John Cage was among the first wave of post-war American artists and intellectuals to be influenced by Zen Buddhism and it was an influence that led him to become profoundly engaged with our current ecological crisis. In John Cage and Buddhist Ecopoetics, Peter Jaeger asks: what did Buddhism mean to Cage? And how did his understanding of Buddhist philosophy impact on his representation of nature? Following Cage's own creative innovations in the poem-essay form and his use of the ancient Chinese text, the I Ching to shape his music and writing, this book outlines a new critical language that reconfigures writing and silence. Interrogating Cage's 'green-Zen' in the light of contemporary psychoanalysis and cultural critique as well as his own later turn towards anarchist politics, John Cage and Buddhist Ecopoetics provides readers with a critically performative site for the Zen-inspired "nothing" which resides at the heart of Cage's poetics, and which so clearly intersects with his ecological writing.

This is a revised and corrected edition of Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor's now classic work on Krishna bhakti. Dr. Kapoor defines bhakti (sometimes loosely translated as religious devotion) as it is understood in the North Indian bhakti traditions. In addition, he isolates what he considers the four major traits or "laws" of bhakti, illustrating each of those laws with numerous stories from the lives of the great bhakti saints. Though Kapoor makes a case for bhakti's being a "science," the major value of this work lies in its phenomenological presentation of bhakti based on the experiences of bhakti practitioners and saints as recorded in various premodern and modern literary sources. It is thus one of best introductions to the religious phenomenon of bhakti available in the English language.

"The Buddhist Experience in America" explores how the world's fourth-largest religion came to America and flourished here. Although the percentage of Buddhists in America has always been, and will probably remain, low, Buddhism has had a greater impact on culture than its small numbers might indicate. Concepts such as Nirvana and practices such as meditation have entered the mainstream of American life. Zen has turned into a commonplace adjective, and everybody knows who the Dalai Lama is. But Buddhism is a much more complex and powerful phenomenon than is indicated a catchy phrase, a political cause, or devotion to a charismatic personality. This book provides an accessible introduction to the religion, as well as to how Buddhists follow their beliefs in the United States.

Just as the teachings of Jesus gave birth to Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and hundreds of different Protestant sects, the teachings of the historical Buddha developed into many different traditions. "The Buddhist Experience in America" examines how these traditions are practiced: Theravada Buddhism, oldest of Buddhist sects, was the last to have a substantial presence in this country; the Mahayana tradition, with particular attention to Pure Land Buddhism, the Buddhism of most Japanese- and Chinese-Americans; the special case of Zen Buddhism, which, while a distinctly minority religion is Japan, has been historically the greatest Buddhist influence in America; and Vajrayana, or Tibetan Buddhism, currently the fastest growing school of Buddhism in America. The book includes a discussion of the historical Buddha and an examination of how contemporary Buddhism has responded to current issues and concerns. Appendices include a glossary, a who's who of Buddhism, a timeline, and a list of resources for further information.

This volume delves into the socio religious milieu of the authors, editors, and propagators of the ""Rastrapalapariprccha-sutra"" (Questions of Rastrapala), a Buddhist text circulating in India during the first half of the first millennium C.E. Daniel Boucher first reflects upon the problems that plague historians of Mahayana Buddhism, whose previous efforts to comprehend the tradition have often ignored the social dynamics that motivated some of the innovations of this new literature. Following that is a careful analysis of several motifs found in the Indian text and an examination of the value of the earliest Chinese translation for charting the sutra's evolution.The first part of the study looks at the relationship between the bodily glorification of the Buddha and the ascetic career that produced it within the socioeconomic world of early medieval Buddhist monasticism. Boucher then focuses on a third-century Chinese translation of the sutra and traces the changes in the translation to the late tenth century. He concludes with an annotated translation of the sutra based on a new reading of its earliest extant Sanskrit manuscript.

