Books
of Interest: Oriental and African studies
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COVER IMAGE |
TITLE |
SYNOPIS OR REVIEW |
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Civilized
Shamans: Buddhism in Tibetan Societies by Geoffrey
Samuel |
This
well written book is one of the best studies of Tibetan Buddhism available.
The book is divided into three sections. The first presents an overview of
the vast and diverse Tibetan speaking cultural area. The second part is a
survey of Tibetan religion - and is one of the few presentations that gets to
the heart of the religious world as lived in by Tibetans in pre-communist
Tibet. the third part presents a history of Tibetan Buddhism from the
earliest time right down to the early part of the 20th Century. A
theme that runs throughout this book is the dynamic tension between the two aspects
which form the synthesis that is Tibetan Buddhism which the author calls the
"clerical" and the "shamanic". This
book is indespensible for the serious student of Tibetan Buddhism - scholar
or practitioner and would be invaluable to any reader interested in the
religious and cultural world of pre-modern Tibet. |
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The
Mandate of Heaven - Hidden History in the I Ching by SJ Marshall |
While sinologists rely on historical criticism to explain the meaning of the I-Ching, those who use it for divination tend to accept without question the traditional account of its origin and purpose. Whereas modern scholars are generally dismissive of the book's reputed mystical significance, traditionalists often resent academic research into the oracle because it seems irreverent or iconoclastic. Marshall sets out to reconcile these opposing approaches, plumbing the book´s numerous, hidden historical references, reading them against other sources, and discovering that the oracle has far more narrative integrity and basis in historical fact than anyone has previously appreciated. The book is attributed to King Wen, who died before he could succeed in overthrowing the tyrannical Shang dynasty. His son, King Wu, eventually triumphed over the Shang and established the Zhou dynasty as the legitimate royal house. According to the tradition, these events are in some ways alluded to in the earliest layer of commentary in the I Ching, but no sound historical basis has been discovered to substantiate this claim. Consequently, since the 1930s sinologists have discounted the value of this tradition. Marshall uncovers an account of Wu's conquest in an important, previously overlooked passage that tells of a solar eclipse believed by the King to have been an omen from Heaven to immediately march against the Shang. Marshall is able to match this account with a scientifically verified solar eclipse that took place on June 20, 1070 B.C., just one of his many historical readings that show how the earliest layer of the I Ching has preserved a hidden history that has remained undetected for three millennia |
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Akhenaten
by dominic montserrat …routledge |
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Sacred Signs |
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Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics |
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