Sacred texts, scriptures and revered writings Books

Book SynopsisYou may know the Bible as a testament of faith. But within this sacred book are also the world's first horror stories.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisImages of books appear in art, advertising and commercial logos to symbolize learning, knowledge and wisdom. In religious and secular rituals around the globe, people carry, show, wave, touch and kiss books and other texts, as well as read them. Such images and rituals utilize the iconic dimension of texts. This volume is the first comprehensive survey of iconic books and texts. It traces their development and influence from ancient to modern times and compares their roles in multiple cultures and religious traditions. The twenty-two essays presented here are original, cutting-edge contributions to this new academic field, and will appeal to students and scholars across the study of religions, literature, book history, archives and libraries.Trade ReviewTogether the 22 essays in this volume creatively and effectively draw together different historical epochs, varied religious and cultural traditions and ritual practices, and diverse scholarly methodologies to create a finely woven tapestry depicting the enduring, transcultural, and mutually supportive significances of iconic books and texts. In addition to giving these previously published essays a wider audience, this collection will help foster meaningful cross-disciplinary conversation between readers interested in al aspects of the history of the book.Table of ContentsIntroduction James W. Watts I. Categorizing Iconic Books1. The Three Dimensions of Scriptures James W. Watts 2. "Winged Words": Scriptures and Classics as Iconic Texts William A. Graham, Harvard University 3. Talking about "Iconic Books" in the Terminology of Book History Deirdre C. Stam, Long Island University II. Images and Texts4. The Iconic Book: The Image of the Bible in Early Christian Rituals Dorina Miller Parmenter, Spalding University, Louisville, KY 5. Images to be Read and Words to be Seen: The Iconic Role of the Early Medieval Book Michelle P. Brown, School of Advanced Study, University of London 6. Looking at Words: The Iconicity of the Page S. Brent Plate, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 7. Between the Textual and the Visual: Borderlines of Late Antique Book Iconicity Zeev Elitzur, Israel Center for Excellence through Education, Jerusalem 8. It Is What It Is (Or Is It?): Further Reflections on the Buddhist Representation of Manuscripts Jacob Kinnard, Iliff School of Theology, Denver 9. The Tell-Tale Iconic Book M. Patrick Graham, Emory University III. Materials and Markets10. Mus h af and the Material Boundaries of the Qur'an Natalia K. Suit, University of North Carolina (PhD candidate) 11. The End of the Word as We Know It: The Cultural Iconicity of the Bible in the Twilight of Print Culture Timothy Beal, Case Western Reserve University 12. Iconic Books from Below: The Christian Bible and the Discourse of Duct Tape Dorina Miller Parmenter 13. Be-Witching Scripture: The Book of Shadows as Scripture within Wicca/Neopagan Witchcraft Shawn Loner, Syracuse University (PhD candidate) IV. Book Rituals14. Engaging with the Guru: Sikh Beliefs and Practices of Guru Granth Sahib Kristina Myrvold, Linnaeus University, Sweden 15. A Birthday Party for a Sacred Text: The Gita Jayanti and the Embodiment of God as the Book and the Book as God Joanne Punzo Waghorne, Syracuse University 16. Possession and Repetition: Ways in which Korean Lay Buddhists Appropriate Scriptures Yohan Yoo, Seoul National University 17. The Bible in British Folklore Brian Malley, University of Michigan V. Power and Scholarship18. The Pride and Prejudice of the Western World: Canonic Memory, Great Books and Archive Fever Karl Ivan Solibakke, Syracuse University 19. Indigenous "Texts" of Inhabiting the Land: George Washington's Wampum Belt and the Canandaigua Treaty Philip P. Arnold, Syracuse University 20. The Gospels as Imperialized Sites of Memory in Late Ancient Christianity Jason T. Larson, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT 21. Possessing the Iconic Book: Ben Sira as Case Study Claudia V. Camp, Texas Christian University 22. Ancient Iconic Texts and Scholarly Expertise James W. Watts

