The Concept Of Universal Religion In Modern Hindu Thought
The Concept Of Universal Religion In Modern Hindu Thought Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of The Concept Of Universal Religion In Modern Hindu Thought book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.
The Concept of Universal Religion in Modern Hindu Thought by A. Sharma Pdf
Hindu thought has undergone a major reconfiguration in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, in response to its encounter with the forces of modernity. A key element in this reconfiguration is the perception of Hinduism itself as a universal religion; or, as a catalyst promoting the emergence of a universal religion, or, at the very least, as promoting religious universalism. This book examines the views of several major Hindu thinkers of this period, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi prominent among them, on this potent theme of modern Hinduism.
The Concept of Universal Religion in Modern Hindu Thought by Arvind Sharma Pdf
Hindu thought has undergone a major reconfiguration in the 19th and the 20th centuries, in response to its encounter with the forces of modernity. A key element in this reconfiguration is the perception of Hinduism itself as a universal religion or, as a catalyst promoting the emergence of a universal religion, or, at the very least, as promoting religious universalism. This book examines the views of several major Hindu thinkers of this period, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi prominent among them, on this theme of modern Hinduism.
Eclecticism and Modern Hindu Discourse by Brian A. Hatcher Pdf
In this new book, Brian Hatcher examines the modern Hindu penchant for constructing religious worlds in an eclectic fashion. Noting how Hindu apologists from Rammohun Roy to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan make an almost promiscuous use of the world's many philosophies and religions to define and defend Hinduism, Hatcher sets out to explore the ancient roots and contemporary significance of such eclectic borrowing. A discussion of the Vedic and classical roots of Hindu eclecticism affords Hatcher the opportunity to reflect upon the profound and widespread role of eclecticism in South Asian religion, while consideration of the work of Swami Vivekananda--as well as a variety of religious reformers from nineteenth-century Bengal--suggests the ongoing significance of the phenomenon in colonial and postcolonial contexts. By examining the development of Brahmo and Neo-Vedanta discourse, Hatcher is able both to problematize the notion of a monolithic concept of religious eclecticism and to reflect upon the various ways scholars might nevertheless attempt to make sense of a bewildering variety of eclectic philosophies. What emerges is not simply an attempt to refine our understanding of the role eclecticism has played in the modern Hindu context, but an extended reflection upon changing attitudes toward eclecticism in the West, from Diderot and Kant through postmodern critical theory. By investigating modern and postmodern perspectives on such issues as history, system, authenticity, and difference, Hatcher seeks to set in motion a dialectical approach to the study of eclectic world construction that balances the positivisitic confidence of modern scholarship with the playful exuberance of postmodern pastiche. Invoking the critical theories of Salman Rushdie, Theodor Adorno, and Richard Rorty, Hatcher advocates an approach to modern Hindu eclecticism that honors its creative poetics while retaining the critical distance necessary for judging its sometimes baleful fruits.
Modern Hindu Personalism by Ferdinando Sardella Pdf
This work explores the life and work of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874-1937), a guru of the Chaitanya (1486-1534) school of Vaishnavism who, at a time when various interpretations of nondualistic Hindu thought were most prominent, managed to establish a pan-Indian movement for the modern revival of personalist bhakti - a movement that today encompasses both Indian and non-Indian populations throughout the world.
First Published in 1959, Hinduism written specifically for the modern readers describes and interprets one of the world’s chief religions. For thousands of years Indian sages have speculated on man, creation, and the universe. One result has been an astonishing amount of myth and ritual, of art, asceticism, and philosophy. Swami Nikhilananda provides a brief account of Hinduism in both its theoretical and its practical aspects. It is written mainly from the point of view of non-dualism which the author argues is the highest achievement of India’s mystical insights and philosophical speculation, and her real contribution to world culture. The volume deals with themes like Hindu Ethics; Karma-Yoga; Bhakti-Yoga; Jnana- Yoga; Raja-Yoga; and Tantra. This complete survey of Hindu beliefs and customs is indispensable for scholars and researchers of Hinduism, religion, Indian philosophy, Indian culture, and heritage.
In this text, leading scholars from around the world take stock of two centuries of international intellectual investment in Hinduism. Since the early 19th century, when the scholarly investigation of Hinduism began to take shape as a modern academic discipline, Hindu studies has evolved from its concentration on description and analysis to an emphasis on understanding Hindu traditions in the context of the religion's own values, concepts and history. Offering an assessment of the current state of Hindu studies, the contributors to this volume identify past achievements and chart the course for what remains to be accomplished in the field.
