Swami Vivekananda Revisited. Continental Collision and the (Re)Packaging of Hindu Traditions

This study seeks to analyze the how Vivekananda's voice impacted the (re)packaging of Hindu traditions in the 19th century. By first problematizing the Western terms 'religion' and 'Hinduism' It will establish the framework within which Vivekananda's influence can be understood. It uses the term 'continental collision' to demonstrate how the East and West impacted each other thereby confirming that the exchange of ideas was multidirectional and not one sided. This study highlights Vivekananda's Indian roots and local influences thereby taking into account the fact that Vivekananda's voice was uniquely Indian and not simply a result of Western ideology. This volume relies extensively on Swami Vivekananda's English publications thereby allowing Vivekananda to speak for himself. It surveys Vivekananda's experiences at the Parliament of Religions in 1893 and his triumphant return in order to determine how he was able to cultivate a hierarchy which privileged Advaita Vedanta over all other native Indian traditions. By highlighting the way Vivekananda created the hierarchy amongst Indian traditions, a hierarchy that is still thriving in modern India, it draws attention to how this is detrimental to the integrity of the Indian landmass. Using modern scholarship, it shines a light on the way Vivekananda's ideas have been appropriated by the Hindutva movement who, in turn, have interpreted his hierarchy to be in support of creating a Hindu state in India. Thus, it reveals how this particularly Indian voice of Vivekananda's, due to the immense 'continental collision' that occurred during the British Raj, was able to (re)package Hindu traditions; a repackaging that resulted in a hierarchy that must be dismantled by Hindus today

Wissen in Bewegung

Institutions usually do not come into view when it comes to processes of knowledge change. Rather, it is a widely shared belief that change happens when and only outside of these creativity blockers. Now, however, even where it is supposedly rigidly and stubbornly adhering to the traditional, change is always noticeable. Obviously, practices that are poled up for repetition and thus stabilize institutional relationships also bring about change. This interplay of repetition and change is summarized in this anthology with the term 'iteration'. Using a wide range of historical case studies, the authors show which variants of the interplay of repetition and change can be observed and which findings result for a transdisciplinary history of knowledge. The volume opens the series "Episteme in motion. Contributions to a Transdisciplinary History of Knowledge ", in which the results of the cooperation in the Collaborative Research Center 980, located at the Freie Universität Berlin, are presented

Signposts to Silence. Metaphysical mysticism

Signposts to Silence provides a theoretical map of what it terms ‘metaphysical mysticism’: the search for the furthest, most inclusive horizon, the domain of silence, which underlies the religious and metaphysical urge of humankind in its finest forms. Tracing the footsteps of pioneers of this exploration, the investigation also documents a number of historical pilgrimages from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds. Such mountaineers of the spirit, who created paths trodden by groups of followers over centuries and in some cases millennia, include Lao-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu, Siddhattha and Jesus, Sankara and Fa-tsang, Plato and Plotinus, Isaac Luria and Ibn Arabi, Aquinas and Hegel. Such figures, teachings and traditions (including the religions of ‘Judaism’, ‘Christianity’ and ‘Islam’; ‘Hinduism’, ‘Buddhism’ and ‘Taoism’) are understood as, at their most sublime, not final destiny and the end of the road, but signposts to a horizon of ultimate silence. The hermeneutical method employed in tracking such pioneers involves four steps: • sound historical-critical understanding of the context of the various traditions and figures • reconstruction of the subjective intentional structure of such persons and their teachings • design, by the author, of a theoretical map of the overall terrain of ‘metaphysical mysticism’, on which all such journeys of the spirit are to be located, while providing a theoretical context for understanding them tendentionally (i.e. taking the ultimate drift of their thinking essentially to transcend their subjective intentions) • drawing out, within the space available, some political (taken in a wide sense) implications from the above, such as religio-political stances as well as ecological and gender implications. Continuing the general direction of thought within what the author endorses to be the best in metaphysical mysticism in its historical manifestations, the book aims to contribute to peace amongst religions in the contemporary global cultural situation. It relativizes all claims to exclusive, absolute truth that might be proclaimed by any religious or metaphysical, mystical position, while providing space for not only tolerating, but also affirming the unique value and dignity of each. This orientation moves beyond the stances of enmity or indifference or syncretism or homogenisation of all, as well as that of mere friendly toleration. It investigates the seemingly daunting and inhospitable yet immensely significant Antarctica of the Spirit, the ‘meta’-space of silence behind the various forms of wordy ‘inter’-relationships. It affirms pars pro toto, totum pro parte, and pars pro parte: that each religious, mystical and metaphysical orientation in its relative singularity represents or contains the whole and derives value from that, and that each represents or contains every other. This homoversal solidarity stimulating individual uniqueness is different from and in fact implies criticism of the process of globalisation. While not taking part in a scientific argument as such, Signposts to Silence aims at promoting an understanding of science and metaphysical mysticism as mutual context for each other, and it listens to a number of voices from the domain of science that understand this

Religious Discourse in Modern Japan

Religious Discourse in Modern Japan explores the transportation of the Western concept of “religion” in in the modern era; the emergence of discourse on Shinto, philosophy, and Buddhism; and the evolution of the academic discipline of religious studies in Japan.; Readership: All interested in Japanese religion and modern Japan, especially State Shinto and the Emperor System, and anyone concerned with the concept of religion in terms of postcolonial conditions, postsecularism, and nation-state building in East Asi

Ideas of history in the historical literature of Early Mediaeval India.

