Bøger udgivet af Motilal Banarsidass

Visnuism is one of the chief religions of the Hindus and the Pancaratra is the oldest surviving Visnuite sect. The influence of its tenets on later Visnuism has undoubtedly been great, but has never been thoroughly explored. Despite change and corruption the ritual worship described in the old Pancaratra texts is still performed today in many of the famous temples in southern India and in some in the north. A deeper insight into the historical development of the Visnuite sects, into their ritual, occultism and building of temples and images can only be obtained from the scientific study of these ancient Pancaratra texts which formulate the relevant basic concepts. The theological and ritualistic aspects of the Pancaratra system have attracted scholars for some time past and a number of texts have been edited. Some of these publications are of a high standard and include illiminating introductions. The reason why the author has chosen to translate the text of the Laksmi Tantra is because its philosophical pronouncements incorporate many of the sect s earlier traditions. A second reason is because of its occultism, which throws light on an aspect of the Pancaratra system that is not dealt with in any other known text. However, keeping the size of this book she has refrained from discussing the interesting topic of ritualistic esoterism. Among the vast number of Pancaratra Agamic texts the Laksmi Tantra stands out because it deals almost exclusively with Laksmi. The divine creative impulse, intelligence, potency, potentiality, power, majesty and speech. The focus of the text is on Pancaratra philosophy (including cosmogony) and the practice of yoga based on it, with its attendent Mantra Sastra. By dealing with the role of Sakti in the creation and maintenance of the world, totally rely on God`s mercy and benevolence, the Laksmi Tantra succeeds in overcoming sectarian boundaries.

The life and teaching of great souls are real treasures for humankind. They have not only dedicated their lives to perfection and higher consciousness, but also their every moment is dedicated to all of creation to quicken spiritual evolution. Sage Narada in his beautiful work, Bhakti Sutra: Aphorisms on Divine Love, beautifully described that a realized one has not only reached the goal overcoming the veiling play of maya, but also helps others to cross this ocean of illusion. The life of the realized one is like a burning flame; it illumines itself, illuminates others, and also kindles fire in other lamps.We have very clearly seen in the life of our beloved Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharananda the beauty of his spiritual wisdom, intuitive insight, burning flame of love, and selfless service for humanity in general. His long span of divine life, which includes sixty-four years of renunciation and more than fifty years of tirelessly teaching Kriya Yoga, was spent movement to moment for the betterment of all. His daily life started from the early hours of dawn and brought joy and love in the life of many seekers in various ways. He used every moment of his time for all, continually reminding us tha time wasted is life wasted. He pointed out repeatedly, "Waste time with none but God, then time will not be wasted."Gurudev shaped the lives of many as a true lover of God. He wrote countless inspiring letters to his disciples all over the world. As an author, he presented us with many beautiful spiritual books. Proficient in many languages, he wrote books primarily in English, Oriya, and Bengali. He wrote a few books related to Kriya Yoga in Oriya. Some of his books are not yet translated into English. His most popular book is, Kriya Yoga: The Scientif