Modern Hindu thought: An introduction

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"Hinduism is widely regarded not just as a religious belief, but as a philosophy of life based upon certain key tenets. Viewed in a casual manner, these concepts seem to be eternal and unchanging. A Hindu today would describe his or her tradition in terms of the concepts of Brahman, Isvara, Maya, Jiva, Samsara, Karma, Dharma, among others, much like his counterpart a thousand years ago would have done. Yet, has nothing changed in Hinduism?" "Modern Hindu Thought questions such simplistic assumptions. This volume explains the manner in which these terms have been reconfigured in modern Hinduism, and how they compare with the way they were understood in classical Hinduism. Most of us are familiar with the idea that the more things change the more they remain the same. This book suggests that the opposite may well be true - the more things seem to remain the same, the more they may have changed." Arvind Sharma, Ph.D., was appointed Associate Professor in the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1987, where he is now the Birks Professor of Comparative Religion. Previously he has been associated with the Universities of Sydney and Queensland (Brisbane) in Australia and Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Modern Hindu Thought Contents Introduction PART ONE The Historical Context I. The Historical Context PART TWO A General Introduction II. A General Introduction PART THREE Terms and Tenets I. Brahman: Nirguna and Saguna IV. Ísvara V. Devi VI. Trimurti vi. Brahma VIL. Visnu IX. Siva X. Jiva XI. Samsara XII. Karma XIII. Dharma XIV. Maya XV. Moksa XVI. Jñana Yoga XVII. Bhakti-Yoga XVIII. Karma Yoga XIX. Varna XX. Asrama XXI. Purusarthas XXII. Vedas Glossary Bibliography Index