Axel Michaels Livres

Held in Heidelberg from September 29 to October 2, 2008, the international conference “Ritual Dynamics and the Science of Ritual,” organized by the collaborative research center SFB 619 “Ritual Dynamics,” gathered leading experts in ritual studies and over 600 participants to reassess traditional subjects in light of recent research. The outcomes, presented in five volumes, are groundbreaking for future transcultural, interdisciplinary, and multi-methodical research on rituals. The conference showcased a wide range of disciplines and methods, covering diverse topics across cultural geographies and spanning from antiquity to the present. The proceedings illustrate the broad definition of rituals and explore the conditions, modes, and functions of ritual actions in various cultures. A key conclusion is that no single model for rituals exists; instead, interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for advancing research. This includes the development and application of innovative research methods. The five volumes include: Volume I: Grammars and Morphologies of Ritual Practices in Asia; Volume II: Body, Performance, Agency, and Experience; Volume III: State, Power, and Violence; Volume IV: Reflexivity, Media, and Visuality; and Volume V: Transfer and Spaces. A set price for all five volumes is offered (978-3-447-06206-0).

Exploring the diverse landscape of Hinduism, the author examines its shared traditions, beliefs, and rituals through the concept of "identificatory habitus." This cohesive force unites the religion's myriad gods, practices, and languages while reinforcing its resilience against external influences. By focusing on commonalities rather than differences, the book offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of Hindu identity and provides a framework for understanding its social and religious coherence amidst vast internal plurality.

Rosy is happily playing with her beautiful, new, star balloon, when the wind snatches it away and carries it off. The little bear runs as fast as she can, but will she be able to get her precious balloon back? Find out what happens in this moving picture books all about loss and recovery.

This comprehensive history of Nepal spans pre-historic times and the Licchavi Period to more recent developments, such as the Maoist insurgency and the rise of the republic. In addition to religious history and histories of selected regions (Mustang, Sherpa, Tarai, and others), it covers the nation's relations with its powerful neighbors and its cultural aspects, especially its rich history of arts, architecture, and crafts.

She kills and destroys. She causes illness and disaster. The wild goddess evokes fear and terror. People worship her with blood-sacrifices and alcohol in order to appease her rage, but also in order to participate in her power for she is at once a force of destruction and a force of regeneration, of life, and of sexuality. Her creative violence reflects the ambivalent power of nature. The idea of frightening goddesses is preserved in regionally different forms throughout South Asia. The Institute for the Science of Religions, University of Berne, and the Museum of Anthropology of the University of Zurich, coordinated a symposium on wild goddesses in India and Nepal. The papers and reports on ongoing research presented at this symposium are published in this volume.

Contributed articles by a group of students from the Institute for the Comparative Study of Religions of the University of Bern, Switzerland, after a trip to Nepal in 1994

The book gives a comprehensive view of the complex world of india's sacred place par excellence, also known as Barnes.

»Die wahrhaften Wünsche werden durch die Unwahrheit verdeckt.«Die Upanishaden (ca. 500 v. Chr.) sind der Inbegriff altindischer Weisheit. Sie zeigen den Weg zu der Erkenntnis, dass das eigene Selbst mit dem Urgrund der Realität identisch ist. Wer dies erkennt, wird vom Kreislauf der Leiden und der Wiedergeburten befreit.Für Arthur Schopenhauer waren die Upanishaden einzigartig: »Auf jeder Seite treten uns tiefe, ursprüngliche Gedanken entgegen, während ein heiliger Ernst über dem Ganzen schwebt ... Es ist die belohnendste und erhebendste Lektüre, die auf der welt möglich ist. Sie ist der trost meines Lebens gewesen und wird der meines Sterbens sein.«Mit einem Nachwort von Axel Michaels