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Wikiquote has quotations related to Klaus Klostermaier .
Klaus K. Klostermaier | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1933 (age 89–90) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | PhD in philosophy from the Gregorian University in Rome (1961), PhD in Ancient Indian History and Culture from the University of Bombay (1969). |
| Known for | Sanskrit and Hindu scholar |
| Title | University Distinguished Professor Emeritus |
Klaus K. Klostermaier (born 1933) is a Catholic priest and scholar of Hinduism, Indian history and culture. [1] [2]
Klostermaier obtained a PhD in philosophy from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1961, and another in "Ancient Indian History and Culture" from the University of Bombay in 1969.[ citation needed ]
An ordained Catholic priest, Klostermaier was a missionary and theology teacher for nine years in India in the 1960s. [3] His study of Hindu texts and scholarship, while living with practicing Vaishnava Hindus there, resulted in his Der Hinduismus published in 1965. [3] The expertise he gained then, led to him being appointed advisor to the Papal office, in the Vatican, on non-Christian religions. [3]
He joined the Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba (Canada) in 1970. He received a Rh-Institute Award for "Excellence in the Humanities", of a Templeton Course Award in Science and Religion and an Award for Excellence in Graduate teaching from the University of Manitoba. He was the University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Manitoba in Canada. [4] [5] He served as the Head of its Center for Religion and Culture from 1986 to 1995. [5]
In 1998, for his scholarship on Hinduism, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, [5] [4] [6] and was Head of the Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba (Canada) from 1986 to 1997, and director of an "Asian Studies Center", 1990–1995.[ citation needed ]
He was the Director of Academic Affairs at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies from 1997 to 1998. A festschrift in his honour was published in 2004. [7] He has spent ten years in India and has researched primary sources in various languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Pali, Latin, Classical Greek, German, Italian and French. [8]
He is the author of 53 works in seven languages listed at worldCat [9]
In a 1991 review of the 1st edition of Klostermaier's Survey of Hinduism (the book is now in its 3rd edition), Joel Brereton states that the book's "methodological eclecticism and emphasis on indigenous interpretation are reasonable strategies", but Klostermaier in his attempt to bring forward "Hindu voices to explain Hinduism, occasionally offers views that have little currency in modern scholarship". Brereton adds, "the book has a number of unique virtues, includes recent developments in Hinduism, and shows an intimacy with Hindus and the present realities of Hindu life. Best of all, it is grounded in the practice and sights of Hinduism, not just on the great ideas of literary Hinduism" [10] Like Brereton, Knut Jacobsen states that Klostermaier's discussion of the Vedic era is weak and questionable. For instance, Klostermaier considers the Indus Valley civilization as Vedic-Indian, which pushes back the Vedic period by several thousand years beyond the accepted chronology. [11] Jacobsen adds that Klostermaeir's 2nd edition includes examples of Jain and Buddhist influences on Hinduism and the South Asian history, is especially valuable to students and it is "the most thorough introduction to Hinduism as a living religion in English". [11] [12]
Harold Coward describes the 2nd edition of A Survey of Hinduism as "This book offers the most comprehensive, balanced, accessible and yet deeply scholarly presentation of Hinduism in English," [13] and that, "Thomas Hopkins's, The Hindu Religious Tradition, the standard work when it was published some twenty-five years ago, looks rather primitive when compared with Klaus Klostermaier's A Survey of Hinduism, already in second edition by 1994". [14]
George M. Williams has described Klostermaier's Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism as an "excellent resource by top scholar featuring concise entries." [15] According to Patricia Greer, Klostermaier's encyclopedic articles are useful, but finds Klostermaier's chronology in need of an explanation and one that leaves unresolved "the complexities of an issue that so vexes the field". [16]
Michael Witzel, proponent of the Aryan Invasion Theory, has called him a "recent convert to a Frawleyan view of the world". Noting that David Frawley pictures India as the unique cradle of civilization at 10,000 BCE, Witzel expressed dismay that Kostermaier had written an appreciative introduction to one of Frawley books, and included some of Frawleyan views in his own Survey of Hinduism. Such inclusion of unscientific views in college textbooks would have a "detrimental effect", states Witzel. [17] : 126
Dharma, although there is no direct single-word translation for dharma in European languages, is commonly translated as "righteousness", "merit" or "religious and moral duties" governing individual conduct. It is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others.
