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'Skilful Means' is the key principle of Mahayana, one of the great
Buddhist traditions. First described in the Lotus Sutra, it
originates in myths of the Buddha's compassionate plans for raising
life from the ceaseless round of birth and death. His strategies or
interventions are 'skilful means' - morally wholesome tricks
devised for the purpose of enabling nirvana or enlightenment.
Michael Pye's clear and engaging introductory guide investigates
the meaning and context of skilful means in Mayahana Buddhist
teachings, whilst tracing its early origins in ancient Japanese and
Theravada thought. First published in 1978, and still the best
explanation of the concept, it illuminates a core working
philosophy essential for any complete understanding of Buddhism.
In the early twentieth century The Eastern Buddhist not only shared
in pioneering presentations of Buddhism to the west but invited
interaction with non-Japanese authors. This interactive process
increased dramatically in the post-war period, when dialogue
between Buddhist and Christian thought began to take off in
earnest. Significant here was the philosophical Buddhism of the
frequently cited Kyoto School, a tradition of thought and teaching
named after Kyoto University where it was largely based. At the
same time these debates and dialogues brought in not only Zen
voices but also thinkers from the Shin Buddhist tradition. Both of
these orientations are reflected here. While the contributions stem
mainly from the fifties, sixties and seventies, they have
significantly influenced subsequent Buddhist-Christian dialogue. It
was still a time of exciting mutual discovery. Anybody wishing to
enter into this process of dialogue and exchange will therefore
find it of great interest and value to approach it by considering
the ideas and insights presented here. Because of the wealth of
materials the selection has been spread across two volumes in the
series Eastern Buddhist Voices and the present volume includes
contributions from the earlier part of the period (Interactions
with Japanese Buddhism includes contributions from the later part).
In the wide range of Buddhist meditation and spirituality a very
special place is held by the practice of calling on the name of
Amitabha, or in Japanese Amida Buddha, using the simplest of
formulas, the nenbutsu. Japanese masters such as Honen, Shinran and
others made this the core of a profound spiritual experience which
has fascinated numberless followers ever since. The deeper meaning
of the nenbutsu has therefore become a major topic in Buddhist
thought which has been reflected on by various thinkers and
teachers to this day, especially in the context of Shin Buddhism.
In this book, which draws on classic articles first published in
The Eastern Buddhist, major historic proponents and masters of the
nenbutsu are introduced, in particular Shinran, Shoku, Ippen and
Rennyo. Further contributions, which set the work of these masters
into the wider context of Buddhist tradition, are in fact some of
the earliest Buddhist voicesA" to emerge from modern Japan into
global view. Yet the presentations of writers such as Sasaki
Gessho, Yamabe Shugaku and Sugihira Shizutoshi have a freshness and
an immediacy which speaks to us today.
These two volumes present Pye's methodological, theoretical, and
field-based interests in the study of religions. Pye understands
the study of religions to be an international enterprise with roots
in both European and East Asian culture. This relates to his active
role in the International Association for the History of Religions
(IAHR), as a former General Secretary and President. The work is
presented in seven sections, which could be used in teaching
assignments. The first volume begins with a lively introduction on
"Methodological Strategies," followed by "East Asian Starting
Points," a radical attempt to overcome Eurocentrism, and
"Structures and Strategies," which tackles globally significant
institutional and ideological questions. The second volume presents
selected strands in the study of religions. "Comparing and
Contrasting" is followed by "Tradition and Innovation," including
reference to specific new religions. "Transplantation and
Syncretism" is a definitive package on syncretism and includes new
materials from South-East Asia. Finally, "Contextual Questions"
explores wider themes of identity, plurality, dialogue of
religions, religious education, and peace. These show how relevant
the study of religions can be -when it is distinctly and
responsibly defined.
These two volumes present Pye's methodological, theoretical, and
field-based interests in the study of religions. Pye understands
the study of religions to be an international enterprise with roots
in both European and East Asian culture. This relates to his active
role in the International Association for the History of Religions
(IAHR), as a former General Secretary and President. The work is
presented in seven sections, which could be used in teaching
assignments. The first volume begins with a lively introduction on
"Methodological Strategies," followed by "East Asian Starting
Points," a radical attempt to overcome Eurocentrism, and
"Structures and Strategies," which tackles globally significant
institutional and ideological questions. The second volume presents
selected strands in the study of religions. "Comparing and
Contrasting" is followed by "Tradition and Innovation," including
reference to specific new religions. "Transplantation and
Syncretism" is a definitive package on syncretism and includes new
materials from South-East Asia. Finally, "Contextual Questions"
explores wider themes of identity, plurality, dialogue of
religions, religious education, and peace. These show how relevant
the study of religions can be -when it is distinctly and
responsibly defined.
