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This pioneering study of the fate of Buddhism during the communist period in Cambodia puts a human face on a dark period in Cambodia’s history. It is the first sustained analysis of the widely held assumption that the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot had a centralized plan to liquidate the entire monastic order. Based on a thorough analysis of interview transcripts and a large body of contemporary manuscript material, it offers a nuanced view that attempts to move beyond the horrific monastic death toll and fully evaluate the damage to the Buddhist sangha under Democratic Kampuchea. Compelling evidence exists to suggest that Khmer Rouge leaders were determined to hunt down senior members of the pre-1975 ecclesiastical hierarchy, but other factors also worked against the Buddhist order. Buddhism in a Dark Age outlines a three-phase process in the Khmer Rouge treatment of Buddhism: bureaucratic interference and obstruction, explicit harassment, and finally the elimination of the obdurate and those close to the previous Lon Nol regime. The establishment of a separate revolutionary form of sangha administration constituted the bureaucratic phase. The harassment of monks, both individually and en masse, was partially due to the uprooting of the traditional monastic economy in which lay people were discouraged from feeding economically unproductive monks. Younger members of the order were disrobed and forced into marriage or military service. The final act in the tragedy of Buddhism under the Khmer Rouge was the execution of those monks and senior ecclesiastics who resisted. It was difficult for institutional Buddhism to survive the conditions encountered during the decade under study here. Prince Sihanouk’s overthrow in 1970 marked the end of Buddhism as the central axis around which all other aspects of Cambodian existence revolved and made sense. And under Pol Pot the lay population was strongly discouraged from providing its necessary material support. The book concludes with a discussion of the slow re-establishment and official supervision of the Buddhist order during the People’s Republic of Kampuchea period.
A renowned Buddhist teacher's magnum opus, based on his fresh reading of the tradition's earliest texts Some twenty-five centuries after the Buddha started teaching, his message continues to inspire people across the globe, including those living in predominantly secular societies. What does it mean to adapt religious practices to secular contexts? Stephen Batchelor, an internationally known author and teacher, is committed to a secularized version of the Buddha's teachings. The time has come, he feels, to articulate a coherent ethical, contemplative, and philosophical vision of Buddhism for our age. After Buddhism, the culmination of four decades of study and practice in the Tibetan, Zen, and Theravada traditions, is his attempt to set the record straight about who the Buddha was and what he was trying to teach. Combining critical readings of the earliest canonical texts with narrative accounts of five members of the Buddha's inner circle, Batchelor depicts the Buddha as a pragmatic ethicist rather than a dogmatic metaphysician. He envisions Buddhism as a constantly evolving culture of awakening whose long survival is due to its capacity to reinvent itself and interact creatively with each society it encounters. This original and provocative book presents a new framework for understanding the remarkable spread of Buddhism in today's globalized world. It also reminds us of what was so startling about the Buddha's vision of human flourishing.
This pioneering study of the fate of Buddhism during the communist period in Cambodia puts a human face on a dark period in Cambodia’s history. It is the first sustained analysis of the widely held assumption that the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot had a centralized plan to liquidate the entire monastic order. Based on a thorough analysis of interview transcripts and a large body of contemporary manuscript material, it offers a nuanced view that attempts to move beyond the horrific monastic death toll and fully evaluate the damage to the Buddhist sangha under Democratic Kampuchea. Compelling evidence exists to suggest that Khmer Rouge leaders were determined to hunt down senior members of the pre-1975 ecclesiastical hierarchy, but other factors also worked against the Buddhist order. Buddhism in a Dark Age outlines a three-phase process in the Khmer Rouge treatment of Buddhism: bureaucratic interference and obstruction, explicit harassment, and finally the elimination of the obdurate and those close to the previous Lon Nol regime. The establishment of a separate revolutionary form of sangha administration constituted the bureaucratic phase. The harassment of monks, both individually and en masse, was partially due to the uprooting of the traditional monastic economy in which lay people were discouraged from feeding economically unproductive monks. Younger members of the order were disrobed and forced into marriage or military service. The final act in the tragedy of Buddhism under the Khmer Rouge was the execution of those monks and senior ecclesiastics who resisted. It was difficult for institutional Buddhism to survive the conditions encountered during the decade under study here. Prince Sihanouk’s overthrow in 1970 marked the end of Buddhism as the central axis around which all other aspects of Cambodian existence revolved and made sense. And under Pol Pot the lay population was strongly discouraged from providing its necessary material support. The book concludes with a discussion of the slow re-establishment and official supervision of the Buddhist order during the People’s Republic of Kampuchea period.
Our future can turn out in one of several ways, and it is humanity that must make the decision of which one it will be. Only one will be truly to mankind's advantage. Why this is so is the thrust of Our Ending Dark Age. Its premise is that when humans began using tools, we began to separate from nature. The long process of going from nature to separating from nature is our Dark Age, or Age of Adjustment. Mankind's best future is that wherein he is completely separate from nature. Why this is so is analyzed in Our Ending Dark Age as humankind's biology, psychology, evolution, economics, education, entrepreneurship and society are examined. This is done using the platform of history as the tie that holds all of these seemingly divergent subjects together. The role religion and opinion play in deciding the course of civilization is examined. The reader is then taken on an excursion that begins with the cellular basis of human anatomy, the meaning of Soul and Spirit, and traces history from our hunter-gatherer days to the magnificent future that awaits us if we put our minds to it.