(Ch. 1) In order to give dimension to the historical writings of the Early Mediaeval Period, the origin, development and standardisation of the tradition of itihasa, through the various forms of gatha, narasamsi, akhyana and Parana are studied from the Early Vedic Age to the advent of the Early Mediaeval. The role of the Bhrigvangirases and the sutas in the development of Vamsa composition is assessed and explained. The chapter is rounded off by a discussion on the characteristics and patterns of the mediaeval historical narratives, and the philosophy of time in the Early Mediaeval Age. (Ch. 2) Since the misconception that the Hershacharita is fragmentary has distorted the vision of modern historians, a fresh approach towards the problem of its historical content is suggested. After studying the formative influences of the Bhrigvangiras ancestry of Bana, the works of the itihasa s a tradition, the Ratnavali and the Brihatkatha on the Harsha- charita an attempt is made to understand the methods of historical organisation and inference implied in the narrative. An analysis of the theme shows that in' the Harshacharita, besides the central story, there is another tale which emerges from discrepancies, the refractory snippets of the central theme. The author holds that both stories should be taken into account when reconstructing history from the Harshacharita. (Ch. 3) The Vikramankadevacharita shows how the poet-historians became the instruments of princely propaganda and how Bilhana, taking the role of a defence counsel, distorted historical facts. The distortion further enables us to perceive the drama of a clash of ideas, and the tricks and side-steppings which the historian employed to gain his end - the plea of the defence counsel. A comparison with the Harshacharita helps us to appreciate the technique of these artistically designed narratives. (Ch. 4) The unpublished biography of Vikramaditya VI by his royal son Somesvara III Bhulokamalla further carries the tradition of the Mid-land school of itihasa and evinces the process which under the influence of the transcendental world-view of the agamas culminated into the 'divinization' of history. (Ch. 5) Here, we attempt to study the process of the transfiguration of the popular tradition of itihasa into the imperial school of Chahamana history. The Prithviraja-Vijaya illustrates how the Vamsa tradition which sent out several offshoots in India, Ceylon, Burma and South East Asia, developed in the mediaeval courts under the influence of poets; how the tales of mystery are the expression of the trend of rationalisation, which worked within the theoretical framework enshrined in the scriptures; and lastly how the anachronistic representation of contemporary persons in the form of the heroes of olden days brought about the 'Ramayanization' of historical thought. (Ch. 6) "The subjugation of the ancient kingdom of historical thought by the modern Industrialism of Western life", to quote Toynbee, resulted in mechanical histories of mediaeval India, manufactured or semi-manufactured by the 'assemblage' of raw materials like inscriptions, coins and documents. An attempt is, therefore, made to assess the possibility of reconstructing history by the study of the mediaeval historical works in the light of the dominant trends of the mediaeval age. Appendix: A study of the role of imagination in reconstructing history, and of the development of historical myths

Language as Ritual: Saying What Cannot Be Said with Western and Confucian Ritual Theories

This dissertation addresses one of the classical philosophical and theological problems of religious language, namely, how to speak meaningfully about matters that appear to be inexpressible. While addressed extensively in a variety of literatures across cultures, the problem persists, particularly in regard to harmonizing theological, philosophical, and linguistic perspectives. The dissertation argues that (i) language is best understood as a species of ritual; (ii) so understood, religious language speaks to and about religious realities subjunctively, that is, as if such realities could be talked about; and (iii) this way of understanding language achieves greater harmony among philosophical and linguistic approaches while achieving some degree of cross-cultural generality. The argument begins with a cross-cultural comparison between modern social scientific ritual theories, especially that of Roy A. Rappaport, and the Confucian ritual theory of Xunzi. This generates a novel theory of ritual capable of engaging theories of language that have emerged in modern linguistics, philosophy of language, logic, and hermeneutics. The semiotics of Charles Sanders Peirce provides the unifying framework for the theory, which leads to the first conclusion that language can be understood as a species of ritual. When language is understood as ritual, there are several options for interpreting religious speech as meaningful. An analysis of these alternatives on terms semantically demarcated by Hilary Putnam leads to the conclusion that language expresses theological insights in the same way it expresses anything else: as if reality and its elements were the way the language form and process construes and renders them. This analysis both advances critiques of language as understood under the linguistic turn, especially by Terrence W. Deacon and Daniel L. Everett, and establishes the second and third conclusions of the thesis