These two volumes present Pye's methodological, theoretical, and
field-based interests in the study of religions. Pye understands
the study of religions to be an international enterprise with roots
in both European and East Asian culture. This relates to his active
role in the International Association for the History of Religions
(IAHR), as a former General Secretary and President. The work is
presented in seven sections, which could be used in teaching
assignments. The first volume begins with a lively introduction on
"Methodological Strategies," followed by "East Asian Starting
Points," a radical attempt to overcome Eurocentrism, and
"Structures and Strategies," which tackles globally significant
institutional and ideological questions. The second volume presents
selected strands in the study of religions. "Comparing and
Contrasting" is followed by "Tradition and Innovation," including
reference to specific new religions. "Transplantation and
Syncretism" is a definitive package on syncretism and includes new
materials from South-East Asia. Finally, "Contextual Questions"
explores wider themes of identity, plurality, dialogue of
religions, religious education, and peace. These show how relevant
the study of religions can be -when it is distinctly and
responsibly defined.
In the wide range of Buddhist meditation and spirituality a very
special place is held by the practice of calling on the name of
Amitabha, or in Japanese Amida Buddha, using the simplest of
formulas, the nenbutsu. Japanese masters such as Honen, Shinran and
others made this the core of a profound spiritual experience which
has fascinated numberless followers ever since. The deeper meaning
of the nenbutsu has therefore become a major topic in Buddhist
thought which has been reflected on by various thinkers and
teachers to this day, especially in the context of Shin Buddhism.
In this book, which draws on classic articles first published in
The Eastern Buddhist, major historic proponents and masters of the
nenbutsu are introduced, in particular Shinran, Shoku, Ippen and
Rennyo. Further contributions, which set the work of these masters
into the wider context of Buddhist tradition, are in fact some of
the earliest Buddhist voicesA" to emerge from modern Japan into
global view. Yet the presentations of writers such as Sasaki
Gessho, Yamabe Shugaku and Sugihira Shizutoshi have a freshness and
an immediacy which speaks to us today.
A one-volume dictionary of religion based on concepts drawn partly
from the various religious traditions and partly from the
historical and reflective study of religion as a modern academic
discipline. As a dictionary rather than an encyclopaedia, there are
concise explanations on a very large number of special terms rather
than lengthy essays on selected subjects. Entries include
definitions of terms from various religious traditions which have
now entered into current English usage, as well as a wide variety
of semi-technical terms from related fields such as philosophy,
sociology and social anthropology.
A one-volume dictionary of religion based on concepts drawn partly
from the various religious traditions and partly from the
historical and reflective study of religion as a modern academic
discipline. As a dictionary rather than an encyclopedia, there will
be concise explanations on a very large number of special terms
rather than lengthy essays on selected subjects. Entries will
include definitions of terms from various religious traditions
which have now entered into current English usage, as well as a
wide variety of semi-technical terms from related fields such as
philosophy, sociology and social anthropology.
Sinceits founding by Jacques Waardenburg in 1971, Religion and
Reason has been a leading forum for contributions on theories,
theoretical issues and agendas related to the phenomenon and the
study of religion. Topics include (among others) category
formation, comparison, ethnophilosophy, hermeneutics, methodology,
myth, phenomenology, philosophy of science, scientific atheism,
structuralism, and theories of religion. From time to time the
series publishes volumes that map the state of the art and the
history of the discipline.
Japanese Buddhist Pilgrimage explores the ritual practice of
"circulatory pilgrimages" - the visiting of many temples in a
numbered sequence. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims
travel such temple routes, seeking peace of mind, health and
wellbeing for themselves and others as the benefits of such
meritorious endeavour. This form of pilgrimage appears to be unique
to Japan. The practice began centuries ago and involved visiting 33
temples devoted to the Bodhisattva Kannon, spread widely over
western Japan. Soon afterwards the equally famous pilgrimage to 88
temples on Japan's fourth island of Shikoku came into prominence.
This is the first comprehensive study of all the major and many of
the minor routes, The book also examines how the practice of
circulatory pilgrimage developed among the shrines and temples for
the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and beyond them to the rather
different world of Shinto. The varying significance of the
different pilgrimages is also explored. In addition to all the
information about the routes, the book includes numerous
illustrations and examples of the short Buddhist texts chanted by
the pilgrims on their rounds.