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Book SynopsisReligious and secular communities ritualize some books in one, two, or three dimensions. They ritualize the dimension of semantic interpretation through teaching, preaching, and scholarly commentary. This dimension receives almost all the attention of academic scholars. Communities also ritualize a text’s expressive dimension through public reading, recitation, and song, and also by reproducing its contents in art, theatre and film. This dimension is receiving increasing scholarly attention, especially in religious studies and anthropology. A third textual dimension, the iconic dimension, gets ritualized by manipulating the physical text, decorating it, and displaying it. This dimension has received almost no academic attention, yet features prominently in the most common news stories about books, whether about e-books, academic libraries, rare manuscript discoveries, or scripture desecrations. By calling attention to the iconic dimension of books, James Watts argues that we can better understand how physical books mediate social value and power within and between religious communities, nations, academic disciplines, and societies both ancient and modern. How and Why Books Matter will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in books, reading, literacy, scriptures, e-books, publishing, and the future of the book. It also addresses scholarship in religion, cultural studies, literacy studies, biblical studies, book history, anthropology, literary studies, and intellectual history.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Iconic Books Project 1. How Books Matter: Three Dimensions of Scriptures 2. Iconic Books and Texts 3. Relic Texts 4. Iconic Digital Texts: How Ritual Makes `Virtual' Texts Material 5. Desecrated Scriptures and the News Media 6. Ancient Iconic Texts 7. Rival Iconic Texts: Ten Commandments Monuments and the U.S. Constitution 8. Book Aniconism: The Codex, Translation and Beliefs about Immaterial Texts 9. Mass Literacy and Scholarly Expertise 10. Why Books Matter: Preservation and Disposal

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Book SynopsisMiniature books, handwritten or printed books in the smallest format, have fascinated religious people, printers, publishers, collectors, and others through the centuries because of their unique physical features, and continue to captivate people today. The small lettering and the delicate pages, binding, and covers highlight the material form of texts and invite sensory engagement and appreciation. This volume addresses miniature books with a special focus on religious books in Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The book presents various empirical contexts for how the smallest books have been produced, distributed, and used in different times and cultures and also provides theoretical reflections and comments that discuss the divergent formats and functions of books.Table of ContentsReligious Miniature Books: Introduction and Overview Kristina Myrvold and Dorina Miller Parmenter Chapter 1: Ritualizing the Size of Books James W. Watts, Syracuse University Chapter 2: On the Functions of Miniaturizing Books in Jewish Religion Marianne Schleicher, Aarhus University Chapter 3: Words in a Nutshell: Miniaturizing Texts in Early Modern England Lucy Razzall, University College London Chapter 4: Small Things of Greatest Consequence: Miniature Bibles in America Dorina Miller Parmenter Chapter 5: Diminutive Divination and the Implications of Scale: A Miniature Quranic Falnama of the Safavid Period Heather Coffey, OCAD University, Canada Chapter 6: Mite Qurans for Indian Markets: David Bryce in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Kristina Myrvold Chapter 7: Miniature Qurans in the First World War: Religious Comforts for Indian Muslim Soldiers Kristina Myrvold and Andreas Johansson, Lund University Chapter 8: Size Matters! Miniature Mushafs and the Landscape of Affordances Jonas Svensson, Linnaeus University Chapter 9: Gitamahatmya! Paratexts in Miniature Bhagavad Gitas with Special Reference to Pictures and Gender Jon Skarpeid, University of Stavanger, Norway Chapter 10: Sutras Working in Buddha’s Belly and Buddhists’ Pockets: Miniature Sutras in Korean Buddhism Yohan Yoo and Woncheol Yun, both at Seoul National University

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Book SynopsisHuman cultures, especially religious groups but also secular artists and performers, often ritualize bodies as sacred books and books as divine beings. An international team of scholars addresses this theme of books as sacred beings in this volume through an impressively diverse range of primary material and perspectives. These studies show the wide variety of ways in which books, bodies, and beings intermingle in material sacred texts manipulated by human bodies, and also in literary and artistic depictions of transcendent textual bodies. The boundary between material immanence and spiritual transcendence turns out to be very thin indeed when people use books. The chapters on specific book practices in different cultures are bracketed by an introduction to the collection and by a concluding essay that extrapolates on the widespread theme of books as sacred beings.Table of Contents1. Introduction James W. Watts 2. Performing Scriptures: Ritualizing Written Texts in Seolwi-seolgyeong, the Korean Shamanistic Recitation of Scriptures Yohan Yoo 3. Embodying the Qu’ran Katharina Wilkens, LMU Munich 4. Sacred Texts and the Digital Turn: Reflections on Scriptures as Material Objects in a Liminal Age Brad Anderson, Dublin City University 5. Being the Bible: Sacred Bodies and Iconic Books in Bring Your Bible to School Day Dorina Miller Parmenter, Spalding University 6. Body Building in the Hindu Tantric Tradition: The Advantages and Confusions of Scriptural Entextualization in the Worship of the Goddess Kali Rachel McDermott, Barnard College and Columbia University 7. Saints’ Lives as Performance Art Virginia Burrus, Syracuse University 8. Aspiring Narratives of Previous Births: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Written and Visual Media in Ancient Gandhara Jason Neelis, Wilfrid Laurier University 9. Daoist Writs and Scriptures as Sacred Beings: With a Focus on Cosmological Meaning Jihyun Kim, Seoul National University 10. Books as Sacred Beings James W. Watts

