Description
Book SynopsisThe present geopolitical rise of India and China evokes much interest in the comparative study of these two ancient Asian cultures. There are various studies comparing Western and Indian philosophies and religions, and there are similar works comparing Chinese and Western philosophy and religion. However, so far there is no systemic comparative study of Chinese and Indian philosophies and religions. Therefore there is a need to fill this gap. As such, Brahman and Dao: Comparative Studies of Indian and Chinese Philosophy and Religion is a pioneering volume in that it highlights possible bridges between these two great cultures and complex systems of thought, with seventeen chapters on various Indo-Chinese comparative topics. The book focuses on four themes: metaphysics and soteriology; ethics; body, health and spirituality; and language and culture.
Trade ReviewThis volume will contribute to broadening the horizons of comparative philosophy and religion, and for that reason I highly recommend it to scholars of Indian and Chinese traditions and anyone who is interested in what can be learned from cross-cultural explorations. * Frontiers of Philosophy in China *
The editors who dreamt up this volume of essays on Brahman and Dao were walking in the right direction. * Religions of South Asia *
China and India have the richest and most influential spiritual and philosophic traditions in Asia and have been in contact with each other for two millennia, yet comparative studies of these two civilizations and their relationship with each other have been few. The fine essays in this volume bridge this gap by exploring the similarities and dissimilarities between the two traditions in the areas of metaphysics, ethics, medicine, spirituality, language, and culture. Theodor and Yao are to be commended for providing us with such an insightful and multi-dimensional understanding of the complex spiritual traditions of these two enormously influential cultures. -- Keith Knapp, The Citadel
This is a thoughtful and bold collection of essays that seeks genuinely to engage across Indian and Chinese traditions on a wide variety of issues. It represents the emerging field of comparativist study of Indian and Chinese materials that will surely be a significant area of twenty-first century global philosophy. This book offers a scholarly yet accessible presentation of illuminating comparisons between Indian and Chinese sources. -- Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, Lancaster University
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Contributors Introduction Part One: Metaphysics and Soteriology Chapter 1: One, Water, and Cosmogony: Reflections on the Rgveda X.129 and the Taiyi sheng shui Chapter Two: Exploring Parallels between the Philosophy of Upanisads and Daoism Chapter Three: The Way of silent Realization: Ineffability and Rationality in the Philosophical Mysticisms of Sa?kara and Zhan Ruoshui Chapter Four: Impermanence and Immortality: The concept of pañca-skandha in Buddhism and in Twofold Mystery Daoism Section Two: Ethics Chapter Five: Li and Dharma: Gandhi, Confucius and Virtue Aesthetics Chapter Six: Ethics and Metaphysics in the Bhagavadgita and Classical Chinese Thought Chapter Seven: Communal Moral Personhood and Moral Responsibility in the Analects and the Bhagavadgita Chapter Eight: Ethics of Compassion: Buddhist Karu?a and Confucian Ren Chapter Nine: Why “Besire” Is Not Bizarre: Moral Knowledge in Confucianism and Hinduism Section Three: Body, Health and Spirituality Chapter Ten: Yoga and Daoyin: History, Worldview, and Techniques Chapter Eleven: The Emergence of Classical Medicine in Ancient China and India Chapter Twelve: Health, Illness, and the Body in Buddhist and Daoist Self-Cultivation Section Four: Language and Culture Chapter Thirteen: Indic Influence on Chinese Language Chapter Fourteen: Magical Alphabet in the Indian and Chinese Minds: From the Garland of Letters to Master Pu’an’s Siddham Mantra Chapter Fifteen: Mixed up on “Matching Terms” (geyi): Confusions in Cross-cultural Translation Chapter Sixteen: The Ludic Quality of Life: A Comparison of the Caitanaya-caritam?ta and the Zhuangzi Chapter Seventeen: The Poet and the Historian: Criticism of the Modern Age by Rabindranath Tagore and Qian Mu
