Personal Experience of Religion (Eastern Volume)

Author: (English) Mary Pat Fisher
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: No other phenomenon possesses such a splendid and colorful cultural ecosystem as Eastern religions; the mysterious hermitages of high-altitude snow mountains, the devout fasting of Sikh warriors, the fragrant incense in temple pillars. Renowned religious expert and sociologist M. P. Fisher takes readers on a journey through Eastern religions in this book, reflecting on the birth, rise, and evolution of religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and Taoism from historical origins, dynastic conflicts, and folk customs. The author analyzes the wisdom embedded in various religious scriptures, greatly benefiting readers in understanding the unique spirit of Eastern peoples. The oracle of Tai Chi, the light of Bodhi, the beautiful arcades in the morning light of the desert, eternal faith, eternal East. In this era of globalization, Eastern religions are no longer merely Eastern affairs. As the author of this book depicts—religious traditions are not boxes filled with goods passed down from one generation to the next; they are rivers, full of life and change, always flowing, branching, and converging, drying up in one place yet nourishing new life elsewhere. Delving into the core of Eastern religions, we realize: for humanity, all are neighbors. In some places we are minorities, and in others the majority—this is the new geographical religious world. In Houston, a Catholic church stands next to a mosque; Sikhs from India live in London; Christian churches are built in Muslim Palestine. This book portrays the emergence and development of major Eastern religious schools such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, and Confucianism with a delicate perspective, while also envisioning the new religious movements of the 21st century and the trend of integration among these major schools. Rich in detailed and vivid content, with elegant and fluent writing, and accompanied by numerous valuable photographs, the book is highly readable.