In Archaeological and Visual Sources of Meditation in the Ancient Monasteries of KuÄa; Angela F. Howard and Giuseppe Vignato use diverse methodological approaches from archaeology; art history and religious studies to reconstruct monastic life and practices in the rock monasteries on the northern Silk Route (ca. 200-650). Analysis of the caves' function; meditation manuals; and the cave murals highlights the centrality of meditation; a fundamental duty of KuÄa monastics. This interdisciplinary study utilizes hitherto unpublished line drawings; maps; and photographs to reconstruct and interpret the architecture and decor of KuÄa caves; thus revealing the close links between the spiritual and the physical; between doctrinal teaching and practice and the lay-out and decor of the monasteries.
#7221103 in Books 1991-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.62 x .70 x 6.74l; 1.06 #File Name: 9004094784182 pages
Review
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Ramakrishna having problems?By A CustomerThe book might shock anyone; who believed; that Ramakrishna was a divine incarnation (which might not be too bad). Ramakrishna is depicted as a total lunatic. Much of his behaviour would have to be explained rather by sexual problems than by divine fervour. It's clear that sexual suppression; as it is quite common in indian relgious circles leads to massive psychological problems. The author uses the same sources for his thesis as do the proponents of Vivekanandaism but replaces the spiritual component with a psychological one. When I read a few passages in the "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna" after reading this book; I found that Ramakrishna was very much mistaken in the book under discussion. On the other hand; if the Gospel is not; what one commonly assumes it to be; a nearly stenographical account of the conversations with Ramakrishna; but rather a mystical hagiography; created over a period of decades; with one of the purposes beeing to make Ramakrishna holier than he was; then; considering the still many critical things in the Gospel; it could well be; that the real happenings were worse and a psychological analysizes of the present kind may make sense and help one to better process a possible influence through the Ramakrishna movement. It is just to hope; that more data will show up over time; for instance that the Ramakrishna movement will make publicly available the original diaries of Mahendranath Gupta.