The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Vedanta by Ayon Maharaj Pdf
This handbook brings together a distinguished team of scholars from philosophy, theology, and religious studies to provide the first in-depth discussion of Vedanta and the many different systems of thought that make up this tradition of Indian philosophy. Emphasizing the historical development of Vedantic thought, it includes chapters on numerous classical Vedantic philosophies as well as the modern Vedantic views of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Aurobindo, and Romain Rolland. The volume offers careful hermeneutic analyses of how Vedantic texts have been interpreted, and it addresses key issues and debates in Vedanta, including religious diversity, the nature of God, and the possibility of embodied liberation. Venturing into cross-philosophical and cross-cultural territory, it also brings Vedanta into dialogue with Saiva Nondualism as well as contemporary Western analytic philosophy. Highlighting current scholarly controversies and charting new paths of inquiry, this is an indispensable research guide for anyone interested in the past, present, and future of Vedanta and Indian philosophy.
The book contains 260 pages and is divided in 57 small easy-to-read chapters, containing authentic information about all the important aspects of Hindu religion, culture, and philosophy. It is designed to entice the young reader; in particular, the youthful Hindu Diaspora in America and other countries where Hindus are now settling in large numbers. At the same time, many others, including also the non-Hindus who would like to learn about Hindu philosophy and India may find the book useful. The book is written in story-telling method and it is easy to read and understand. It is presented with the fewest controversies, complex theories, and critical judgment. Hinduism is a dynamic and evolutionary religion, making periodic changes as the instance and circumstance demanded, over the millennia, without sacrificing the essential principles. The book is presented in chronological order, starting from the 'Origin of Creation' 18 billion years ago, 'Proto-Human creature in Africa' 6 million years, 'Modern Human Brain' 100.000 years, arrival of first human tribal race in Indian subcontinent 50,000 years, the pre-historic roots of Hinduism or the Sanathan Dharma tracing back up to almost 10,000 years, and then covering the different times from the Vedic era till the present one, describing the Hindu populations and Hindu temples in all five continents of the world now! Religion-dharma-is basically like a classroom, a school, or a university, where we get the instruction for the moral and virtuous pedagogy. Ultimately it becomes our responsibility to learn and understand these spiritual teachings properly and put them into use in everyday living. Even more than that, we must imbibe dharma deep into our mindset (antahkaran), so that we think in a moral and spiritual manner, harboring no hatred, ill will, or harm to others. 'Spiritual Teachings' as such form the core of the book; without imparting and propagating the spiritual teachings, what other role any religion may have? It is a book on religion but every effort is made so it may pass the acid test of reason and rationality as far as possible. Also it is a book on religion that may be applicable to everyday living. The main purpose of religion is to impart moral guidance. It has been said repeatedly that Hinduism is not so much a set of dogmas but it is a way of life. There are many pearls of wisdom offered as guiding principles though not as dos and don'ts. More important, Hinduism is a living faith of nearly one billion people and is regarded as the most ancient religion in the world. Extensive coverage to religious teachings and principles is therefore given in the book. Perhaps a great number of diverse tribal and ethnic groups converged together on the sacred land of India, and some of the highly evolved souls among them meditated profoundly in the quest of many enquiries. They discovered that all beings of creation, human as well as nonhuman, are connected with each other through eons of birth cycles as one large family of the divine, Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam. Hindu thought repeatedly emphasizes this concept of spirituality. Across millennia, Hindu seers have propagated the idea of harmony of all mankind regardless of faith and place. They perceived the Divine as the transcendental universal being pervading all the creation Ota-prota; they called it Brahman. Hindu sages have believed that there is an essential unity and homogeneity of all the religions; the 'spiritual teachings' are very similar, if not the same. All religions lead to the same destination. Sincere and truthful endeavor is made to pursue this philosophy in the book.