On Buddhism presents the first English-language translation of a series of lectures by Keiji Nishitani (1900-1990), a major Buddhist thinker and a key figure in the Kyoto School of Japanese philosophy. Originally delivered in the early 1970s, these lectures focus on the transformation of culture in the modern age and the subsequent decline in the importance of the family and religion. Nishitani's concern is that modernity, with its individualism, materialism, and contractual ethics, is an insufficient basis for human relationships. With deep insight into both Buddhism and Christianity, he explores such issues as the nature of genuine human existence, the major role of conscience in our advance to authenticity, and the needed transformation of religion.

"Chinese Religion" is a new introduction to the field of Chinese religion and culture. It seeks to guide readers through some of the primary source material and to introduce them to continuing, contemporary debates and interpretations of religious ideas, concepts and practices in China and beyond. Religious beliefs are never pursued and held in a vacuum; they are an integral part of a particular culture, interwoven and interactive with other elements of the culture and tradition. Chinese religion in this sense can be said to be part of Chinese culture and history. In this clear account, Xinzhong Yao and Yanxiz Zhao move away from the traditional and outmoded definition of Chinese religion, the three institutional doctrines: Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, towards a multi-layered hermeneutic of the syncretic nature and functions of religions in China. Additional features include questions for reflection and discussion and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter.

This book offers an overview of the emergence of Bodh Gaya as a sacred site within Gaya Dharmaksetra. It contextualizes the different encounters, incidents, and legends connected to the Buddha's experiences shortly before and after he attained Bodhi - when, spiritually speaking, he was extremely lonely and was trying to carve a place for himself in the highly competitive Gaya Dharmaksetra. Further, the book examines the role of various personalities and institutions contributed towards the emergence of Mahabodhi Temple. It incorporates a wealth of research on the role of the Victorian Indologists as well as the colonial administrators, the Giri mahants, and Anagarika Dharmapala, to understand the material milieu pertaining not only to its identity but also access to spiritual resources as its conservation and development. This book is an indispensable read for students and scholars of history, cultural studies, and art and architecture as well as practitioners of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Exciting new introduction to contemporary Sikhism and the issues and debates facing it in modern society. This new introduction to Sikhism aims to introduce this increasingly studied religion through the lens of contemporary issues. Illustrated throughout with examples and case studies taken from lived religion, each chapter attempts to interpret the teachings of Sikhism in a modern context and apply them to modern day scenarios. After an initial chapter providing an overview of the Sikh religion, its history and basic theological tenets, Jagbir Jhutti-Johal moves through key contemporary themes, often overlooked in other introductions: Sikhism and women, diaspora, bioethics, and ethics and morality. She concludes with a final section looking at the future for Sikhism, its relevance in modern times, and what Sikhism can contribute to society in terms of inter-religious dialogue and harmony between different communities. These useful guides aim to introduce religions through the lens of contemporary issues, illustrated throughout with examples and case studies taken from lived religion. The perfect companion for the student of religion, each guide interprets the teachings of the religion in question in a modern context and applies them to modern day scenarios.

Warring religions. Violence in the name of God. Clashing ideologies. Clearly, religious conflict has divided and polarized the modern world. No longer are discussions about religious intolerance limited to historians and theologians. One cannot turn on the television, listen to talk radio or surf the Internet without being bombarded by messages--many filled with bias and inaccuracies--about religious differences. Once viewed by world leaders as a harmless artifact of the past, religion has moved from the periphery of society to the center of the battlefield. Viewing Meister Eckhart Smashing through barriers of time and place, it focuses on key concepts by one of the greatest Christian thinkers of all time through the lens of a beloved Hindu classic. A unique and engaging look at the profound truths found in both the writings of Meister Eckhart and the Bhagavad Gita. Informative and clearly written, the book is a welcome addition to comparative mystical literature. masterfully navigates the contours of both the Eastern mystical tradition and Western philosophy. She is at home in the medieval mind and soul...(and) illustrates common elements found in these two distinctive works. Spirituality, Drew University