Bøger af Jeaneane Fowler

In the fifth century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, put forward Four Noble Truths for the benefit of humankind. His teaching, the Dhamma, has remained central to so much Buddhist practice, and is unique among religions in that it speaks primarily to the presence and nature of suffering in the world. That makes the Dhamma so relevant to the suffering caused by the present pandemic of coronavirus. In just a few months, coronavirus has changed the way of life for the world, for the East and the West, for young and old, for the previously healthy and for those with medical issues. We are all affected-if not from succumbing to the virus one's self, then to witnessing the distress of the wider world. The core Truths-The Truth of suffering, The Truth of the cause of suffering, The Truth of the cessation of suffering, The Truth of the path that leads to the cessation of suffering-have remained the same for millennia, and now have a deeply necessary role to play in the contemporary world. The author links the Four Noble Truths with the coronavirus experience, explains the way suffering is embedded in the notions of self and the characteristics of existence, and sets out the Brahma-vihara: the four virtues of universal love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.

Originally published in 1997 "A wonderful balance of detail and clarity with excellent introductory essays on the Indus Valley civilization, the Vedic Period, the Upanishads, and devotional Hinduism," Religious Studies Review; Choice Outstanding Academic Book selling over 10,000 copies, and now revised and expanded to two volumes (Volume I: Major Deities and Social Structures) Herewith an outstanding introduction to the development of the religion of Hinduism from earliest times. While historical tradition is explored from as far back as pre-Aryan times in the fascinating ancient civilization that existed in India a few thousand years BCE, later expressions of religion and philosophy that informed early Hindu tradition are gleaned from its sacred texts. The author examines how present beliefs and practices have been informed by past traditions, and the resulting accommodation in Hinduism today. The book serves as an introduction to the two strands of theism and philosophical thought that emerged from early scriptures as they are expressed independently in Hinduism as well as in those traditions where they are woven together to create new religious movements. No prior knowledge of Hinduism is required. Contents include: The Indus Valley Civilization; The Vedic Period; Vedanta; The Advaita Vedanta of Sankara; Influential Theories (Samkhya and Yoga); Devotional Hinduism; The Bhagavad Gita; Songs of the Poets; The theistic philosophy of Ramanuja; The devotional theism of Caitanya; Unity and diversity.