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Book SynopsisHuman cultures, especially religious groups but also secular artists and performers, often ritualize bodies as sacred books and books as divine beings. An international team of scholars addresses this theme of books as sacred beings in this volume through an impressively diverse range of primary material and perspectives. These studies show the wide variety of ways in which books, bodies, and beings intermingle in material sacred texts manipulated by human bodies, and also in literary and artistic depictions of transcendent textual bodies. The boundary between material immanence and spiritual transcendence turns out to be very thin indeed when people use books. The chapters on specific book practices in different cultures are bracketed by an introduction to the collection and by a concluding essay that extrapolates on the widespread theme of books as sacred beings.Table of Contents1. Introduction James W. Watts 2. Performing Scriptures: Ritualizing Written Texts in Seolwi-seolgyeong, the Korean Shamanistic Recitation of Scriptures Yohan Yoo 3. Embodying the Qu’ran Katharina Wilkens, LMU Munich 4. Sacred Texts and the Digital Turn: Reflections on Scriptures as Material Objects in a Liminal Age Brad Anderson, Dublin City University 5. Being the Bible: Sacred Bodies and Iconic Books in Bring Your Bible to School Day Dorina Miller Parmenter, Spalding University 6. Body Building in the Hindu Tantric Tradition: The Advantages and Confusions of Scriptural Entextualization in the Worship of the Goddess Kali Rachel McDermott, Barnard College and Columbia University 7. Saints’ Lives as Performance Art Virginia Burrus, Syracuse University 8. Aspiring Narratives of Previous Births: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Written and Visual Media in Ancient Gandhara Jason Neelis, Wilfrid Laurier University 9. Daoist Writs and Scriptures as Sacred Beings: With a Focus on Cosmological Meaning Jihyun Kim, Seoul National University 10. Books as Sacred Beings James W. Watts

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Book Synopsis'An amazingly wide-ranging book, showing that the world's religious texts can be a force for good today' John Barton, author of A History of the BibleIn our increasingly secular world, holy texts are at best seen as irrelevant, and at worst as an excuse to incite violence, hatred and division. The Quran, the Torah and the Bible are often employed selectively to underwrite arbitrary and subjective views. They are believed to be divinely ordained; they are claimed to contain eternal truths. But as Karen Armstrong, a world authority on religious affairs, shows in this fascinating journey through millennia of history, this narrow reading of scripture is a relatively recent phenomenon. Armstrong argues that only by rediscovering an open engagement with their holy texts will the world’s religions be able to curtail arrogance and intolerance. And if scripture is used to engage with the world in more meaningful and compassionate ways, we will find that it still has a great deal to teach us.‘Magisterial… A dazzling accomplishment’ New York Times‘Glorious… Armstrong is the most articulate and generous-hearted exegete of religion writing in English at the present time’ A.N. Wilson, New StatesmanTrade Review'Karen Armstrong has written an amazingly wide-ranging book, showing that the world's religious texts can be a force for good today, rather than a cause of conflict. The scale of her knowledge never ceases to astonish' -- John Barton, author of A History of the BibleA triumph... Karen Armstrong is one of our great commentators on the sacred. In this book she explores the sacred texts with a scholar’s eye and an illuminating clarity suggesting how much their wisdom and lasting power are still needed today -- Salley Vickers[The Lost Art of Scripture] takes us on a glorious journey… Armstrong is the most articulate and generous-hearted exegete of religion writing in English at the present time -- AN Wilson * New Statesman *Rich and wide-ranging… [The Lost Art of Scripture] makes a fascinating read… a treasure chest of social and religious history. Armstrong’s lucid prose makes her many-stranded story remarkably straightforward to follow… a learned and stimulating book -- Teresa Morgan * Tablet *A remarkable book by a remarkable writer… the author’s mission is urgent in the light of the uses to which the world’s scriptures are sometimes put -- Rev Dr Neil Richardson * Methodist Recorder *The Lost Art of Scripture… exhibits [Armstrong’s] well-known and admired characteristics as a writer: an ability to be both authoritative on all the major faiths…a reasoned insistence that religion today is misunderstood, as much by the religious as by their critics; and a passionate appeal to our fractious and fractured world to embrace religion’s core message…compassion and respect for others -- Peter Stanford * Sunday Times *Magisterial ... a dazzling accomplishment, a reflection of an encyclopaedic knowledge of comparative religion and of a wisdom about spirituality in the human species * New York Times Book Review *Exhilarating, challenging and curiously comforting… [The Lost Art of Scripture has] been written not only with intellectual rigour and an accessible turn of phrase, but also with love -- Lucy Winkett * Prospect *One of our best living writers on religion * Financial Times *Karen Armstrong is a genius -- A.N. WilsonKaren Armstrong is one of the handful of wise and supremely intelligent commentators on religion -- Alain De BottonA fascinating excursion into neo-Gnosticism… Armstrong…has clearly done an enormous amount of reading and research to handle so skilfully the mass of material she surveys -- Jack Carrigan * Catholic Herald *[Armstrong] weaves…[a] truly vast history into a coherent and fascinating narrative… an interesting and very well-written book -- Gavin Flood * Church Times *An epic story with a polemical edge… [a] lucid account of the evolution of sacred text… The Lost Art of Scripture is an impressive achievement, presenting a wide sweep of global religious history in little more than five hundred pages… Armstrong is…an accomplished and fluent writer * Literary Review *