Hinduism is an Indian religion or dharma, a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts—but its usage is modern. Another endonym is Vaidika Dharma, the dharma related to the Vedas.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Hinduism:
The historical Vedic religion constituted the religious ideas and practices among some of the Indo-Aryan peoples of the northwest Indian subcontinent during the Vedic period. These ideas and practices are found in the Vedic texts, and some Vedic rituals are still practiced today. It is one of the major traditions which shaped Hinduism, though present-day Hinduism is markedly different from the historical Vedic religion.
Subhash Kak is an Indian-American computer scientist and historical revisionist. He is the Regents Professor of Computer Science Department at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, an honorary visiting professor of engineering at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a member of the Indian Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
Purusha is a complex concept whose meaning evolved in Vedic and Upanishadic times. Depending on source and historical timeline, it means the cosmic being or self, awareness, and universal principle.
Shruti in Sanskrit means "that which is heard" and refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts comprising the central canon of Hinduism. Manusmriti states: Śrutistu vedo vijñeyaḥ meaning, "Know that Vedas are Śruti". Thus, it includes the four Vedas including its four types of embedded texts—the Samhitas, the Upanishads, the Brahmanas and the Aranyakas.
Yajna refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas, as well as Yajurveda. The tradition has evolved from offering oblations and libations into sacred fire to symbolic offerings in the presence of sacred fire (Agni).
Sage Jaimini was an ancient Indian scholar who founded the Mīmāṃsā school of Hindu philosophy. He is considered to be a disciple of Rishi/Sage Veda Vyasa, the son of Parāśara Rishi. Traditionally attributed to be the author of the Mimamsa Sutras and Jaimini Sutras, he is estimated to have lived around 4th to 2nd century BCE. Some scholars place him between 250 BCE and 50 CE. His school is considered non-theistic, but one that emphasized rituals parts of the Vedas as essential to Dharma.
In the field of comparative religion, many scholars, academics, and religious figures have looked at the relationships between Hinduism and other religions.
Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These include the Itihasa and Vedas. Scholars hesitate in defining the term "Hindu scriptures" given the diverse nature of Hinduism, but many list the Agamas as Hindu scriptures, and Dominic Goodall includes Bhagavata Purana and Yajnavalkya Smriti in the list of Hindu scriptures as well.
Karma yoga, also called Karma marga, is one of the four classical spiritual paths in Hinduism, one based on the "yoga of action", the others being Jnana yoga, Rāja yoga and Bhakti yoga. To a karma yogi, right action is a form of prayer. The three paths are not mutually exclusive in Hinduism, but the relative emphasis between Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakti yoga varies by the individual.
The Vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism.
The history of Hinduism covers a wide variety of related religious traditions native to the Indian subcontinent. It overlaps or coincides with the development of religion in the Indian subcontinent since the Iron Age, with some of its traditions tracing back to prehistoric religions such as those of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation. It has thus been called the "oldest religion" in the world. Scholars regard Hinduism as a synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no single founder. This Hindu synthesis emerged after the Vedic period, between c. 500–200 BCE and ca. 300 CE, in or after the period of the Second Urbanisation, and during the early classical period of Hinduism. It flourished in the medieval period, with the decline of Buddhism in India.
Śrauta is a Sanskrit word that means "belonging to śruti", that is, anything based on the Vedas of Hinduism. It is an adjective and prefix for texts, ceremonies or person associated with śruti. The term, for example, refers to Brahmins who specialise in the śruti corpus of texts, and Śrauta Brahmin traditions in modern times can be seen in Kerala and Coastal Andhra.
Vasishtha is one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis. Vashistha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Vashishtha and his family are mentioned in Rigvedic verse 10.167.4, other Rigvedic mandalas and in many Vedic texts. His ideas have been influential and he was called the first sage of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy by Adi Shankara.
The concept of God in Hinduism varies in its diverse traditions. Hinduism spans a wide range of beliefs such as henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, pandeism, monism, agnosticism, atheism, and nontheism.
Buddhism and Hinduism have common origins in the culture of Ancient India. Buddhism arose in the Gangetic plains of Eastern India in the 5th century BCE during the "second urbanisation". Hinduism developed as a fusion or synthesis of practices and ideas from the ancient Vedic religion and elements and deities from other local Indian traditions. This Hindu synthesis emerged after the Vedic period, between 500-200 BCE and c. 300 CE, in or after the period of the Second Urbanisation, and during the early classical period of Hinduism, when the Epics and the first Puranas were composed.
Vaishnavism is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, i.e. Mahavishnu. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas, and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 641 million or 67.6% of Hindus.
The Rigveda or Rig Veda is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (sūktas). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (śruti) known as the Vedas. Only one Shakha of the many survive today, namely the Śakalya Shakha. Much of the contents contained in the remaining Shakhas are now lost or are not available in the public forum.
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