Ritual and Mantras

Ritual and Mantras PDF

Author: Frits Staal

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 516

ISBN-13: 9788120814127

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Ritual and Mantras: Rules Without Meaning is and original study of ritual and mantras which shows that rites lead a life of their own, unaffected by religion or society. In its analysis of Vedic ritual, it uses methods inspired by logic, linguistics, a

Rituals, Mantras, and Science

Rituals, Mantras, and Science PDF

Author: Jayant Burde

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publishe

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 9788120820531

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In this book the author discusses the places of science in rituals and mantras. Using structural analysis he shows that rituals in general, whether religious, political, social or otherwise have common structural patterns. These patterns are shared by poetry, music,dance and gymanastics, but not by language. Consideration of animal rituals and pathological rituals leads him to propose a general theory which unifies all rituals-like activities.

Rules Without Meaning

Rules Without Meaning PDF

Author: Frits Staal

Publisher: Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13:

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Rules Without Meaning is an original study of ritual and mantras which shows that rites lead a life of their own, unaffected by religion or society. In its analysis of Vedic ritual, it uses methods inspired by logic, linguistics, anthropology and Asian studies. New insights are offered into various topics including music, bird song and the origin of language. The discussion culminates in a proposal for a new human science that challenges the current dogma of «the two cultures» of sciences and humanities.

Discovering the Vedas

Discovering the Vedas PDF

Author: Frits Staal

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2008-05-14

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 8184758839

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This Is A Remarkable Book. It Untangles The Many Complexities Of The Vedas And Combines Staal S Scholarly Respect For The Texts, With Explanations That Are Lucid And Occasionally Witty. His Insights Are Thoughtful And Perceptive. Romila Thapar In This Unprecedented Guide To The Vedas, Frits Staal, The Celebrated Author Of Agni: The Vedic Ritual Of The Fire Altar And Universals: Studies In Indian Logic And Linguistics Examines Almost Every Aspect Of These Ancient Sources Of Indic Civilisation. Staal Extracts Concrete Information From The Oral Tradition And Archaeology About Vedic People And Their Language, What They Thought And Did, And Where They Went And When. He Provides Essential Information About The Vedas And Includes Selections And Translations. Staal Sheds Light On Mantras And Rituals, That Contributed To What Came To Be Known As Hinduism. Significant Is A Modern Analysis Of What We Can Learn From The Vedas Today: The Original Forms Of The Vedic Sciences, As Well As The Perceptive Wisdom Of The Composers Of The Vedas. The Author Puts Vedic Civilisation In A Global Perspective Through A Wide-Ranging Comparison With Other Indic Philosophies And Religions, Primarily Buddhism For Staal, Originally A Logician, The Voyage Of Discovering The Vedas Is Like Unpeeling An Onion But Without The Certainty Of Reaching An End. Even So, His Book Shows That The Vedas Have A Logic All Their Own. Accessible, Finely-Argued, And With A Wealth Of Information And Insight, Discovering The Vedas Is For Both The Scholar And The Interested Lay Reader.

Ritual and Mantras

Ritual and Mantras PDF

Author: Frits Staal

Publisher:

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9788120814110

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Ritual and Mantras: Rules Without Meaning is and original study of ritual and mantras which shows that rites lead a life of their own, unaffected by religion or society. In its analysis of Vedic ritual, it uses methods inspired by logic, linguistics, a

Explaining Mantras

Explaining Mantras PDF

Author: Robert A. Yelle

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2004-03-01

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1135888175

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Explaining Mantras explores the intersection of poetry and magic in the mantras or verbal formulas of Hindu Tantra. The author reveals how mantras work in light of both the esoteric tradition of Tantra and a general semiotic theory of ritual. Mantras mimic the act of sexual reproduction and the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction. A mantra that imitates creation is believed to be more creative and effective in producing a real-world result. Drawing from linguistics, semiotics, anthropology, and philosophy, as well as the history of religions, the author argues that mantras and other ritual discourses use rhetorical devices, including imitation, to construct the persuasive illusion of a natural language, one with a direct and immediate connection to reality. This vital relation between poetry and ritual has been neglected in many current theories of religion. Explaining Mantras combines the study of ancient Tantric rituals with the latest theories in the human sciences, and will be of interest to a broad range of readers.

