Samuel (religious and theological studies, Cardiff U., Wales) has adapted the lecture series he delivered for the Wilde Lectures in Natural and Comparative Religion in 2002 at the U. of Oxford into this full-length history. The development and practice of yogic and tantric forms of meditation and their impact on what would become Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism are described in an engaging history that includes many quotes from primary sources. Samuel uses the viewpoint of anthropology to describe the development of these religions and practices, frequently rejecting both popular and scholarly views and beliefs in the process. The similarity between the religions that is made evident in this history in terms of their practices and their antecedents is especially striking, and timely, given religious conflict which continues in South and Southeast Asia. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
An interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 CE.
Yoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernized forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism or Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 CE, with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns.
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