Peter Friedlander

Kabīr and the print sphere: Negotiating identity

For Hindi speakers Kabīr (ca. 1398–1519) is a seminal figure in the early history of Hindi literature. The contemporary image of Kabīr is as a champion of an earthy spirituality which transcended all religious boundaries and a scathing critic of all established religions. In this paper I examine how prior to the 19th century multiple identities for Kabīr were transmitted through oral and manuscript based traditions at networks of local sites. I then show how in the 19th century regional perceptions of Kabīr’s identity were negotiated as print cultures developed and how caste issues then influenced perceptions of Kabīr’s identity within nationalist histories of Hindi literature. The conclusion is that multiple localized identities were inherent in constructions of Kabīr in manuscript and oral traditions, but that Kabīr’s incorporation into print cultures has led to contestations at a national level about how to construct a single unitary identity for Kabīr.

The Body And The World In Buddhism

This chapter presents some understandings of the body from ancient India and considers their influence on different cultures today. It concentrates on examining early Indian notions of the body and lightly touches on modern understandings of some points in some other cultures. Buddhism is famous for its emphasis on the importance of meditation as a means of investigating the nature of ultimate reality. First, the chapter talks about insight meditation, and then loving-kindness meditation. Clearly, one of the interesting features of this in the context of this discussion is that this is a body-based practice; it starts from contemplation of your own body, but then develops to encompass the concept of well being for family, society, nations, the world and the universe. The outcome of this understanding of the body and the world in contemporary Buddhist practice in Asia and the west is profound. Keywords: ancient India; Buddhism; insight meditation; loving-kindness meditation

Prayer and Meditation

This article looks at the use of language in prayer and meditation in world religions. It explores the origins of prayer and meditation in the religious cultures of early man and the development of these notions in Middle Eastern Religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It then examines the role that language plays in ritual, meditation, and prayer in the Hindu and Buddhist cultures of Asia. It is argued that language plays a key role in the way that it acts as vehicle by which the religious practitioner is able to communicate with the spirit world and, in a sense, create the world itself.