Open Boundaries provides a new perspective on Jainism, one of the oldest yet least-studied of the world's living religions. Ten closely-focused studies investigate the interactions between Jains and non-Jains in South Asian society, with detailed studies of yoga, tantra, aesthetic theory, erotic poetry, theories of kingship, goddess worship, temple ritual, polemical poetry, religious women, and historiography. Viewing the Jains within a South Asian context results in a strikingly different portrait from the standard models represented in both traditional Western and Indian scholarship.
Contents: Introduction, The Background of Jainism, History of Jainism, Fundamentals of Jainism, Jainism as Religious Movement, Philosophical Thought of Jainism, The Basic Doctrines of Jainism, Political Thought, Peace of Jainism in Indian Thought, Jainism as Viewed by Annie Besant.
The Indian religion of Jainism, whose central tenet involves non-violence to all creatures, is one of the world's oldest and least-understood faiths. Dundas looks at Jainism in its social and doctrinal context, explaining its history, sects, scriptures and ritual, and describing how the Jains have, over 2500 years, defined themselves as a unique religious community. This revised and expanded edition takes account of new research into Jainism.
The present book is one of the best and stimulating books ever written by scholars on Jainism. A glance at its contents will reveal the fact that Glasenapp has covered almost all the salient features of Jainism. The book is divided into
Cultural History Of India Has Been Divided Into Three Parts To Discuss Various Aspects Of Development Of Indian Culture. It Talks About How Religions Such As The Vedic Religion, Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism And Vaisnavism Aimed At Securing Social Harmony, Moral Upliftment, And Inculcated A Sense Of Duty In The Individual. The Development Of Indian Art And Architecture Was A Creative Effort To Project Symbols Of Divine Reality As Conceived And Understood By The Collective Consciousness Of The People As A Whole. The Book Also Focuses On Social Intuitions, Educational Systems And Economic Organisation In Ancient India. Finally, The Book Discusses The Dietary System Of Indians From Pre-Historic Times To C. 1200 A.D. The Basis For Inclusion Of Food And Drinks In The Book On Indian Culture Is That Ancient Indians Believed That Food Not Only Kept An Individual Healthy, But Was Also Responsible For His Mental Make Up.According To The Author, It Is Of Utmost Importance That The Present Generation Imbibe Those Elements Of Indian Culture Which Have Kept India Vital And Going Through Its Long And Continuous History .Cultural History Of India Is An Extremely Useful Journal On Indian History And Culture For All Readers, Both In India And Abroad. It Is Therefore A Must-Read For All Interested In Indias Proud Past, Which Forms The Eternal Bed-Rock Of Its Fateful Present And Glorious Future. It Is An Academic Book Very Useful For Student Of History Aspiring For I.A.S.
The Book Deals With The Beginnings Of Jainism And Its Doctrines And Beliefs, Its Spread And Preachings Of The Tirthankaras As Well As Its Contribution To India S Culture And Art Heritage. Based On Original Sources And With Numerous Illustrations, It Focuses Upon Jainism In The Specific Context Of Mathura.
This volume focuses on Buddhism and Jainism, two religions which, together with Hinduism, constitute the three pillars of Indic religious tradition in its classical formulation. It explores their history and relates how the Vedic period in the history of Hinduism drew to a close around the sixth century BCE and how its gradual etiolation gave rise to a number of religious movements. While some of these remained within the fold of the Vedic traditions, others arose in a context of a more ambiguous relationship between the two. Two of these have survived to the present day as Buddhism and Jainism. The volume describes the major role Buddhism played in the history not only of India but of Asia, and now the world as well, and the more confined role of Jainism in India until relatively recent times. It examines the followers of these religions and their influence on the Indian religious landscape. In addition, it depicts the transformative effect on existing traditions of the encounter of Hinduism with these two religions, as well as the fertile interaction between the three. The book shows how Buddhism and Jainism share the basic concepts of karma, rebirth, and liberation with Hinduism while giving them their own hue, and how they differ from the Hindu tradition in their understanding of the role of the Vedas, the “caste system,” and ritualism in religious life. The volume contributes to the debate on whether the proper way of describing the relationship between the three major components of the classical Indic tradition is to treat them as siblings (sometimes as even exhibiting sibling rivalry), or as friends (sometimes even exhibiting schadenfreude), or as radical alternatives to one another, or all of these at different points in time.
A Sourcebook of Indian Civilization aims at familiarising its readers with the various aspects that go into the making of the history of Indian civilisation. The arrangement of the material in the chapters and selections conform to a rationally conceived and planned scheme of history. The contents of the book presents an extensive view of Indian life and thought.