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Although there are major differences in the lifestyles of the numerous Native American nations, they share fundamental beliefs. The spiritual wisdom of these people is based on a love and reverence for Nature, a belief in a Supreme Being and a spirit world that interacts with human activity. Organized in alphabetical order and grouped around the main Native American Nations from Apache to Zuni, including the Sioux, Eskimo, Cherokee and many more, the evocative words that Alan Jacobs has selected from all the major tribes express the love and respect they feel for their environment and our place within it.

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Book SynopsisCan there be genuine sympathy' between the Bible and the Qur'an? Their peoples' have been at odds so long, disputing their texts and discounting their credentials. Scholars from both faiths have contrived intriguing comparison of narratives about Abraham, Joseph or Moses but with little relevance to the contemporary scene and its demand for religious converse and sanity. "A Certain Sympathy of Scriptures" attempts something more central to the essential interest' of both Scriptures, more cogent in this 21st century (the 15th Islam). It is a concern with three shared dimension: The divine will for this cosmos of created order; its entrustment into human hands as creaturely heirs to its order and responsive sciences'; and the discipline of their tenancy and privilege by messengers' and prophethoods disclosing the intention of divine Lordship in the fact of human vocation. These three dimensions are the supreme theme of both Scriptures. This caliphate' of humankind belongs in a now global situation as the abiding reality of Semitic humanism. We are not on our own', but trustees in a sacramental order, neither playthings nor puppets of a bland omnipotence but associates' of the God who willed to create and cared to inform, inspire and invite as such to be. Deep disparities remain between our Scriptures. They have to do with what goes beyond our education', as more than prophethood. They enlarge into all that Jesus fulfilled in Christhood. They involve a truer measure of human perversity and, in turn, a larger expectation concerning the greatness' of God. Yet what divides need not alienate. The mutual ground -- this certain sympathy -- gives hope of wiser recognition of the divine stake in our humanity.Trade Review"By endeavouring to trace some form of sympathy - rather than pursue an analytical comparison as such - between the Bible and the Quran, Cragg offers both a model as well as a resource for the further pursuit of a Christian - Muslim theological dialogue that centres on that point of contact with the divine which both unites and divides Christians and Muslims: revelation, mediated through scriptural text. Such engagement is of vital importance today, and not just in terms of academic interaction." -- Reviews in Religion and Theology.