"Skilful means"is the key principle of Mahayana, one of the great
Buddhist traditions. First described in the Lotus Sutra, it
originates in myths of the Buddha's compassionate plans for raising
life from the ceaseless round of birth and death. His strategies or
interventions are "skilful means" - morally wholesome tricks
devised for the purpose of enabling nirvana or enlightenment.
Michael Pye's clear, introductory guide investigates the meaning
and context of skilful means in Mayahana Buddhist teachings, whilst
tracing its early origins in ancient Japanese and Theravada
thought. First published in 1979, it illuminates a core working
philosophy essential for any complete understanding of Buddhism.
Early issues of The Eastern Buddhist contain short translations
from various Buddhist texts, some of them quite important and all
of considerable interest. Since they are set unobtrusively between
modern statements and arguments about the nature of Buddhism, and
in any case are difficult to locate, they have often gone unnoticed
by students. Assembled here is a selection of those texts which
have stood the test of time. Derived from Sanskrit, Chinese and
Japanese originals, they illustrate the importance of lay
spirituality for Japanese Buddhists, both in the nenbutsu tradition
and in the wider context of Mahayana Buddhism. Drawing them
together into one volume brings out the fact that these varied
Buddhist traditions are intricately related to each other. The
result is an unusual and fascinating reader which would grace many
a course in Buddhist studies.
In this practical guide, Michelle Pye demystifies the process of
making a handmade jacket. As an experienced bespoke tailor and
teacher, she explains each step of the process from making a toile
for fitting, cutting out, inserting the pockets, the application of
the sleeves and collar, through to hand finishing and pressing the
jacket. Much emphasis is placed on the preparation stage and then
the alteration steps to ensure you get a fantastic fit. As well as
explaining tailoring terms, Ladies Couture Tailoring warns of
common mistakes and describes the techniques of the trade - such as
using a clapper to absorb steam or shrinking out fullness to make
the sleeve easier to put in - so you can enjoy making your jacket
as much as wearing it. It is a rare opportunity to learn from an
experienced tailor keen to share her skills and advise you
throughout with her personal tips.
In the early twentieth century The Eastern Buddhist not only shared
in pioneering presentations of Buddhism to the west but invited
interaction with non-Japanese authors. This interactive process
increased dramatically in the post-war period, when dialogue
between Buddhist and Christian thought began to take off in
earnest. Significant here was the philosophical Buddhism of the
frequently cited Kyoto School, a tradition of thought and teaching
named after Kyoto University where it was largely based. At the
same time these debates and dialogues brought in not only Zen
voices but also thinkers from the Shin Buddhist tradition. Both of
these orientations are reflected here. While the contributions stem
mainly from the fifties, sixties and seventies, they have
significantly influenced subsequent Buddhist-Christian dialogue. It
was still a time of exciting mutual discovery. Anybody wishing to
enter into this process of dialogue and exchange will therefore
find it of great interest and value to approach it by considering
the ideas and insights presented here. Because of the wealth of
materials the selection has been spread across two volumes in the
series Eastern Buddhist Voices and the present volume includes
contributions from the earlier part of the period (Interactions
with Japanese Buddhism includes contributions from the later part).
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Exposed, Uncovered, and Declassified: Lost Civilizations & Secrets of the Past - Original Essays by Erich Von Daniken, Philip Coppens, Frank Joseph, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Steven Sora, Nick Redfern, Marie D. Jones & Larry Flaxman, and Thomas G. Brophy (Paperback)
Michael Pye, Kirsten Dalley
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R404
Discovery Miles 4 040
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to
understand."
--Neil Armstrong
Were Atlantis and Lemuria factual places?
Who built the pyramids and for what purpose?
How advanced was the technology of ancient cultures?
All this and more is covered in Exposed, Uncovered, &
Declassified: Lost Civilizations & Secrets of the Past--the
latest in the all-original series that is already sparking lively
debate.
Erich von Daniken, best-selling author of "Chariots of the Gods,"
examines the Egyptian pyramids, studying their astronomical
implications and what message they were meant to convey. Thomas G.
Brophy, PhD, focuses on the mysterious Nabta Playa site in southern
Egypt and its connection to African history.
