Indra's Net
Jan 2014 · Harper Collins
4.9star
61 reviewsreport
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396
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About this ebook
Originating in the Atharva Veda, the concept of Indra's Net is a powerful metaphor for interconnectedness. It was transmitted via Buddhism's Avatamsaka Sutra into Western thought, where it now resides at the heart of post-modern discourse. According to this metaphor, nothing ultimately exists separately by itself and all boundaries can be deconstructed. This book invokes Indra's Net to articulate the open architecture, unity and continuity of Hinduism. Seen from this perspective, Hinduism defies pigeonholing into the traditional, modern and post-modern categories by which the West defines itself; rather, it becomes evident that Hinduism has always spanned all three categories simultaneously and without contradiction.It is fashionable among intellectuals to assert that dharma traditions lacked any semblance of unity before the British period, and that the contours of contemporary Hinduism were bequeathed to us by our colonial masters. Such arguments routinely target Swami Vivekananda, a key interlocutor who shattered many deeply rooted prejudices against Indian civilization. They accuse him of having camouflaged various alleged 'contradictions' within traditional Hinduism, and charge him with having appropriated the principles of Western religion to 'manufacture' a coherent and unified worldview and set of practices known today as Hinduism.Indra's Net: Defending Hinduism's Philosophical Unity provides a foundation for theories that slander contemporary Hinduism as illegitimate, ascribing sinister motives to its existence, and characterizing its fabric as oppressive. Rajiv Malhotra offers a detailed, systematic rejoinder to such views, and articulates the multidimensional, holographic understanding of reality that grounds Hindu dharma. He also argues that Vivekananda's creative interpretations of Hindu dharma informed and influenced many Western intellectual movements of the post-modern era. Indeed, as he cites with many insightful examples, appropriations from Hinduism have provided a foundation for cutting-edge discoveries in several fields, including cognitive science and neuroscience.
Ratings and reviews
4.9
61 reviews
aditya N
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September 18, 2017
This book has helped me understand how superficial my own understanding of hinduism is and the kind of depth and diversities present in its philosophies. I think it is a must read for the english educated people who have the highest chance to interact with the people of other faiths in other countries and be a confident and unapologetic hindu. Most IMP and must read section : the poison pills and Nastika - Astika in the final chapters.
10 people found this review helpful
ravi sharma
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May 15, 2020
Eye opening details about Hinduism supported with facts. I recommend every true Hindu to read this Book at least once .
DARSUN
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September 30, 2016
Happy that I got to know about this book thru a friend and read it. Its an enlightenment journey.
3 people found this review helpful
About the author
After studying physics and computer science, Rajiv Malhotra worked as a senior executive in the software and telecom industries before becoming a management consultant and then launching his own ventures in twenty countries. He took early retirement in the mid-1990s at the age of forty-four and established Infinity Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Princeton, New Jersey.
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