Outside the Chakra: Modernization of Tantra and Tantricization of Modernity in the “Sacredsecular” Works of Lata Mani, Madhu Khanna and William Schindler Anway Mukhopadhyay, Doctoral Candidate and JRF, Dept of English, BHU While Gavin Flood argues that the scripturally entextualized “tantric body” of medieval India was deeply embedded in tradition and that the “tantric body” celebrated and “reified” in Western modernity is different …show more content…
Only a boat remains, an eye painted on it. The novelist says that this eye can weep. Hence, even after the cathartic disaster, “maya remained”. Partha Chatterjee, referring to this novel, argues that our colonial modernity embodies this maya, this obstinate infatuation with our pre-modern pasts which embodied both the loathsome and the beautiful. Like the storm suffered by Walter Benjamin’s Angel of History, the flood faced by the chandal in Antarjali Jatra is an apocalyptic vision of the advent of modernity, a violent rupture that is necessary yet painful. On the other hand, the map of the “sacredsecular” modernity that Madhu Khanna, Brother William and Mani seek to draw begins from little things - a dewdrop or a flower - and is grounded in an ecology of love that is captured in this remark of Irigaray: “Love is not an explosion or implosion but an …show more content…
Within the body, there are the six chakras. And there are also the chakras of the secret rituals which are closed spaces of transgression – where you can defy the constrictions of orthodox Hinduism. But the tantricized modernity I am talking of takes us out of these closed chakras, and places us in an enormous lotus, a chakra that is the whole universe. In this ultimate and all-inclusive chakra, the integrative circle of cosmic existence figured as the Sri Chakra in the Samayachara tradition, we become, as Mani and Frakenberg’s Devi Amma puts it, the creaters, the symbols of the freedom the creator has gifted us
Further, prayer and medicine interplay to paint a classical image of the Native’s creed, yet, for many obsolete or preposterous existences of the shaman. To re-install beliefs present in the world for thousands of years, but have been disappearing, writers such as Neidhardt introduce the element of the
...o de-essentialize and de-Orientalize religious system of Islam, and instead locate it as part of a historical discursive tradition where practices were contested and in flux. This challenges notions of what authentic religious practices are in Theravada Buddhism, and in doing so expands an understanding of what forms can take. For this reason, the work is useful, and highly recommended for an aspiring religious or anthropological scholar.
In my Catholic high school, our theology class visited a spiritual space each semester. Synagogues, temples, centers, and mosques were included. The most memorable of these visits was a trip to the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Penn Hills. At first, I was in awe of the décor—large, intricate murals and statues filled the space, and there were flowers and incense holders in every corner. The tour guide, a Hindu doctor and author, then occupied my interest. He described his belief in pantheism, a view that the Universe is divine in all respects. It was so interesting to hear about a belief contrary to the monotheist, dualist one I was brought up in. It made just as much sense, it was simply explanation of life and its meaning.
The Cross-Cultural Articulations of War Magic and Warrior Religion by D. S. Farrer, main purpose of this article is to provide a re-evaluated perspective of religion and magic, through the perspective of the practitioners and victims. Farrer uses examples that range from the following: “Chinese exorcists, Javanese spirit siblings, Sumatran black magic, Tamil Tiger suicide bombers, Chamorro spiritual re-enchantment, tantric Buddhist war magic, and Yanomami dark shamans” (1). Throughout the article, he uses these examples to address a few central themes. The central themes for war magic, range from “violence and healing, accomplished through ritual and performance, to unleash and/or control the power of gods, demons, ghosts and the dead” (Farrer 1).
Searing the mind with stunning images while seducing with radiant prose, this brilliant first novel is a story of damaged lives and the indestructibility of the human spirit. It speaks about loss, about the urgency, pain and ultimate healing power of memory, andabout the redemptive power of love. Its characters come to understand the
Kothari employs a mixture of narrative and description in her work to garner the reader’s emotional investment. The essay is presented in seventeen vignettes of differing lengths, a unique presentation that makes the reader feel like they are reading directly from Kothari’s journal. The writer places emphasis on both her description of food and resulting reaction as she describes her experiences visiting India with her parents: “Someone hands me a plate of aloo tikki, fried potato patties filled with mashed channa dal and served with a sweet and a sour chutney. The channa, mixed with hot chilies and spices, burns my tongue and throat” (Kothari). She also uses precise descriptions of herself: “I have inherited brown eyes, black hair, a long nose with a crooked bridge, and soft teeth
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
ABSTRACT: In this essay I examine the relationship between Sartre's phenomenological description of the "self" as expressed in his early work (especially Being and Nothingness) and elements to be found in some approaches to Buddhism. The vast enormity of this task will be obvious to anyone who is aware of the numerous schools and traditions through which the religion of Buddhism has manifested itself. In order to be brief, I have decided to select specific aspects of what is commonly called the Theravadin tradition as being representative of Buddhist philosophy. By choosing to look primarily at the Theravadin tradition, I am by necessity ignoring a vast number of other Buddhist approaches. However, in my view, the Theravadin sect presents a consistent Buddhist philosophy which is representative of many of the major trends within Buddhism.
Each month our educational center section provides the Hinduism Today staff with a 'kind of group meditation. Individually we ponder our subject, and together we discuss it in detail. These past 30 days our meditation was on death. You might think we had a morbid March. Not so, since, as U.S. General George Patton rightly noted, "For Hindus death is the most exalted experience of life."
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s This Earth of Mankind is an allegorical novel describing the growth of protagonist Minke during the pre-awakening of colonized Java. Set in 1898 during the period of imperial Dutch domination over all aspects of Javan life, the novel provides a clear image of the political and social struggles of a subjugated people through the point of view of a maturing youth. Using several of his novel’s major characters as allegorical symbols for the various stages of awareness the citizens of Java have of Indonesia’s awakening as a modern nation, Toer weaves together an image of the rise of an idyllic post-colonial Indonesia with modern views of Enlightenment ideals.
Lewis, Todd, and Ted Bicknell. "The Asian Soul of Transcendentalism." Education About Asia Oct. 2011: 12-17. Association for Asian Studies. Association for Asian Studies, Inc., Oct. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .
Starting with yoga, Yoga is the physical, mental, and spiritual practices, which originatead in ancient India with a view to attain a state of permanent peace of mind in order to experience one's true self (Bryant 2009, p. 10, p.457). The word “yoga” means "union.” Many people think of yoga only as physical exercises — the asanas or postures that have gained widespread popularity in recent decades — these are actually only the most superficial aspect of this profound science of unfolding the infinite potentials of the human mind and soul (What Is Yoga, Really, Self-Realization Fellowship).
Nesbitt, E. (2002). The body in Sikh religion. In S. Coakley (Eds.), Religion and the Body (pp. 289-305). UK: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
This essay focuses on the theme of forbidden love, The God of Small Things written by Arundhati Roy. This novel explores love and how love can’t be ignored when confronted with social boundaries. The novel examines how conventional society seeks to destroy true love as this novel is constantly connected to loss, death and sadness. This essay will explore the theme of forbidden love, by discussing and analysing Ammu and Velutha's love that is forbidden because of the ‘Love Laws’ in relation to the caste system which results in Velutha’s death. It is evident that forbidden love negatively impacts and influences other characters, such as Estha and Rahel, which results in Estha and Rahel’s incestuous encounter.