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Book SynopsisThis volume is the first comprehensive survey of iconic books and texts tracing their development and influence from ancient to modern times and comparing their roles in multiple cultures and religious traditions. All twenty-two essays are original, cutting-edge contributions to this new academic field with wide appeal to students and scholars across the study of religions, literature, book history, archives and libraries.Table of ContentsJames W. Watts, Introduction Part 1: Categorizing Iconic Books JAMES W. WATTS (Syracuse) The Three Dimensions of Scriptures WILLIAM A. GRAHAM (Harvard) 'Winged Words': Scriptures and Classics as Iconic Texts DEIRDRE C. STAM (Long Island) Talking about 'Iconic Books' in the Terminology of Book History Part 2: Images and Texts DORINA MILLER PARMENTER (Spalding) The Iconic Book; The Image of the Bible in Early Christian Rituals MICHELLE BROWN (London) Images to be Read and Words to be Seen: the Iconic Role of the Early Medieval Book S. BRENT PLATE (Hamilton) Looking at Words: The iconicity of the Page ZE'EV ELITZUR (Ben-Gurion) Between the Textual and the Visual: Borderlines of Late Antique Book Iconicity JACOB KINNARD (Iliff) It is what it is (or is it?): Further Reflections on the Buddhist Representation of Manuscripts M. PATRICK GRAHAM (Emory) The Tell-Tale Iconic Book: The Hermeneutics of 16th Century Biblical Illustrations Part 3: Materials & Markets NATALIA SUIT (UNC Chapel Hill) Mushaf and the Material Boundaries of the Qur'an TIMOTHY BEAL (Case Western) The End of the Word as We Know It: The Cultural Iconicity of the Bible in the Twilight of Print Culture DORINA MILLER PARMENTER (Spalding) Iconic Books From Below: The Christian Bible and the Discourse of Duct Tape SHAWN LONER (Syracuse) Be-Witching Scripture: The Book of Shadows as Scripture within Wicca/Neopagan Witchcraft Part 4: Book Rituals KRISTINA MYRVOLD (Lund) Engaging with the Guru: Sikh Beliefs and Practices of Guru Granth Sahib JOANNE PUNZO WAGHORNE (Syracuse) A Birthday Party for a Sacred Scripture: The Gita Jayanti and the Embodiment of God as the Book YOHAN YOO (Seoul) Possession and Repetition: Ways in which Korean Lay Buddhists Appropriate Scriptures BRIAN MALLEY (Michigan) The Bible in British Folklore Part 5: Power & Scholarship KARL IVAN SOLIBAKKE (Syracuse) The Pride and Prejudice of the Western World: Canonic Memory, Great Books and Archive Fever PHILIP P. ARNOLD (Syracuse) Indigenous 'Texts'of Inhabiting the Land: George Washington's Wampum Belt and the Canadaigua Treaty JASON LARSON (Bates) The Gospels as Imperialized Sites of Memory in Late Ancient Christianity CLAUDIA CAMP (TCU) Possessing the Iconic Book: Ben Sira as Case Study JAMES W. WATTS (Syracuse) Ancient Iconic Texts and Scholarly Expertise

