Yankee Beacon of Buddhist Light


Book Description

A biography of Henry Steel Olcott, cofounder of the Theosophical Society in 1875 and a central figure in the Buddhist revival in India and Ceylon.




The Theosophical Society


Book Description

This peer-reviewed study represents a culmination of years of research into the history of the Theosophical Society. In this unique project which combines biographies with source analyses, Jeffrey D. Lavoie records a detailed history of the early Theosophical Society and examines its relationship with the modern Spiritualist movement between the years 1875-1891. Special attention has been paid to some of the neglected figures associated with these organizations including Arthur Lillie- the Gnostic-occultist and early critic of the Theosophical Society; the Davenport Brothers- the Spiritualist mediums who developed many of the standard elements which became associated with modern Spiritualism; Alfred Wallace- the prominent scientist, Spiritualist, and supposed member of the Theosophical Society and many others. This work will appeal to a wide array of readers including those interested in modern religious movements, Western Esotericism, South Asian history, and Victorian studies.




The Ascended Masters Light the Way


Book Description

This book is dedicated to the saints and spiritual masters of all the religions and spiritual paths that have graced this planet. The lives and teachings of thirty-nine of the world's greatest spiritual beacons provide a blueprint for total self-realization. Inspiring guidance from those who have learned the secrets of mastery in their lifetimes.




Reincarnation in America


Book Description

Reincarnation in America: An Esoteric History surveys the complex history of reincarnation theories across multiple fields of discourse in a pre-American context, ranging from early Greek traditions to Medieval Christian theories, Renaissance esotericism, and European Kabbalah, all of which had adherents that brought those theories to America. Rebirth theories are shown in all these groups to be highly complex and often disjunctive with mainstream religions even though members of conventional religions frequently affirm the possibility of rebirth. As a history of an idea, reincarnation theory is a current, vital belief pattern that cuts across a wide spectrum of social, cultural, and scientific domains in a long, complex history not reducible to any specific religious or theoretical explanation. This book is cross-disciplinary and multicultural, linking religious studies perspectives with science based research; it draws upon many distinct disciplines and avoids reduction of reincarnation to any specific theory. The underlying thesis is to demonstrate the complexity of reincarnation theories; what is unique is the historical overview and the gradual shift away from religious theories of rebirth to new theories that are therapeutic and trans-traditional.




The Korean Buddhist Empire


Book Description

"In the first part of the twentieth century, Korean Buddhists, despite living under colonial rule, reconfigured sacred objects, festivals, urban temples, propagation—and even their own identities—to modernize and elevate Korean Buddhism. By focusing on six case studies, this book highlights the centrality of transnational relationships in the transformation of colonial Korean Buddhism.Hwansoo Ilmee Kim examines how Korean, Japanese, and other Buddhists operating in colonial Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Manchuria, and beyond participated in and were significantly influenced by transnational forces, even as Buddhists of Korea and other parts of Asia were motivated by nationalist and sectarian interests. More broadly, the cases explored in the The Korean Buddhist Empire reveal that, while Japanese Buddhism exerted the most influence, Korean Buddhism was (as Japanese Buddhism was itself) deeply influenced by developments in China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Europe, and the United States, as well as by Christianity."




From Coffee to Tea Cultivation in Ceylon, 1880-1900


Book Description

In the early 1880s a disastrous plant disease diminished the yields of the hitherto flourishing coffee plantation of Ceylon. Coincidentally, world market conditions for coffee were becoming increasingly unfavourable. The combination of these factors brought a swift end to coffee cultivation in the British crown colony and pushed the island into a severe economic crisis. When Ceylon re-emerged from this crisis only a decade later, its economy had been thoroughly transformed and now rested on the large-scale cultivation of tea. This book uses the unprecedented intensity and swiftness of this process to highlight the socioeconomic interconnections and dependencies in tropical export economies in the late nineteenth century and it shows how dramatically Ceylonese society was affected by the economic transformation.




Occult America


Book Description

From its earliest days, America served as an arena for the revolutions in alternative spirituality that eventually swept the globe. Esoteric philosophies and personas—from Freemasonry to Spiritualism, from Madame H. P. Blavatsky to Edgar Cayce—dramatically altered the nation’s culture, politics, and religion. Yet the mystical roots of our identity are often ignored or overlooked. Opening a new window on the past, Occult America presents a dramatic, pioneering study of the esoteric undercurrents of our history and their profound impact across modern life.




South Asian Transnationalisms


Book Description

South Asian Transnationalisms explores encounters in twentieth century South Asia beyond the conventional categories of center and periphery, colonizer and colonized. Considering the cultural and political exchanges between artists and intellectuals of South Asia with counterparts in the United States, continental Europe, the Caribbean, and East Asia, the contributors interrogate the relationships between identity and agency, language and space, race and empire, nation and ethnicity, and diaspora and nationality. This book deploys transnational syntaxes such as cinema, dance, and literature to reflect on social, technological, and political change. Conceiving of the transnational as neither liberatory nor necessarily hegemonic, the authors seek to explore the contradictions, opportunities, disjunctures, and exclusions of the vexed experience of globalization in South Asia. This book was published as a special issue of South Asian History and Culture.




Yoga Journal


Book Description

For more than 30 years, Yoga Journal has been helping readers achieve the balance and well-being they seek in their everyday lives. With every issue,Yoga Journal strives to inform and empower readers to make lifestyle choices that are healthy for their bodies and minds. We are dedicated to providing in-depth, thoughtful editorial on topics such as yoga, food, nutrition, fitness, wellness, travel, and fashion and beauty.




Emerging Faith


Book Description

In non-Western contexts, Christianity has often been viewed as the religion of foreigners with a hidden political agenda. Sharing the gospel in non-imperialistic ways can be challenging, particularly in Asia. Every location to which God calls his messengers has its own rich history that should be shared with gospel workers and local people. Those desiring to serve interculturally must learn as much as possible about the past before joining that history. Are we learning from the past, or are we simply repeating the same mistakes in our own times and places? No culture in the world is a blank slate; rather, we can look for the initiating, inviting work of the missio Dei already emerging from within every surprising source. This book showcases the writings of sixteen reflective practitioners who offer insights based on their study and experience of history. These women and men come from a wide variety of cultural and theological backgrounds. Their stories include: An American who brought Protestant Buddhism to Sri Lanka A Norwegian Lutheran who started a Christian monastic community in Hong Kong A local scholar who led a faith movement in China that nearly overthrew the government A Thai villager who became an evangelist and a silent-film star Highlighting key people and places, Emerging Faith surveys several Christian movements found in the mission history of Asia. If you wish to challenge your thinking and respond to God’s invitation to participate in the global context, look here for encouragement and guidance.