Lavanya Vemsani brings together history, myth, religion, and practice to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the history of Hindu women, as well as their significance within religious Indian culture. Additionally, Vemsani provides important perspective for understanding the enduring legacy of these women in popular culture and modern society.

The Sugata Saurabha is an epic poem that retells the story of the Buddha's life. It was published in 1947 in the Nepalese language, Newari, by Chittadhar Hridaya, one of the greatest literary figures of 20th-century Nepal. The text is remarkable for its comprehensiveness, artistry, and nuance. It covers the Buddha's life from birth to death and conveys his basic teachings with simple clarity. It is also of interest because, where the classical sources are silent, Hridaya inserts details of personal life and cultural context that are Nepalese. The effect is to humanize the founder and add the texture of real life. A third point of interest is the modernist perspective that underlies the author's manner of retelling this great spiritual narrative. This rendering, in a long line of accounts of the Buddha's life dating back almost 2,000 years, may be the last ever to be produced that conforms to the traditions of Indic classic poetry. It will not only appeal to scholars of Buddhism but will find use in courses that introduce students to the life of the Buddha.

Originally published in 1898. Author: F. Max Muller, K.M. Language: English Keywords: Lecture / Religion / Indian Religion / Veda / Vedic Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Unfortunate Destiny focuses on the roles played by nonhuman animals within the imaginative thought-world of Indian Buddhism, as reflected in pre-modern South Asian Buddhist literature. These roles are multifaceted, diverse, and often contradictory: In Buddhist doctrine and cosmology, the animal rebirth is a most "unfortunate destiny" (durgati), won through negative karma and characterized by a lack of intelligence, moral agency, and spiritual potential. In stories about the Buddha's previous lives, on the other hand, we find highly anthropomorphized animals who are wise, virtuous, endowed with human speech, and often critical of the moral shortcomings of humankind. In the life-story of the Buddha, certain animal characters serve as "doubles" of the Buddha, illuminating his nature through identification, contrast or parallelism with an animal "other." Relations between human beings and animals likewise range all the way from support, friendship, and near-equality to rampant exploitation, cruelty, and abuse. Perhaps the only commonality among these various strands of thought is a persistent impulse to use animals to clarify the nature of humanity itself-whether through similarity, contrast, or counterpoint. Buddhism is a profoundly human-centered religious tradition, yet it relies upon a dexterous use of the animal other to help clarify the human self. This book seeks to make sense of this process through a wide-ranging-exploration of animal imagery, animal discourse, and specific animal characters in South Asian Buddhist texts.

This book examines some of the key elements of Buddhist education theory, in particular about educating for wisdom, the ultimate goal of Buddhist education. The teachings of Gautama Buddha have endured for thousands of years carried into the present era in schools, universities, temples, personal development courses, martial arts academies and an array of Buddhist philosophical societies across the globe. Philosophically, the ideas of the Buddha have held appeal across many cultures, but less is known about the underlying educational theories and practices that shape teaching and learning within Buddhist-inspired educational contexts. The chapters outline the development of the Buddha's teachings, his broad approach to education and their relevance in the 21st century. Subsequently, the book reviews the history of the evolution of the various schools of Buddhist thought, their teaching and learning styles and the dissemination among Asia and later also the Western countries. The book discusses education theories and devices embedded within the Buddhist teachings, examining the works found in the Tipitaka, the Buddhist canon.

Using a historical, textual and ethnographic approach, this is the most comprehensive presentation of Daoism to date. In addition to revealing the historical contours and primary concerns of Chinese Daoists and Daoist communities, "The Daoist Tradition" provides an account of key themes and defining characteristics of Daoist religiosity, revealing Daoism to be a living and lived religion. Exploring Daoism from a comparative religious studies perspective, this book gives the reader a deeper understanding of religious traditions more broadly. Beginning with an overview of Daoist history, "The Daoist Tradition" then covers key elements of Daoist worldviews and major Daoist practices. This is followed by a discussion of the importance of place and sacred sites as well as representative examples of material culture in Daoism. The work concludes with an overview of Daoism in the modern world. The book includes a historical timeline, a map of China, 25 images, a glossary, text boxes, suggested reading and chapter overviews. A companion website provides both student and lecturer resources: http: //www.bloomsbury.com/the-daoist-tradition-9781441168733/