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive study draws exhaustively on a wide range of sources both primary and secondary, and in particular the Pali texts, to offer an authoritative study of the "thirty-seven conditions that contribute to awakening". This classic set of Buddhist teachings is examined both collectively and individually, thus revealing how early Buddhist thinkers understood the process of spiritual practice by which ordinary consciousness is transformed in the mystic mind. Sensitive, conscientious, and featuring full notes and extensive bibliography, this text will be appreciated by scholars and students alike.Trade Review"It should be read by everyone concerned with Buddhist thought, in whatever school or period." * Journal of the American Oriental Society *"Certain to become the definitive work on the subject." * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society *"A very thorough study of the Abhidhamma texts, the complicated knots of which he unravels with great skill… An important contribution to the study of the Buddhist path to awakening." J. W. de Jong * Indo-Iranian Journal *Table of ContentsList of Tables Preface Preface to the Second Edition Introduction PART ONE - THE SEVEN SETS INDIVIDUALLY I. The Establishing of Mindfulness 2. The Right Endeavours 3. The Bases of Success 4. The Faculties and Powers 5. Factors of Awakening 6. The Noble Eightfold Path PART TWO - THE SEVEN SETS COLLECTIVELY 7. The Seven Sets in the Nikayas 8. The Seven Sets Expanded 9. Dhammas that Contribute to Awakening 10. The Seven Sets in the Abhidhamma Conclusion Appendix Glossary Abbreviations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis study of the Jewish legal system (the Halakhah) demonstrates that the law embraces every corner of life.Trade Review'Rabbi Louis Jacobs is well known as a highly distinguished liberal interpreter of Judaism. Many of his works ... are immediately accessible to the general reader, but his interpretation is deeply rooted in scholarly study of the rabbinic writings, sources which also inspire "conservative" expressions of a Judaism markedly different from his own ... The author makes his point in a fascinating way ... Vivid light is cast on Jewish-Christian relations among other issues ... Jacobs's book is a fund of valuable information, but its argument is also a signal instance of the attachment to tradition embraced with a rational integrity.' William Horbury, Expository Times REVIEWS OF THE SECOND EDITION 'It raises questions that still await an adequate response for resolution from the Orthodox authorities.' Miri Freud-Kandel, Jerusalem Post 'Louis Jacobs demonstrates a profound scholarship in the second edition of this important work. The breadth of source and the volume of analysis are truly extraordinary.' Reuven Livingstone, Jewish Chronicle 'One of the few works on the nature and development of Jewish law written from a Conservative point of view, and it can be seen as a classic" ... Jacobs succeeds in an admirable way in his self-imposed task of developing a theory of halakhic change for those who are loyal to the halakhic traditions and yet accept modern values", a task which will probably continue to occupy Conservative and Orthodox thinkers for generations to come.' Catherine Hezser, Journal of Law and ReligionTable of ContentsIntroduction to the Second Edition Introduction: Halakhah and Aggadah The Talmud, Source of the Halakhah The Spirit of the Halakhah Exemptions and Extensions The Influence of Philosophy The Influence of Mysticism and Kabbalah Hasidism and Halakhah Responses to the Gentile World Halakhah and Sectarianism Halakhic Responses to Social Changes: General Principles Halakhic Responses to Social Changes: Further Examples New Inventions and Discoveries and the Halakhah Halakhah and Ethics Halakhah and Social Conduct (Derekh Erets) Halakhah and Psychology Halakhah and Minhag: The Customs of the People as Law Towards a Non-Fundamentalist Halakhah Appendix A: The Literary Form of the Halakhah Appendix B: The Problem of the Mamzer Note on Proper Names and Transliteration Note on Talmudic and Halakhic Sources Bibliography Index of Biblical, Mishnaic, and Talmudic References General Index

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Book SynopsisCollection of Passages on the Nembutsu is the principle work by Honen.

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Book SynopsisRecords the life and teachings of Hui-neng, the Sixth Chan (Zen) Patriarch. This work is an eleventh-century compilation with ancillary materials.

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Book SynopsisThis is a massive anthology of sections from the Buddhist sutras and commentaries. The text follows the life of the Shakyamuni Buddha and records some of the teachings and discourses that he delivered throughout his nearly forty-five years of enlightening the world.

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Book SynopsisThe DHAMMAPADA is a daily inspiration for millions of Buddhists all over the world and for non-Buddhists who have been impressed by its beauty and power. These words spoken by Buddha himself over 2500 years ago contain all of Buddhism's key teachings. However the DHAMMAPADA is notoriously difficult to understand for the novice and is full of references and allusions that the uninformed reader is sure to miss. Now you can understand the DHAMMAPADA with understanding even if you have no previous knowledge of Buddhism. This accessible edition offer the complete text plus enlightening facing-page commentary that explains all the names terms and references giving you the kind of insight into the text not usually available for first time readers and at the same time providing an excellent first introduction to Buddhist life and practice.Trade Review"The pith of Buddha's teachings are herein wondrously and excellently presented." —Joan Halifax Roshi, Head Teacher, Upaya Zen Center "Provides access to the wisdom of the text in a way that invites further exploration of one's own transformation." —Kay Lindahl, founder, The Listening Center; author, The Sacred Art of Listening: Forty Reflections for Cultivating a Spiritual Practice “The words of the Buddha become fresh and alive in this wonderful edition. Wisdom shines through, ready for application in daily life.” —Ani Konchog Drolma, head of monastic training at Gampo Abbey “A friendly introduction to a sacred text at the heart of Buddhist teaching.” —Marcia Z. Nelson, author, Come and Sit: A Week Inside Meditation Centers “These verses can be read and appreciated simply as wise philosophy; as such, they are part of the great literature of the world. But for those who would follow it to the end, the Dhammapada is a sure guide to nothing less than the highest goal life can offer: self-realization.” —Eknath Easwaran “The verses, along with well-placed guiding annotations, will be inspiring to young people exploring the Buddhist path.” —Sumi Loundon, editor, Blue Jean Buddha: Voices of Young BuddhistsTable of ContentsForeword by Andrew Harvey ix Acknowledgments and Dedication xvii About the Dhammapada xix 1. The Twin Verses 3 2. Vigilance 9 3. The Mind 13 4. Flowers 17 5. The Fool 21 6. The Wise One 27 7. The Enlightened One 31 8. Better than a Thousand 35 9. Evil 39 10. Punishment 43 11. Old Age 47 12. Self 51 13. The World 55 14. The Buddha 59 15. Happiness 63 16. Pleasure 67 17. Anger 71 18. Impurity 75 19. The Just 81 20. The Way 85 21. Miscellany 91 22. The Downward Course 95 23. The Elephant 99 24. Thirst 103 25. The Monk 111 26. The Brahman 117 Sources and Suggested Readings 126 List of Special Terms 128

