The Graceful Guru

The Graceful Guru

Author: Karen Pechilis

Publisher:

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0195145372

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A distinctive aspect of Hindu devotion is the veneration of a human guru, who is not only an exemplar and a teacher but is also understood to be an embodiment of the divine. Historically, the role of guru in the public domain has been exclusive to men. The new visibility of female gurus in India and the U.S. today, and indeed across the globe, has inspired this first-ever scholarly study of the origins, variety, and worldwide popularity of Hindu female gurus. In the Introduction, Karen Pechilis examines the historical emergence of Hindu female gurus with reference to the Hindu philosophy of the self, women spiritual exemplars as wives and saints, Tantric worship of the Goddess, and the internationalization of gurus in the U.S. in the twentieth century. Nine essays profile specific female gurus, presenting biographies of these remarkable women while highlighting overarching issues and themes concerning women's status as religious leaders; these themes are nuanced in the afterword to the volume. The essays explore how Hindu female gurus embody grace in both senses--as a feminine ideal and an attribute of the divine-and argue that their status as leaders is grounded in their negotiation of these two types of grace. This book provides biographical profiles of the following female gurus plus sensitive scholarly analysis of their spiritual paths: Ammachi, Anandamayi Ma, Gauri Ma, Gurumayi, Jayashri Ma, Karunamayi Ma, Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, Mother Meera, Shree Maa and Sita Devi.


The Mother of God

The Mother of God

Author: Luna Tarlo

Publisher:

Published: 2009-07

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780982453063

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This is a mother's account of her experience as a disciple of her own son - Andrew Cohen, a well-known American guru - and of her struggle to free herself from his control. What had been a close, affectionate relationship slowly becomes a nightmare of domination. The story begins quiely in India and unfolds with growing intensity as Andrew, his mother, and a few people who have gathered around him, travel to England, Holland, Israel, and finally the United States, but which time Andrew has attracted hundreds of devotees to his "meetings." The abuse of power, incessant fear, and the pyschology of obsession are all explored here from an intimate perspective. Since brainwashing cults and their grandiose gurus are proliferating - in this country and all over the world - this book is not only a mother's lament, but also a finger pointing to the growing appeal everywhere of authoritarianism and absolutism.


Guru English

Guru English

Author: Srinivas Aravamudan

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2011-06-27

Total Pages: 347

ISBN-13: 1400826853

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Guru English is a bold reconceptualization of the scope and meaning of cosmopolitanism, examining the language of South Asian religiosity as it has flourished both inside and outside of its original context for the past two hundred years. The book surveys a specific set of religious vocabularies from South Asia that, Aravamudan argues, launches a different kind of cosmopolitanism into global use. Using "Guru English" as a tagline for the globalizing idiom that has grown up around these religions, Aravamudan traces the diffusion and transformation of South Asian religious discourses as they shuttled between East and West through English-language use. The book demonstrates that cosmopolitanism is not just a secular Western "discourse that results from a disenchantment with religion, but something that can also be refashioned from South Asian religion when these materials are put into dialogue with contemporary social move-ments and literary texts. Aravamudan looks at "religious forms of neoclassicism, nationalism, Romanticism, postmodernism, and nuclear millenarianism, bringing together figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi, and Deepak Chopra with Rudyard Kipling, James Joyce, Robert Oppenheimer, and Salman Rushdie. Guru English analyzes writers and gurus, literary texts and religious movements, and the political uses of religion alongside the literary expressions of religious teachers, showing the cosmopolitan interconnections between the Indian subcontinent, the British Empire, and the American New Age.