Premananda Bharati's classic work, Sri Krishna: the Lord of Love, was originally published in 1904 in New York. It is the first full length work presenting theistic Hindu practices and beliefs before a Western audience by a practicing Hindu "missionary." Premananda Bharati or Baba (Father) Bharati had come to the USA as a result of the encouragement of his co-religionists in India and of a vision he received while living in a pilgrimage site sacred to his tradition. He arrived in the USA in 1902 and stayed until 1911 with one return journey to India in 1907 with several of his American disciples. His book, Sri Krishna, was read and admired by numerous American and British men and women of the early 20th century and captured the attention of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy through whom Mahatma Gandhi discovered it. This new edition of his book contains two introductions, one by Gerald T. Carney, PhD, a specialist on Premananda Bharati's life and work and another by Neal Delmonico, PhD, a specialist on Caitanya Vaisnavism, the religious tradition to which Baba Bharati belonged. In addition, the text has been edited, corrected, annotated, and newly typeset. The spellings of the technical Sanskrit words in the text have been standardized according to modern diacritical practices. Appendices have been added containing supporting texts and additional materials bearing on Baba Bharati's sources for some of the ideas in his book and on his life and practices in India before his arrival in the USA.

En ninguna obra de esta clase encontrar los eventos trascendentales de la historia de las Antiguas Escrituras narrados con tanta exactitud en el tiempo y con tanta evidencia b blica y fehaciente, fruto del estudio concienzudo y la investigaci n meticulosa de la palabra de Dios, realizados por el autor. La misma Biblia marca el tiempo de los acontecimientos. Nuestra tarea en esta obra fue buscar con la mayor exactitud posible las fechas en que ocurrieron hechos tan trascendentales como: La creaci n de Ad n, el diluvio, la genealog a de los patriarcas, el llamado de Abraham, el xodo de Israel de Egipto, la proclamaci n de los Diez Mandamientos, la inauguraci n del tabern culo en el desierto, la conquista de Cana n, el surgimiento del reino de Israel, la construcci n del Templo de Salom n, la divisi n del reino de Israel, el cautiverio asirio, la destrucci n de Jerusal n y su templo, el cautiverio babil nico, la reedificaci n del templo y de la ciudad, las profec as de tiempo del profeta Daniel, la 1ra venida de Jes s a la tierra, su bautismo, muerte y resurrecci n, su ascensi n al cielo; la destrucci n de Jerusal n y su templo por los romanos, la intercesi n sacerdotal de Cristo y much simas otras fechas m s. Esta obra corrige, con fundamento b blico, fechas establecidas por historiadores que no armonizan con la palabra de Dios.

The visible phenomena of the universe are bound by the universal law of cause and effect. The effect is visible or perceptible, while the cause is invisible or imperceptible. The falling of an apple from a tree is the effect of a certain invisible force called gravitation. Although the force cannot be perceived by the senses, its expression is visible. All perceptible phenomena are but the various expressions of different forces which act as invisible agents upon the subtle and impercep-tible forms of matter. These invisible agents or forces together with the imperceptible particles of matter make up the subtle states of the phenomenal universe. When a subtle force becomes objectified, it appears as a gross object. Therefore, we can say, that every gross form is an expression of some subtle force acting upon the subtle particles of matter. The minute particles of hydrogen and oxygen when combined by chemical force, appear in the gross form of water. Water can never be separated from hydrogen and oxygen, which are its subtle component parts. Its existence depends upon that of its component parts, or in other words, upon its subtle form. If the subtle state changes, the gross manifestation will also change. The peculiarity in the gross form of a plant depends upon the peculiar nature of its subtle form, the seed.

An engaging biographical account of one of the most celebrated figures in Sikh history, Guru Govind Singh, and a selection of his best writings. Guru Govind Singh remains to this day one of the most celebrated figures in Sikh history. The tenth Sikh Guru from the line of Guru Nanak, he was born in a time fraught with perils, when people faced persecution and tyranny at the hands of the Mughals under the intolerant Aurangzeb. "A Short Sketch of the Life and Works of Guru Govind Singh" traces the roots of this great Sikh leader, from his birth to the institution of the Khalsa Pant and his struggles against the enemies of his faith. Also contained in this book are passages on Sikhism as it exists today, the religious tolerance that has remained a highlight of Sikh culture and the portrayal of the tenth Guru as a miracle man.

This is the first full-length English translation of this major Tamil epic ever published in the West. It is an essential text for the study and understanding of South Indian devotional Hinduism.

The Upanishads are some of the world's most important works of spiritual literature, presented here in an accessible form by an early ambassador of Vedantic teaching. Swami Paramananda's translations were created in the early 1900s out of a desire to make the Hindu sacred texts comprehensible to Westerners, who had previously had to contend with the more obscure language of purely scholarly translations. The text and commentary was generated in a series of classes given by Paramananda in Boston, and later revised for publication. As a result the language is simple and clear, and the annotations relevant to a non-Hindu audience. These translations and commentary are still cherished by English speakers the world over for their lucidity and insight, and will be an asset to anyone interested in Vedic spirituality.