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Book SynopsisThe "Upanishads" are the sacred writings of Hinduism. They are perhaps the greatest of all the books in the history of world religions. Their origins predate recorded history, being revealed to the Rishis of the Vedic civilization some 5000 to 10,000 years ago. Many see them as the kernel of the mystical, philosophical truths that are the basis of the Higher World religion of Hinduism, their cradle, of which Buddhism is a successor and Judaism is an offshoot. With Islam and Christianity being offshoots of Judaism, this makes them the foundational documents for understanding and practising religion today. Much of the original text of the "Upanishads" is archaic and occasionally corrupted, but it does convey a moral and ethical thrust that is abundantly clear. Alan Jacobs uses modern free verse to convey the essential meaning and part of the original text. He omits Sanskrit words as far as possible and the commentary provided is contemporary rather than ancient.

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Book SynopsisThe "Bhagavad Gita" is a sacred scripture of epic dimensions and is the key sacred text of Hinduism. It means the "song of God" and is often called the "Song Celestial". Alan Jacobs uses contemporary free verse based on innovative metaphors to provide a clear meaning for today's readers. It is mandala poetry - each verse being a mandala for meditation.Trade Review"Jacobs presents his work in the form of transcreation. Transcreation invigorates the text to reinforce its poetic imagery and power. He has today's seeker in his mind when he gives an easy-to-understand poetic meaning. Contemporary free verse based on "innovative metaphors" and figures of speech and swift line breaks are used. He pours out the more advanced spiritual teaching leading to Advaita Vedanta. He cites Adi Sankara to show that the higher Para Vidya or esoteric, absolute non-dual Advaitic teaching is interwoven with the lower Apara Vidya or esoteric, relative dualistic teaching. He is emphatic that the Gita leads to Self-realisation and mentions the three stages-intellectual understanding, spiritual practice and finally, surrender. The book is a welcome addition to the Gita literature and a useful tool to those yearning to broaden their understanding of the Song Celestial as a transforming instrument." Arudra "Definitely an edition to add to your collection. The translation is poetic and is interspersed with illuminating commentaries." Scientific and Medical Network Review "Alan Jacobs has succeeded in revitalising the ancient text of the Bhagavad Gita into a form which reveals the full majesty of this magnificent Hindu scripture, as well as its practical message for today's seekers. His incisive philosophic commentary dusts off all the archaism of 1500 years and restores the text as a transforming instrument pointing the way to Self Realization." Cygnus Review "Despite the fact that there are now 279 English translations of the 'Bhagavad Gita' in existence, Alan Jacob's own recently pubished edition is one of the most beautiful. A transcreation rather than a translation, the author has endeavoured to preserve the essence of the nondualist teachings (also known as Advaita Vedanta) interwoven in Hinduism's best known spiritual text as well as introduce his own poetic touch. Literally meaning the 'Song of God', the 'Bhagavad Gita' recounts a key moment in the ancient Indian epic, the 'Mahabharata'. Set on the battlefield of Kurashetra between two rival royal households, Arjuna, leader of the Pandavas, is rendered impotent in the face of impending bloodshed. Krishna, Avatar and Arjuna's charioteer, thus takes the opportunity to deliver the Dharma or moral code. Indeed, the battle can be interpreted as an allegory of the inner warfare between dharma (harmony) and adharma (discord) within in all of us in the face of life's challenges and troubles. Together with his 'Principal Upanishads', the profundity of this particular edition of the 'Bhagavad Gita' is owing to the author's accessible and yet exquisite poetry." Paula Marvelly

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Book SynopsisIt is attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world (the nature of the 'Self') and the workings of karma.

