E-Book, Englisch, 215 Seiten
Reihe: Progress in Mathematics
Rao Living Mantra
1. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-3-319-96391-4
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today
E-Book, Englisch, 215 Seiten
Reihe: Progress in Mathematics
ISBN: 978-3-319-96391-4
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
Living Mantra is an anthropology of mantra-experience among Hindu-tantric practitioners. In ancient Indian doctrine and legends, mantras perceived by rishis (seers) invoke deities and have transformative powers. Adopting a methodology that combines scholarship and practice, Mani Rao discovers a continuing tradition of visionaries (rishis/seers) and revelations in south India's Andhra-Telangana. Both deeply researched and replete with fascinating narratives, the book reformulates the poetics of mantra-practice as it probes practical questions. Can one know if a vision is real or imagined? Is vision visual? Are deity-visions mediated by culture? If mantras are effective, what is the role of devotion? Are mantras language? Living Mantra interrogates not only theoretical questions, but also those a practitioner would ask: how does one choose a deity, for example, or what might bind one to a guru? Rao breaks fresh ground in redirecting attention to the moments that precede systematization and canon-formation, showing how authoritative sources are formed.
Mani Rao, PhD, is a poet and independent scholar. She has nine poetry books and two books in translation from Sanskrit including The Bhagavad Gita and Kalidasa for the 21st Century Reader. See manirao.com for links and updates.