It Is the Same Light

It Is the Same Light

Author: Daljit Singh Jawa

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2015-03-28

Total Pages: 701

ISBN-13: 1503545903

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Sri Guru Granth Sahib is generally known as the holy scripture of Sikhism, the worlds fifth largest religion. But this holy scripture is neither a storybook nor just the philosophy of the Sikh saints or prophets. It is more like a collection of divine revelations and hymns, expressing the feelings of love and devotion of the Sikh Gurus for the Supreme Being, along with the similar yearnings and longings of the devotees and saints from all faiths prevalent in Indian subcontinent during those times. The beauty of this 1430 page hymnal written in 22 different languages lies in the fact that while it spiritually connects the human mind to the original source of eternal bliss, it provides a very practical and effective way to live in love and harmony with other fellow human beings irrespective of their faith, color, caste, creed, or race. The following are a few examples of the views of eminent writers and scholars regarding Sri Guru Granth Sahib: Mankinds religious future may be obscure, yet one thing can be foreseen. The living higher religions are going to influence each other more than ever before, in the days of increasing communications between all parts of the world and branches of the human race. In this coming religious debate, the Sikh religion and its scriptures, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib will have something of special value to say to the rest of the world. Arnold Toynbee- Historian I have studied the scripture of great religions, but I do not find elsewhere the same power of appeal to the heart and mind as I find here in these volumes [of Sri Guru Granth Sahib]. There is something strangely modern about these scriptures. They speak to the people of any religion or of none. They speak for the human heart and the searching mind. Mrs. Pearl S. Buck- Nobel Laureate In Volume five of the It Is The Same Light series (SGGS pages 801-1000), author Daljit Singh Jawa continues his humble effort to share the beauty of the SGGS with those who have limited familiarity with the language (Gurumukhi), history, or context. The following are some of the comments received on the volume 7 (pages 1201-1430 of SGGS): This translation of Guru Granth Sahib is one of the best English translations in my view, as it is in simple understandable English, each shabads summary message is given, there is connection between the shabads to reveal continuity of thought process in Guru jis message. Thanks to S Daljit Singh ji for the great work which will benefit future generations understand Guru Jis message easily. -Amarjit Singh, M.D., University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY A monumental undertaking, reflecting a lifetime of devotion to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and to the scholarly study of its voluminous texts. Both its rendition of the original Gurmukhi script, with accompanying English transliteration, and its erudite commentary on each of the Granths many hymns mark this work as a stunning achievement which will benefit all serious students of the Sikh religion and of world religions in general. -Barry Crawford, Ph.D., Washburn Univesity, Topeka, Kansas


Sri Guru Gita

Sri Guru Gita

Author: Paramahamsa Vishwananda

Publisher: Bhakti Marga Publications

Published: 2017-06-19

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 3940381802

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The Sri Guru Gita is a discussion between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, in which Parvati asks Shiva, "Who do you consider the greatest one on Earth?" While the complete Sri Guru Gita is 400 verses long, this book contains the in-depth commentary of Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda on what He considers the most important 182 verses of this scripture, which is focused entirely on praises that show us how to open up the heart to receive Divine Grace. Sanskrit verses and translations are included in this selection. Paramahamsa Vishwananda says, "The Sri Guru Gita is one of the most wonderful songs which shows us that everything happens only through the Grace of the Guru." Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda is a fully realised spiritual Master, whose international mission, known as Bhakti Marga, 'the path of devotion', is based in the heart of Europe. He travels the world to encourage all people to recognise the universal Love that lies within each human being, and to awaken their innate ability to express that Love in daily life.


The Guru Challenge

The Guru Challenge

Author: Elmar Schenkel

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2023-03-27

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 3958170625

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Indian Gurus remain an important issue in the contemporary world and affect politics, culture and commerce alike. This spiritual/economic figure has become a worldwide phenomenon, signalling that syncretism is taking place on a global scale. At the same time, the concept of the guru will remain a constant challenge to ideas of enlightenment and democracy. The present book focusses on this challenge presenting contributions from an interdisciplinary perspective. German, Indian and American scholars have explored guruism in tradition, economy and Jungian psychology as well as in contemporary literature, travel writing and film. Individual studies of gurus such as Ramana Maharshi or Osho/Bhagvan, but also Gandhi and Tolstoi furthermore illustrate the spiritual globalization that has been taking place over the last century.


