This critical investigation into Sabara's realism shows satyam as the real coincidence between reality and language. Sabara's statement: Sabda speaks, it makes known is the key to language. Language by its very nature neither objectifies nor subjectifies the status of reality. It presents through Sabda what it really is. Hermeneutics sustains this intrinsic function of language. It aims at overcoming the lack of understanding. This Indian approach asserts hermeneutics as experience in which man participates fully in rality and language as one whole. Genuine hermeneutics is thus the real response to what really is and that includes also the response to actual life.
Peter Adamson and Jonardon Ganeri present a lively introduction to one of the world's richest intellectual traditions: the philosophy of classical India. They begin with the earliest extant literature, the Vedas, and the explanatory works that these inspired, known as Upaniṣads. They also discuss other famous texts of classical Vedic culture, especially the Mahābhārata and its most notable section, the Bhagavad-Gīta, alongside the rise of Buddhism and Jainism. In this opening section, Adamson and Ganeri emphasize the way that philosophy was practiced as a form of life in search of liberation from suffering. Next, the pair move on to the explosion of philosophical speculation devoted to foundational texts called 'sutras,' discussing such traditions as the logical and epistemological Nyāya school, the monism of Advaita Vedānta, and the spiritual discipline of Yoga. In the final section of the book, they chart further developments within Buddhism, highlighting Nagārjuna's radical critique of 'non-dependent' concepts and the no-self philosophy of mind found in authors like Dignāga, and within Jainism, focusing especially on its 'standpoint' epistemology. Unlike other introductions that cover the main schools and positions in classical Indian philosophy, Adamson and Ganeri's lively guide also pays attention to philosophical themes such as non-violence, political authority, and the status of women, while considering textual traditions typically left out of overviews of Indian thought, like the Cārvaka school, Tantra, and aesthetic theory as well. Adamson and Ganeri conclude by focusing on the much-debated question of whether Indian philosophy may have influenced ancient Greek philosophy and, from there, evaluate the impact that this area of philosophy had on later Western thought.
This book provides a comprehensive survey of the Hindu tradition, dealing with the history of Hindusim, the sacred writings of the Hindus, the Hindu worldview, and the specifics of the major branches of Hindusim--Vaisnavism, S aivism, and S aktism. It also focuses on the geographical ties of Hinduism with the land of India, the social order created by Hinduism, and the various systems of Hindu philosophio-theological thought. Klostermaier describes the new development of Hinduism in the 19th and 20th centuries, including present-day political Hinduism and the efforts to turn Hinduism into a modern-world religion. A unique feature of this book is its treatment of Hinduism in a topical fashion, rather than by chronological description of the development of Hinduism or by summary of the literature. The complexities of Hindu life and thought are thus made real to the reader. Hindus will recognize it as their own tradition. A glossary and a chronological table are useful additional features.
The YOGASUTRA OF PATANJALI constitutes one of the six Darsana of Ancient Indian Philosophy, the sole aim of which is to unravel the mysteries of yoga, give insights into its practices and lead the aspirant from the realisation of the Individual Self to that of the Supreme Self. The book comprises the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the commentary of Vyasa thereon, English translation of both the Text and the Commentary, Notes, Preface, Appendix and chart.
This book presents an analytical exposition of the ‘Nine Schools’ of Indian philosophy, extrapolating ‘Environmental Ethics’ from the profound metaphysics of these Nine Schools, which serve as the cornerstone of a life lived in wisdom. This book uses the popular contemporary word ‘Environment,’ with the meaning expounded by the Vedic texts. Therefore, it includes the internal, external and cosmic states of all the creatures of the world, and relates them to the universal laws of creation, preservation, and annihilation of every existence following the path of the cosmic order (Ṛta). It argues that realization of the fact that all entities in the world are illuminated by the same Universal Spirit is also necessary. While the book emphasizes the external environmental woes of the world, such as deforestation, animal cruelty, pollution, climate change, and more, it also underscores that these are merely manifestations of humans’ internal perverted environmental states. Thus, humankind should not look at external issues that are limited and temporary, but should focus on the longer-lasting internal transformation.
The major religious traditions of South Asia are religions of the book. All accept basic arrays of texts of scriptures, often seen as sacred reservoirs of meaning and power. The West has viewed these texts as bibles of their respective traditions, projecting onto them Western values and concerns. This book challenges such misconceptions by revealing the complex character of scripture and its interpretation in South Asian religions. Texts in Context explores the hermeneutical traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism. The question of how we should understand the diversity of text-traditions is approached by asking How have traditional thinkers the exegetes within these traditions understood and utilized scripture? The answers, though remarkably diverse, do reveal important similarities and take the discussion of scripture in India to a deeper level. This book makes accessible to the non-specialist sensibilities and approaches that have previously received little attention in the West, but have formed the basis for traditional efforts to understand and utilize scripture. It is a collaboration between contemporary thinkers and their traditional counterparts, whose voices emerge as they consider the sacred words of the religious traditions of South Asia.
Whether it be the China of Confucius or the Germany of Jurgen Moltmann, premodern India or the World Trade Organization, philosophy has brought us face-to-face with the pressing issues of our times. More often than not, these inquiries have stimulated creative responses to the opportunities and problems that shape our experiences. But the responsiveness of inquiry to its respective concerns can only grow according to the dimensions of the conversation underwriting the inquiry itself. With its comparative and interdisciplinary approach, Comparative Philosophy Today and Tomorrow: Proceedings from the 2007 Uehiro CrossCurrents Philosophy Conference creates a space for juxtaposing philosophical views on shared themes, thereby stimulating fresh insight into issues of contemporary significance. From self-cultivation to global justice, from environmental ethics to the interrelation of religion and science, this collection of essays highlights the central role of philosophy, and comparative philosophy in particular, for understanding and appreciating the connections and discontinuities of East and West, if you will, of past, present and future.