Provides comprehensive coverage of the key concepts employed by Gu non and interprets the less familiar terms from Sanskrit, Hebrew and Arabic. The text makes extensive use of extracts from Gu non's original work. Graham Rooth is the translator of the bestselling The Light of Zen in the West, incorporating The Supreme Doctrine and The Realization of the Self, by Hubert Benoit. Ren Gu non is a major figure for anyone who recognizes a need to rediscover the spiritual roots from which Western society has become so comprehensively alienated. Immersing himself in the search for spiritual truth, he chose Islam as the vehicle for his spiritual life. Settling in Egypt, he clarified and deepened our understanding of the teachings of traditional metaphysics, his central message being that there is at the source of all humanity's traditions a 'Primordial Tradition' - a Universal Metaphysics which sets out the principles that underlie this Tradition. The truths it embodies are universal and unchanging, and form part of a unified body of higher knowledge which transcends the multiplicity of religious dogmas and philosophical systems that abound in Western society. He wrote about the need to transcend the formal and emotional aspect of religion in order to prepare ourselves for an understanding of 'pure metaphysics'. He explained how traditional societies achieved this, exploring the symbols used, in order to help individuals forward to levels of understanding which are otherwise inaccessible to minds blinkered by the limitations of the currently prevailing Western approach to existence and its meaning. This book provides an overview of Gu non's work. It is arranged in four parts each of which provides extracts that express his views directly and commentaries that summarize or paraphrase his written work. The objective is to allow Gu non to speak for himself rather than produce a critique of his ideas. Part One, Religion and the Primordial Tradition, explores Gu non's ideas about the nature of the primordial Tradition or 'Perennial Philosophy' and the part it would play in a traditional society. It sets out his views on the major religions and how they are related to the primordial Tradition. There are sections on the monotheistic religions and the oriental religions. The largest section deals with Vedantic Hinduism, reflecting the dominant and enduring role that this played in the development of Gu non's ideas. Part Two, The Spiritual Journey and the Integral Being, focuses on the quest for enlightenment and the means of achieving it, with an emphasis on the role of initiation and transmission. It examines the difference between 'realization' and salvation. It explores the spiritual quest in the light of Gu non's theory of the integral being and its multiple states, which postulates that the human state is one aspect only of innumerable different states comprising the totality of a single being. Part Three, Western Society and the Growth of Modernity, presents Gu non's critique of contemporary Western society in terms of its historical development and current worldview. It highlights the spiritual dangers that confront the West and examines the processes and attitudes symptomatic of its spiritual decline. It provides an overview of Gu non's ideas about subjects ranging across the sciences, the humanities, philosophy and psychology. The section on philosophy draws together many of Gu non's ideas about the nature of manifestation and ultimate reality. Part Four, Symbolism, explores the significance Gu non attached to the history and meaning of the symbols shared by all the great traditions. It summarizes his thoughts on the nature of symbolism, how it achieves its effects and its particular significance to the spiritual life. Many examples are provided from the natural world, the animal kingdom and human acti
To "Become Buddha" is to AWAKE. We need to awake to our personal responsibility-not only for our own lives but for the world around us. Individual efforts can change the world. This book does not promise enlightenment but it will provide a path-a path that, if you follow it, will transform your life. Buddhist masters say that we are in a "Dark Age". Terrorist attacks, wars, economic failures, and natural disasters have created an atmosphere of fear. Tibetan masters encourage us not to lose heart-catastrophes have happened before and we have overcome them. Robert Sachs shows how Tibetan Buddhist teachings can have a real influence on our personal lived and equally on contemporary politics. He presents the four thoughts that revolutionize the mind, and demonstrates how we must take personal responsibility for the future. The Four Noble Truths show us there is no need to despair; and the four components of action will change our attitude to life and give us practical instruction on how to act. Using the power of meditation to make a difference, we can turn the inherent goodness of the human race into positive energy to help transform the world. The Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche used to say, "A mind that is transformed, free and cheerful can help create peace and happiness. Let us start down the path from this very moment."
Rattle through 1000 years of horrible history, from the fifth century to the sixteenth century Famine, plague and public execution – the medieval period wasn't the best time for some, but heroic rulers like Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and Henry V made sure that it was full of action. Brimming with facts, this book helps you get under the skin of the people who lived at the time, from impoverished peasants to opulent monarchs. From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance and all the upheavals in between, this book takes the pain out of medieval history. The Black Death – assess the deadly pandemic that swept through Britain and Europe killing millions of people The Holy Roman Empire strikes back – understand how the empire fought to maintain its position Falling apart – witness the arrival of powerful armies from the east and invaders from the north, and the dramatic effects of religious schisms Heading for the Holy Land – uncover the reasons why crusading became so popular, and ultimately so unsuccessful, between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries Living in the medieval world – understand the lives of monks and monarchs, peasants and popes, and travellers and traders of the period Waging conflicts, battles and wars – a look through the troubles that shaped the medieval age; from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Wars of the Roses Open the book and find: Why the peasants revolted Where Chaucer gained inspiration to write The Canterbury Tales Which religious groups fought for power How the Magna Carta shaped our present-day legal system Why the Vikings may have got to America before Columbus Profiles of the best and worst medieval monarchs How Joan of Arc made her name The great and grisly histories of surviving medieval castles Go to Dummies.com for videos, step-by-step examples, how-to articles or to shop!