The Glory of Guru

The Glory of Guru

Author: Chintamani Shriram

Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan

Published: 2010-01-01

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13: 818430093X

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Shree Akkalkot Swami Seva Mandal has been actively working in the social, religious and spiritual fields in Ambernath since last 30 years. The Mandal motivated by the inspiration from Shree Swami Samarth Maharaj and belsing of reverend late Shree Udas Maharaj, has acquired 13 acres of land at Anandwadi, near Karjat-Kashele. Going to take shape on the very land is the grand ‘Swamidham’ which will house 1) A free medical check-up/aid centre 2) Charity meals for Adivasi children 3) Home for Sr. citizens (Vriddhashram) 4) Orphanage 5) Vanvasi (Tribal) Welfare Asharam and school 6) Mobile clinic for 17 to 18 Adivasi villages around in the vicinity 7) Goshala (Cow Care centre) 8) Shree Akkalkot Swami Temple. The first two projects out of these are already operational. The doctors during the course of free medical check-up observed that many Adivasi children are malnourished. On subsequent inquiry it was revealed that they get their only meal of a day in the form of Khichadi (hotch-potch) of Upama in their schools and they have to go empty stomach for the rest of the day. They don’t get even this much food on School Holidays. Taking this into consideration our Mandal has started organising ‘Charity Meals’ daily between 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm at ‘Swamidham’. There are 17 to 18 villages around the vicinity, but for the present we are providing FREE MEAL to the children below 12 years of age of only 5 villages namely Anandwadi, Pimpalwadi, Thombrewadi, Katkarwadi & Mograj. The total number of children benefited are 192. All the generous devotees who wish to donate for this cause of ‘Charity Meal’ are requested to contact us. Donations in the form of Grains will also be accepted. Donations in the form of Money can be accepted lump sum or in the form of monthly donations. Our experience ssays that one square nutrition meal of a child costs Rs. 300/- per month. Donations can be given in cash, cheques or money transfers drawn in favour of ‘Shri Akkalkotswami Seva Mandal’ on our SB A/c No. 0201101345264, Canara Bank, Ambernath Branch. Donations made to ‘Swamidham’ are elligible for income tax exemption Under Section 80G.


A Guru’s Journey

A Guru’s Journey

Author: Sarah Morelli

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2019-12-20

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 0252051726

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An important modern exponent of Asian dance, Pandit Chitresh Das brought kathak to the United States in 1970. The North Indian classical dance has since become an important art form within the greater Indian diaspora. Yet its adoption outside of India raises questions about what happens to artistic practices when we separate them from their broader cultural contexts. A Guru's Journey provides an ethnographic study of the dance form in the San Francisco Bay Area community formed by Das. Sarah Morelli, a kathak dancer and one of Das's former students, investigates issues in teaching, learning, and performance that developed around Das during his time in the United States. In modifying kathak's form and teaching for Western students, Das negotiates questions of Indianness and non-Indianness, gender, identity, and race. Morelli lays out these issues for readers with the goal of deepening their knowledge of kathak aesthetics, technique, and theory. She also shares the intricacies of footwork, facial expression in storytelling, and other aspects of kathak while tying them to the cultural issues that inform the dance.


Guru's Wisdom

Guru's Wisdom

Author: Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami

Publisher: Himalayan Academy Publications

Published:

Total Pages: 597

ISBN-13: 1934145734

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Addressing the challenges facing modern Hindus, including raising children, finding time for spiritual practice, the various yogas, living dharmically, managing stress, treating work as worship, using the power of affirmation and more. Since 2002 when Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami assumed the role of publisher of the international magazine Hinduism Today, he has produced a treasury of editorials on all aspects of Sanatana Dharma. This anthology is the best of those works.