Bringing the Gods to Mind

Bringing the Gods to Mind PDF

Author: Laurie L. Patton

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2005-06-27

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0520930886

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This elegantly written book introduces a new perspective on Indic religious history by rethinking the role of mantra in Vedic ritual. In Bringing the Gods to Mind, Laurie Patton takes a new look at mantra as "performed poetry" and in five case studies draws a portrait of early Indian sacrifice that moves beyond the well-worn categories of "magic" and "magico-religious" thought in Vedic sacrifice. Treating Vedic mantra as a sophisticated form of artistic composition, she develops the idea of metonymy, or associational thought, as a major motivator for the use of mantra in sacrificial performance. Filling a long-standing gap in our understanding, her book provides a history of the Indian interpretive imagination and a study of the mental creativity and hermeneutic sophistication of Vedic religion.

Rules Without Meaning

Rules Without Meaning PDF

Author: Frits Staal

Publisher: Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13:

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Rules Without Meaning is an original study of ritual and mantras which shows that rites lead a life of their own, unaffected by religion or society. In its analysis of Vedic ritual, it uses methods inspired by logic, linguistics, anthropology and Asian studies. New insights are offered into various topics including music, bird song and the origin of language. The discussion culminates in a proposal for a new human science that challenges the current dogma of «the two cultures» of sciences and humanities.

Making a Mantra

Making a Mantra PDF

Author: Ellen Gough

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2021-10-11

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 022676706X

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Jainism originated in India and shares some features with Buddhism and Hinduism, but it is a distinct tradition with its own key texts, art, rituals, beliefs, and history. One important way it has often been distinguished from Buddhism and Hinduism is through the highly contested category of Tantra: Jainism, unlike the others, does not contain a tantric path to liberation. But in Making a Mantra, historian of religions Ellen Gough refines and challenges our understanding of Tantra by looking at the development over two millennia of a Jain incantation, or mantra, that evolved from an auspicious invocation in a second-century text into a key component of mendicant initiations and meditations that continue to this day. Typically, Jainism is characterized as a celibate, ascetic path to liberation in which one destroys karma through austerities, while the tantric path to liberation is characterized as embracing the pleasures of the material world, requiring the ritual use of mantras to destroy karma. Gough, however, argues that asceticism and Tantra should not be viewed in opposition to one another. She does so by showing that Jains perform “tantric” rituals of initiation and meditation on mantras and maṇḍalas. Jainism includes kinds of tantric practices, Gough provocatively argues, because tantric practices are a logical extension of the ascetic path to liberation.

Goddess Aloud!

Goddess Aloud! PDF

Author: Michelle Skye

Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide

Published: 2010-09-08

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13: 073872307X

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You are an expression of the Divine Feminine. You love like Freyja, Norse goddess of passion and sex; heal like Uzume, Shinto Goddess of Laughter and Shadow; and celebrate your power like Isis, Egyptian goddess of magic and motherhood. Goddess Aloud! offers the wisdom and insight of twenty-seven goddesses from around the world to help you find your voice, empower yourself, and manifest your dreams. Create peace, find love, bring healing to yourself and others, and live in harmony with the Earth. Embrace your own divinity and you’ll connect with the divinity of the world around you. Through mantras, magical activities, and spiritual rituals for nine fundamental spiritual principles, you’ll give voice to the unique wisdom of each goddess and discover her message for your life and for our world. Peace • Caring for the Environment • Love • Self-love Forgiveness • Healing • Growth • Hope • Spirituality Praise for Goddess Afoot! “Skye demonstrates a truly inspired talent for writing guided meditations... refreshingly original.” —Publishers Weekly