Religious Discourse in Modern Japan

Religious Discourse in Modern Japan explores the transportation of the Western concept of “religion” in in the modern era; the emergence of discourse on Shinto, philosophy, and Buddhism; and the evolution of the academic discipline of religious studies in Japan.; Readership: All interested in Japanese religion and modern Japan, especially State Shinto and the Emperor System, and anyone concerned with the concept of religion in terms of postcolonial conditions, postsecularism, and nation-state building in East Asi

Médecine et santé à Angkor : pouvoir royal, compassion et offre médicale sous le règne de Jayavarman VII (1181-1220)

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Naturaleza del yo en el Vedanta Advaita, a la luz de la crítica al sujeto de Heidegger

Tesis de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Filosofía, Departamento de Filosofía III, leída el 02-04-2001Una de las grandes posibilidades del momento presente, a la que nos reta ineludiblemente la propia marcha de la historia, es la de acceder a una creciente "universalización" del pensamiento, la superacion de todo "provincianismo cultural". Ya no cabe pensar en los terminos exclusivos de la propia cultura y urge un diálogo que permite el entendimiento mutuo entre tradiciones y culturas diversas y que permita alumbrar paradigmas de pensamiento más integradores: con capacidad de aunar armónicamente universalidad y diversidad/multiculturalidad. El presente trabajo busca ser una contribución a este diálogo intercultural. Ello se hará sobre un ejemplo concreto: comparando el pensamiento de Heidegger y el de una de las doctrinas metafisicas más paradigmáticas del mundo índico: el Vedanta advaita. "Una y otra vez -afirma Heidegger-, me ha parecido urgente que tenga lugar un diálogo con los pensadores de lo que es para nosotros el mundo oriental". *Nuestra reflexión dialogada orbita en torno el tema de "la naturaleza del yo": donde el hombre en Occidente tiende a cifrar su esencia última -concepcion estrechamiento ligada a la de cómo comprenda y vivencie la naturaleza Ser- y dónde, tanto Heidegger como el Vedanta advaita, invitan a cifrarla. En otras palabras: en torno a los límites del punto de partida ontológico y epistemológico de la filosofia relativo a la autoconciencia del sujeto que filosofa; retalivo al lugar ontológico en que éste cifra su esencia e identidad y al modo en que esto determina el alcance y la naturaleza de su conocimiento. Tanto para Heidegger como para el Advaita, uno de los "mitos" o prejuicios basicos del pensamiento occidental-quizá, el mito por excelencia de Occidente-es aquel que ha llevado a dar por supuesta, por incuestionable, una determinada concepción del yo: este es una conciencia individual, centro de pensamiento, decisión y acción, que se relaciona con lo diverso de sí en tanto que objeto de su pensamiento y de su voluntad intencionales. Son conocidas las aporías a las que aboca esta autoconciencia-autoconciencia que es el origen de la inveterada dualidad sujeto-objeto y desde la cual esta dualidad es insalvable-. Estas aporías no son más que los grandes problemas a los que se ha enfrentado la filosofia -muy en particular, la filosofia moderna-, sus grandes temas de reflexión: La posibilidad del acceso al "otro" como un "tú". La posibilidad del acceso de la filosofia a un Dios que no sea un "Dios-objeto. La posibilidad de una relación con el mundo material que no conduzca a la explotación de la tierra. Etc.* En esta reflexión comparada se muestran las semejanzas y correspondencias estructurales existentes entre el pensamiento de Heidegger y la doctrina advaita, el modo en que ambos iluminan cuál se la auto-comprensión del hombre especificamente occidental, y el modo en que, desde perspectivas diversas, iluminan lo que es su común propuesta: "Hay otra conciencia metafisica al alcance del hombre moderno. No parte del sujeto pensante y auto-perceptivo, sino del Ser, ontológicamente considerado como anterior y englobante de la división sujeto-objeto" (T. Merton). * Se hace ver en este estudio que la influencia en Heidegger del pensamiento extremo-oriental es mucho mas decisiva de lo que el mismo ha dado a entender. Y se hace ver que, a pesar de que no cabe hablar de una influencia directa en Heidegger del Vedanta advaita, los paralelismos estructurales son notables y reveladores. Esto encuentra su razón de ser en su común reconocimiento de la centralidad de la no-dualidad (a-dvaita). Creemos, de hecho, que esta noción(advaita) es una importante clave interpretativa del pensamiento de Heidegger.Depto. de Filosofía y SociedadFac. de FilosofíaTRUEpu