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Based on extensive cultural studies and long years of practice, this book explores meditation from the perspective of access to the subconscious and, in a distinct chapter on each form, outlines its physiology, world view, and traditional practice, then describes its medical adaptations and modern settings. In each case, it presents examples from the Buddhist, Daoist, and Hindu traditions, providing a comprehensive and analytical overview of the different modes and their concrete actualizations.

In The Cow in the Elevator Tulasi Srinivas explores a wonderful world where deities jump fences and priests ride in helicopters to present a joyful, imaginative, yet critical reading of modern religious life. Drawing on nearly two decades of fieldwork with priests, residents, and devotees, and her own experience of living in the high-tech city of Bangalore, Srinivas finds moments where ritual enmeshes with global modernity to create wonder-a feeling of amazement at being overcome by the unexpect...

In this volume, the author challenges a number of widely held cultural stereotypes about India. Caste is not as old as Indian civilization itself, and current changes are no more radical than in the past, for caste has evolved throughout its history. It is not a colonial invention, nor does it result from weak state control. There is no single form of Indian kingship, and power relations, fundamental as they are for understanding Indian society. Nor do Indian villages conform to a single type, a...

The historical shift from Vedic traditions to post-Vedic bhakti (devotional) traditions is accompanied by a shift from abstract, translocal notions of divinity to particularized, localized notions of divinity and a corresponding shift from aniconic to iconic traditions and from temporary sacrificial arenas to established temple sites. In Bhakti and Embodiment Barbara Holdrege argues that the various transformations that characterize this historical shift are a direct consequence of newly emergin...

The beneficial effect of practising yoga is well-cited and further evident in its phenomenal growth in recent years. The ancient philosophy behind yoga practice, however, is less well known in the west. In this spiritual book, the authors introduce the wisdom of yoga that leads to a way of life that is at least 5,000 years old in India. The word 'yoga' means union, and the teachings of yoga convey a union on all levels of being as the person is at one with itself, with the divine, and with natur...

This brief introduction to Hinduism is designed to help readers understand this important religious tradition. With both nuance and balance, this text provides broad coverage of various forms of Hinduism with an arresting layout with rich colors. It offers both historical overviews and modern perspectives on Hindu beliefs and practices. The user-friendly content is enhanced by charts of religious festivals, historic timelines, updated maps, and a useful glossary.It is ideal for courses on Hindui...

Devotion is a category of expression in many of the world's religious traditions. This book looks at issues involved in academically interpreting religious devotion, as well as exploring the interpretations of religious devotion made by a sixth century poet, a twelfth century biographer, and present-day festival publics. The book focuses on the female poet-saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar, whose poetry is devotional in nature. It discusses the biography written on the poet six centuries after her life...