Hermeneutics and Hindu Thought: Toward a Fusion of Horizons by Rita Sherma,Arvind Sharma Pdf
The advent of Hindu Studies coincides with the emergence of modern hermeneutics. Despite this co-emergence and rich possibilities inherent in dialectical encounters between theories of modern and post-modern hermeneutics, and those of Hindu hermeneutical traditions, such an enterprise has not been widely endeavored. The aim of this volume is to initiate such an interface. Essays in this volume reflect one or more of the following categories: (1) Examination of challenges and possibilities inherent in applying Western hermeneutics to Hindu traditions. (2) Critiques of certain heuristics used, historically, to “understand” Hindu traditions. (3) Elicitation of new hermeneutical paradigms from Hindu thought, to develop cross-cultural or dialogical hermeneutics. Applications of interpretive methodologies conditioned by Western culture to classify Indian thought have had important impacts. Essays by Sharma, Bilimoria, Sugirtharajah, and Tilak examine these impacts, offering alternate interpretive models for understanding Hindu concepts in particular and the Indian religious context in general. Several essays offer original insights regarding potential applications of traditional Hindu philosophical principles to cross-cultural hermeneutics (Long, Bilimoria, Klostermaier, Adarkar, and Taneja). Others engage Hindu texts philosophically to elicit deeper interpretations (Phillips, and Rukmani). In presenting essays that are both critical and constructive, we seek to uncover intellectual space for creative dialectical engagement that, we hope, will catalyze a reciprocal hermeneutics.
Hinduism is not just a religious belief, it is also a philosophy based upon certain key concepts. Modern Hindu Thought: An Introduction is devoted to the analysis of the concepts of modern Hindu thought, where modern is understood to begin by c. 1800 by when major changes in the political, social, and religious life of India had begun to occur as a result of the European presence in India. This volume offers readers an excellent grounding in the rich and diverse traditions of Hindu thought and is an essential reading for anyone interested in Hinduism, Indian philosophy, and religion
Asian Religions in British Columbia by Larry DeVries,Don Baker,Dan Overmyer Pdf
British Columbia is Canada’s most ethnically diverse province. Yet in general we need to know more about the diversity of religions that accompanied immigrants to the province and how they are practised today. This book offers intimate portraits of local religious groups, including Hindus and Sikhs from South Asia; Buddhist organizations from Southeast Asia; and Tibetan, Japanese, and Chinese religions from East and Central Asia. The first comprehensive, comparative examination of Asian religions in British Columbia, this book is mandatory reading for teachers, policy makers, scholars of local history and culture and of Asian Canadian studies.
Swami Vivekananda and Non-Hindu Traditions by Stephen E. Gregg Pdf
The Hindu thinker Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) was and remains an important figure both within India, and in the West, where he was notable for preaching Vedanta. Scholarship surrounding Vivekananda is dominated by hagiography and his (mis)appropriation by the political Hindu Right. This work demonstrates that Vivekananda was no simplistic pluralist, as portrayed in hagiographical texts, nor narrow exclusivist, as portrayed by some modern Hindu nationalists, but a thoughtful, complex inclusivist. The book shows that Vivekananda formulated a hierarchical and inclusivistic framework of Hinduism, based upon his interpretations of a four-fold system of Yoga. It goes on to argue that Vivekananda understood his formulation of Vedanta to be universal, and applied it freely to non-Hindu traditions, and in so doing, demonstrates that Vivekananda was consistently critical of ‘low level’ spirituality, not only in non-Hindu traditions, but also within Hinduism. Demonstrating that Vivekananda is best understood within the context of ‘Advaitic primacy’, rather than ‘Hindu chauvinism’, this book will be of interest to scholars of Hinduism and South Asian religion and of South Asian diaspora communities and religious studies more generally.
Hinduism is the oldest and most varied of all the great religions of the world. It has evolved out of the collective wisdom and inspiration of great seers and sages from the very dawn of India civilisation. This book traces the basic tenets of Hinduism in a nutshell. It also provides brief life-sketches of the eminent exponents of the religion and analyses the impact of the religion in the context of modern day living.
Analyses the phenomenon of western Indophilia, its ideological and affective composition, and its political implications in late-colonial British India. Argues that Indophile deployments around transnational projects like abolishing indentured labour and global Hinduism, while anti-colonial, were not necessarily emancipatory.
Religious exoticism implies a deeply ambivalent relationship to otherness and to religion itself: traditional religious teachings are uprooted and fragmented in order to be appropriated as practical methods for personal growth. Western contemporary societies have seen the massive popularization of such "exotic" religious resources as yoga and meditation, Shamanism, Buddhism, Sufism, and Kabbalah. Véronique Altglas shows that these trends inform us about how religious resources are disseminated globally, as well as how the self is constructed in society. She uses two case studies: the Hindu-based movements in France and Britain that started in the 1970s, and the Kabbalah Centre in France, Britain, Brazil, and Israel. She draws upon major qualitative and cross-cultural empirical investigations to conceptualize religious exoticism and offer a nuanced and original understanding of its contemporary significance. From Yoga to Kabbalah broadens scholarly understanding of the globalization of religion, how religions are modified through cultural encounters, and of religious life in neoliberal societies.