Intrepid explorer of ancient America Frank Joseph covers
archeological scandals and attempts to suppress evidence, including
the Smithsonian's "loss" of Maya skulls discovered in the Aleutian
Islands. Researcher Steven Sora, author of The Lost Colony, delves
into evidence that Scotland's Picts originated in North America and
were connected to the ancient Micmac tribe of the Americas.
Philip Coppens of the History Channel's "Ancient Aliens" explores
an ancient Celtic network of roads that may be connected to a
4,000-year-old land-based reproduction of Atlantis. Scholar and
mystery explorer Oberon Zell-Ravenheart brings together the Garden
of Eden, the Tree of Life, the great deluge, and the sinking of
Lemuria.
Marie D. Jones & Larry Flaxman (11:11: The Time Prompt
Phenomenon) explore what ancient civilizations knew about sound and
resonance, and how they may have used them to build megaliths and
pyramids, and achieve altered states. Journalist Nick Redfern
reveals the U.S. government's abiding interest in our ancient past,
religious mysteries, and enigmatic artifacts.
Evidence of these ancient mysteries is everywhere--if you know what
to look for. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in
between, Exposed, Uncovered, and Declassified: Lost Civilizations
& Secrets of the Past is sure to entertain and educate.
Shinto permeates the religious landscape of Japan and is a major
key to the understanding of Japanese culture and society. But what
is it? If ideological shortcuts are avoided there is no simple
answer. Yet this book will guide students and general readers
through many aspects of Shinto both today and in its history. It
contains much information about sacred Shinto shrines and the
divinities (the kami) which are the focus of devotion there. These
numerous divinities have been viewed in different ways in the
course of time, and contributions by specialists shed much light on
the role played by Buddhism in this regard. Moreover, several
fascinating religious movements or "sects" which share in the wider
pattern of Shinto are also introduced and discussed. Oversimplified
views may be challenged here, but the result is a volume in which
"Shinto" is explored in a wide and illuminating perspective by an
international team of scholars. It provides a refreshing and
much-needed resource for all who are interested in the subject.
Shinto permeates the religious landscape of Japan and is a major
key to the understanding of Japanese culture and society. But what
is it? If ideological shortcuts are avoided there is no simple
answer. Yet this book will guide students and general readers
through many aspects of Shinto both today and in its history. It
contains much information about sacred Shinto shrines and the
divinities (the kami) which are the focus of devotion there. These
numerous divinities have been viewed in different ways in the
course of time, and contributions by specialists shed much light on
the role played by Buddhism in this regard. Moreover, several
fascinating religious movements or "sects" which share in the wider
pattern of Shinto are also introduced and discussed. Oversimplified
views may be challenged here, but the result is a volume in which
"Shinto" is explored in a wide and illuminating perspective by an
international team of scholars. It provides a refreshing and
much-needed resource for all who are interested in the subject.
This rich history of Antwerp was a Times Book of the Year and Radio
4 Book of the Week Even before Amsterdam there was a dazzling North
Sea port at the hub of the known world: the city of Antwerp.
Antwerp was sensational like nineteenth-century Paris or
twentieth-century New York, somewhere anything could happen or at
least be believed: killer bankers, easy kisses, a market in secrets
and every kind of heresy. For half the sixteenth century, it was
the place for breaking rules - religious, sexual, intellectual. In
Antwerp, things changed. One man cornered all the money in the city
and reinvented ideas of what money meant. Another gave Antwerp a
new shape purely out of his own ambition. Jews fleeing the
Portuguese Inquisition needed Antwerp for their escape, thanks to
the remarkable woman at the head of the grandest banking family in
Europe. Thomas More opened Utopia there, Erasmus puzzled over money
and exchanges, William Tyndale sheltered there and smuggled out his
Bible in English until he was killed. Pieter Bruegel painted the
town as The Tower of Babel. But when Antwerp rebelled with the
Dutch against the Spanish and lost, all that glory was buried and
its true history rewritten. The city that unsettled so many now
became conformist. Mutinous troops burned the city records. Michael
Pye sets out to rediscover the city that was lost and bring its
wilder days to life using every kind of clue: novels, paintings,
songs, schoolbooks, letters and the archives of Venice, London and
the Medici. He builds a picture of a city haunted by fire, plague
and violence, but learning how to be a power in its own right in
the world after feudalism. This is the Antwerp which was the proud
'exception' to all of Europe.
