The Origins of Yoga and Tantra : Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century

Yoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernized forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism or Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 CE, with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns. Turbulence Is Widely Recognized As One Of The Outstanding Problems Of The Physical Sciences, But It Still Remains Only Partially Understood Despite Having Attracted The Sustained Efforts Of Many Leading Scientists For Well Over A Century. In A Voyage Through Turbulence We Are Transported Through A Crucial Period Of The History Of The Subject Via Biographies Of Twelve Of Its Great Personalities, Starting With Osborne Reynolds And His Pioneering Work Of The 1880s. This Book Will Provide Absorbing Reading For Every Scientist, Mathematician And Engineer Interested In The History And Culture Of Turbulence, As Background To The Intense Challenges That This Universal Phenomenon Still Presents--provided By Publisher. Turbulence Is Widely Recognized As One Of The Outstanding Problems Of The Physical Sciences, But It Still Remains Only Partially Understood Despite Having Attracted The Sustained Efforts Of Many Leading Scientists For Well Over A Century. In A Voyage Through Turbulence, We Are Transported Through A Crucial Period Of The History Of The Subject Via Biographies Of Twelve Of Its Great Personalities, Starting With Osborne Reynolds And His Pioneering Work Of The 1880s. This Book Will Provide Absorbing Reading For Every Scientist, Mathematician And Engineer Interested In The History And Culture Of Turbulence, As Background To The Intense Challenges That This Universal Phenomenon Still Presents--provided By Publisher. 1. Osborne Reynolds: A Turbulent Life / Brian Launder And Derek Jackson -- 2. Prandtl And The Göttingen School / Eberhard Bodenschatz And Michael Eckert -- 3. Theodore Von Kármán / A. Leonard And N. Peters -- 4. G. I. Taylor: The Inspiration Behind The Cambridge School / K.r. Sreenivasan -- 5. Lewis Fry Richardson / Roberto Benzi -- 6. The Russian School / Gregory Falkovich -- 7. Stanley Corrsin / Charles Meneveau And James J. Riley -- 8. George Batchelor: The Post-war Renaissance Of Research In Turbulence / H.k. Moffatt -- 9. A. A. Townsend / Ivan Marusic And Timothy B. Nickels -- 10. Robert H. Kraichnan / Gregory Eyink And Uriel Frisch -- 11. Satish Dhawan / Roddam Narasimha -- 12. Philip G. Saffman / D.i. Pullin And Daniel I. Meiron -- 13. Epilogue: A Turbulence Timeline / [peter Davidson, Yukio Kaneda, Keith Moffatt And Katepalli Sreenivasan]. Edited By Peter A. Davidson ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References. "Yoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernised forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism or Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 C.E., with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns."--Cover page 4 "Yoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernised forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism of Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 C.E., with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns."-- Jaquette "Yoga, tantra and other forms of Asian meditation are practised in modernised forms throughout the world today, but most introductions to Hinduism of Buddhism tell only part of the story of how they developed. This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 C.E., with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns."--Jacket