INDIAN INSIGHTS: BUDDHISM, BRAHMANISM AND BHAKTI
Papers from the Annual Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions
EDITED BY PETER CONNOLY AND SUE HAMILTON
The essays in this volume were all originally presented at the Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions held annually in Spring in Oxford, England.This volume is the fith generated by the Symposium.
The present collection focuses on the Hindu-Bramhmanical and Buddhist traditions in a variety of manifestations. The volume is organised thematically, essays having been arranged in pairs where each contribution can be regarded as complementary to its partner. The studies by Dermot Kilingley and Peter Connolly are both concerned with Upanisadic ideas and their relation to other aspects of Verdic material. Mark Allon and Sally Mellick-Cutler focus primarily on the textual tradition of Pali Buddhism. Lynn Thomas and David Smith both explore mythological dimensions of the Hindu tradition through literature and art. The final pair of essays on Hindu-Brahmanical themes focus on the south Indian state of Kerala. Theodore gabriel explores the life and teachings of Narayana Guru, while Gavin Flood vividly describes and offers an interpretation of ' the dancing of the teyyams'.The collections concludes with two essays on aspects of Buddhism in south-east Asia about which little is generally hnown. In exploring the features and origins of 'esoteric' Buddhism than is usually acknowledged. Hiroko kawanami's essays addresses the position of nuns in contemporary Burmese Buddhism.
Overall this collection offers a wide-ranging yet thematically coherent exploration of many facets of the Indian religious heritage. And in drawing on sources as diverse as classical texts and contemporary fieldwork, the essays demonstrate both the perennial interest the ancient material commands and also the way the religious traditions they engendered are adapting to the modern world. As such the volume should be of value to all scholars and students with an interest in Indian and Indian-derived religious thought and practice.
- Hardcover: 228 pages
- Publisher: Luzac Oriental (July 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1898942153
- ISBN-13: 978-1898942153
- Product Dimensions: 23.7 x 16.6 x 2.5 cm
Product Code: LUZAC7
