Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief

Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief
Author: Daniel Anderson Arnold
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2005
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780231132817

In Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief, Dan Arnold examines how the Brahmanical tradition of Purva Mimamsa and the writings of the seventh-century Buddhist Madhyamika philosopher Candrakirti challenged dominant Indian Buddhist views of epistemology. Arnold retrieves these two very different but equally important voices of philosophical dissent, showing them to have developed highly sophisticated and cogent critiques of influential Buddhist epistemologists such as Dignaga and Dharmakirti. His analysis--developed in conversation with modern Western philosophers like William Alston and J. L. Austin--offers an innovative reinterpretation of the Indian philosophical tradition, while suggesting that pre-modern Indian thinkers have much to contribute to contemporary philosophical debates. In logically distinct ways, Purva Mimamsa and Candrakirti's Madhyamaka opposed the influential Buddhist school of thought that emphasized the foundational character of perception. Arnold argues that Mimamsaka arguments concerning the "intrinsic validity" of the earliest Vedic scriptures are best understood as a critique of the tradition of Buddhist philosophy stemming from Dignaga. Though often dismissed as antithetical to "real philosophy," Mimamsaka thought has affinities with the reformed epistemology that has recently influenced contemporary philosophy of religion. Candrakirti's arguments, in contrast, amount to a principled refusal of epistemology. Arnold contends that Candrakirti marshals against Buddhist foundationalism an approach that resembles twentieth-century ordinary language philosophy--and does so by employing what are finally best understood as transcendental arguments. The conclusion that Candrakirti's arguments thus support a metaphysical claim represents a bold new understanding of Madhyamaka.

Ásura- in Early Vedic Religion

Ásura- in Early Vedic Religion
Author: Wash Edward Hale
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publishe
Total Pages: 244
Release: 1986
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9788120800618

The present Dictionary is a practical exercise in word-compilation to facilitate the study of Sanskrit language. Based on Webster`s complete English dictionary it includes general terms of all sciences and such technical terms as could be duly represented by Sanskrit equivalents actually existing in that language. Besides the general vocabulary quotations from the works of famous authors have been inserted to render the connotation of a word easily intelligible. It is also designed to help scholars translate any passage from English into Sanskrit.

History of Hinduism

History of Hinduism
Author: Domenic Marbaniang
Publisher: Independent Imprint
Total Pages: 61
Release: 2015-06-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 1329138961

This book surveys the Pre-vedic religion of ancient India. It reflects upon controversies surrounding discoveries at the Indus sites and then takes a dip into the world of Vedas to discover the religion of that age. The book uncovers interesting facts about ancient Hinduism reviewing controversies surrounding the Aryan Invasion (now migrations) theory, the Asuran Indus theory, and the Indigenous theories.

The Artful Universe

The Artful Universe
Author: William K. Mahony
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 346
Release: 1998-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780791435793

Provides an accessible introduction to the Vedic religious world by focusing on the role of divine and human imagination in sacred texts.

The Indian Way

The Indian Way
Author: John M Koller
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2016-05-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1315507404

There is no other book that explains both the philosophies and religions of India in their full historical development. The Indian Way is accessible to beginning students, and does justice to the Indian tradition’s richness of religious and philosophical thought. Clear and powerful explanations of yajna and dharma, and appealing, intimate descriptions of Krishna, Kali, and Shiva allow students to read some of the great Indian texts for themselves.