In the early twentieth century, The Eastern Buddhist journal
pioneered the presentation of Buddhism to the west and encouraged
the west's engagement in interpretation. This interactive process
increased dramatically in the post-war period, when dialogue
between Buddhist and Christian thought began to take off in
earnest. These debates and dialogues brought in voices with a Zen
orientation, influenced in part by the philosophical Buddhism of
the Kyoto School. Also to be heard however were contributions from
the Pure Land and the Shin Buddhist traditions, which also have a
strong tradition in the city. The book brings together a wide range
of authors who have significantly influenced subsequent
Buddhist-Christian dialogue and the interaction between east and
west.
Early issues of The Eastern Buddhist contain short translations
from various Buddhist texts, some of them quite important and all
of considerable interest. Since they are set unobtrusively between
modern statements and arguments about the nature of Buddhism, and
in any case are difficult to locate, they have often gone unnoticed
by students. Assembled here is a selection of those texts which
have stood the test of time. Derived from Sanskrit, Chinese and
Japanese originals, they illustrate the importance of lay
spirituality for Japanese Buddhists, both in the nenbutsu tradition
and in the wider context of Mahayana Buddhism. Drawing them
together into one volume brings out the fact that these varied
Buddhist traditions are intricately related to each other. The
result is an unusual and fascinating reader which would grace many
a course in Buddhist studies.
An epic adventure: from the Vikings to the Enlightenment, from
barbaric outpost to global hub, this book tells the dazzling
history of northern Europe's transformation by sea. 'Pye writes
like a dream. Magnificent' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of
the World in Twelve Maps ______________ This is a story of saints
and spies, of anglers and pirates, traders and marauders - and of
how their wild and daring journeys across the North Sea built the
world we know. When the Roman Empire retreated, northern Europe was
a barbarian outpost at the very edge of everything. A thousand
years later, it was the heart of global empires and the home of
science, art, enlightenment and money. We owe this transformation
to the tides and storms of the North Sea. Boats carried food and
raw materials, but also new ideas and information. The seafarers
raided, ruined and killed, but they also settled and coupled. With
them they brought new tastes and technologies - books, science,
clothes, paintings and machines. Drawing on an astonishing breadth
of learning and packed with human stories and revelations, this is
the epic drama of how we came to be who we are. ______________ 'A
closely-researched and fascinating characterisation of the richness
of life and the underestimated interconnections of the peoples all
around the medieval and early modern North Sea' Chris Wickham,
author of The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to
1000 'Elegant writing and extraordinary scholarship . . .
Miraculous' Hugh Aldersey-Williams, author of Periodic Tales and
Anatomies 'Bristling, wide-ranged and big-themed . . . at its most
meaningful, history involves a good deal of art and storytelling.
Pye's book is full of both' Russell Shorto, New York Times 'For
anyone, like this reviewer, who is tired of medieval history as a
chronicle of kings and kingdoms, knights and ladies, monks and
heretics, The Edge of the World provides a welcome respite' Prof
Patrick J Geary, Wall Street Journal
In the early twentieth-century, The Eastern Buddhist journal
pioneered the presentation of Buddhism to the west and encouraged
the west's engagement in interpretation. This interactive process
increased dramatically in the post-war period, when dialogue
between Buddhist and Christian thought began to take off in
earnest. These debates and dialogues brought in voices with a Zen
orientation, influenced in part by the philosophical Buddhism of
the Kyoto School. Also to be heard, however, were contributions
from the Pure Land and the Shin Buddhist traditions, which have a
strong tradition in the city. This book brings together a range of
authors who have significantly influenced subsequent
Buddhist-Christian dialogue and the interaction between east and
west. It is a companion volume to Listening to Shin Buddhism:
Starting Points of Modern Dialogue.
Japanese Buddhist Pilgrimage explores the ritual practice of
"circulatory pilgrimages" - the visiting of many temples in a
numbered sequence. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims
travel such temple routes, seeking peace of mind, health and
wellbeing for themselves and others as the benefits of such
meritorious endeavour. This form of pilgrimage appears to be unique
to Japan. The practice began centuries ago and involved visiting 33
temples devoted to the Bodhisattva Kannon, spread widely over
western Japan. Soon afterwards the equally famous pilgrimage to 88
temples on Japan's fourth island of Shikoku came into prominence.
This is the first comprehensive study of all the major and many of
the minor routes, The book also examines how the practice of
circulatory pilgrimage developed among the shrines and temples for
the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and beyond them to the rather
different world of Shinto. The varying significance of the
different pilgrimages is also explored. In addition to all the
information about the routes, the book includes numerous
illustrations and examples of the short Buddhist texts chanted by
the pilgrims on their rounds.
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