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Book Synopsis"so both thrive both discovering bliss-real power is female it rises from beneath" These 81 brief poems from the 5th century BCE make up a foundational text in world culture. In elegant, simple yet elusive language, the Daodejing develops its vision of humankind's place in the world in personal, moral, social, political and cosmic terms. Martyn Crucefix's superb new versions in English reflect - for the very first time - the radical fluidity of the original Chinese texts as well as placing the mysterious 'dark' feminine power at their heart. Laozi, the putative author, is said to have despaired of the world's venality and corruption, but he was persuaded to leave the Daodejing poems as a parting gift, as inspiration and as a moral and political handbook. Crucefix's versions reveal an astonishing empathy with what the poems have to say about good and evil, war and peace, government, language, poetry and the pedagogic process. When the true teacher emerges, no matter how detached, unimpressive, even muddled she may appear, Laozi assures us "there are treasures beneath".

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Book SynopsisTrees, Fruits and Flowers of the Bible is an engaging and informative study of all the most important trees, fruits and flowers mentioned in the Bible, identifying the specific species and explaining the message or symbolism behind the texts. The Prologue sets the scene by giving a simple description of the topography and climate of Israel, so that readers - wherever they are - may get a sense of what the place is like. The following sections of the book cover the flora in detail. A wide range of fruits, herbs, nuts, flowers and trees is covered from those of major symbolical significance such as the apple and the olive tree as well as those less prominent like the saffron crocus but which none the less give a fascinating picture of everyday life in the Holy Land.

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Book SynopsisHow ancient texts could and could not be changed has been in the focus of vibrant scholarly discussions in recent years. The present volume offers contributions from a representative group of prominent scholars from different backgrounds and specialties in the areas of Classical and Biblical studies who were gathered at an interdisciplinary symposium held in May 2015 at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University in Tbilisi, Georgia. In the first part of the volume "Ancient Scribal and Editorial Practices, the authors approach ancient scribal and editorial techniques in Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources concerning classical and biblical texts, their textual criticism, and editorial history. The second part "Textual History of the Hebrew Bible" focuses on scribal and editorial aspects of the textual history of the Hebrew Bible. The third part "Writing and Rewriting in Translation" deals with a variety of writings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Apocrypha, and Patristic texts in various languages (Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, and Georgian), focusing on issues of textual criticism and translation technique. The volume contains an especially rich assortment of contributions by Georgian textual scholars concerning ancient editorial practices and ancient Georgian translations of biblical and patristic texts. This collection of papers provides insights into a variety of different areas of study that seldom come into contact with each other but are clearly in many ways related.

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Book SynopsisText in English and French. Qumran Cave 11Q was discovered by Bedouin in 1956. In the cave, remains of around 30 Dead Sea Scrolls were found, a few of them in very good state of preservation (the Temple Scroll, the Psalm Scroll, the Paleo Leviticus Scroll, and the Targum Job Scroll). The cave was excavated by Roland de Vaux (Ecole Biblique et Archeologique Française, Jerusalem) and Gerald L. Harding (Department of Antiquities of Jordan) in 1956; later by Joseph Patrich (University of Haifa) in 1988, and by Marcello Fidanzio and Dan Bahat (ISCAB FTL and Universitedella Svizzera Italiana) in 2017. Due to Roland de Vaux's premature death, the archaeology of Cave 11Q has never been published. This volume presents the final report on the 1956, 1988 and 2017 excavations at Cave 11Q. Next to discussing the physical characteristics and stratigraphy of the cave and offering a full analysis of non-textual finds, the volume for the first time presents many tiny manuscript fragments found in storerooms during recent work. These fragments, most of which were collected during 1956 excavation, have not been known until now. The volume, therefore, offers the final report of Cave 11Q excavations as well as the editio princeps of the new fragments, followed by a reevaluation of the entire set of texts found in this famous cave.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe book Sarada-Tilaka by Laksmana Desikendra is a significant text on Tantric subjects, divided into 25 chapters. It explores the origin of creation in Chapter 1 and delves into Prakrti-Vikrti in the subsequent chapters, concluding with a chapter beyond Prakrti and Vikrti. Primarily focused on Tantric worship of gods and goddesses.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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