Hinduism

Modi's Changing IndiaIndian thought, culture and history

Ryohei Kasai, "Modi Changes India" - Recommended to learn about the political economy and diplomacy of contemporary India!

The book takes a look at the complex Indian society around the figure of Prime Minister Modi.

Prime Minister Modi's brief biography, his personality, and how he became one of India's most influential figures will be explained in an easy-to-understand manner.

The reality of India is also revealed through the policies and slogans of Prime Minister Modi. Although Prime Minister Modi enjoys the enthusiastic support of the Indian people, of course, not everything is smooth sailing. It is impossible to have a one-size-fits-all policy that can satisfy every corner of India, a country of such great diversity and complexity. India is a country of such diversity and complexity. Problems are piling up. But even so, Prime Minister Modi is the one person who can make the people have high expectations for the future.

I think this book is an excellent introduction to an overview of the political economy and diplomacy of modern India.
Identity of IndiaIndian thought, culture and history

Kinya Fujimoto, "The Identity of India: The Danger Lurking in Its Favorable Development" - A recommended book to learn about India in its 2006 phase extensively, with plenty of photos!

This book gives us a glimpse into Indian society as it was in 2006. 2023 is now the year of India, a giant that continues to grow at a rate surpassing that of China. This book is a very interesting work that gives us an insight into what India was like in 2006.

This book looks at India from various perspectives: "society, culture, and business. It is very easy to read because of the abundance of photographs, and it is also easy to visualize the local situation. The book also provides information on issues unique to India, where the caste problem still persists, although the issue of inequality is not limited to India.

This work is highly recommended for those who want to learn more about contemporary India.
Caste in HistoryIndian thought, culture and history

Takeshi Fujii, "Caste in History: Self-Portrait of Modern India" - Were castes fixed by British colonial policy?

The caste system in India is anyway complex.

古代インドにもカースト制はありました。ですが、そのインド土着のカースト制を一変させ、より強固なものに変えてしまったのがイギリス植民地政策だったのでした。そしてさらに難しいことに、イギリス植民地統治を生き抜くために自分たちのカーストを利用したという、インド人側からの働きかけもあったことをこの本では知ることになります。

This book is very valuable because it provides a detailed look at the two-way interaction between the British and other Western nations and the local Indian population, which has led to the current caste.

The author pointed out in this book that the caste system in India tends to be spoken of in simplistic terms. This book clarifies why such a simplified caste system is talked about in the historical context.
A Tale of Indian CrueltyIndian thought, culture and history

Aya Ikegame, "India's Cruelest Tales: The World's Toughest People" - The deep-rooted darkness of the caste system. A book recommended to learn about the present day India, a great country!

この本は現代インドにおけるカースト制について語られる作品です。この本は著者の現地での調査に基づいた貴重な記録です。机の上で文献を読むだけでは知りえない、リアルな生活がそこにはあります。

この本を読んで、カースト差別が現在でもこれほど強力に残っているのかということに驚いたのはもちろん、「実際にどんな差別を受け、どんな恐怖、屈辱に生きていかなければならないか」を知り、私はそれこそ恐れおののいてしまったのでした。

In this book, you will get to know the shadow of India, which is showing overwhelming growth. This book will make you think about Japan, where we live, through the strong presence of India.
The Idea of Primitive BuddhismBuddhism in India

Gen Nakamura Selected Works, Volumes 15 and 16, "The Ideas of Primitive Buddhism I, II" - Reference book looking at Buddhism in its earliest days from an ideological perspective.

The two books are an astonishing 1800 pages in total.

While I cannot honestly recommend this work as an introduction to Buddhism, it is highly recommended for learning more about primitive Buddhism.

This book is unique in that it looks at ideas in primitive Buddhism in the context of the original texts. It explains what the earliest Buddhist schools taught and how they developed and systematized their thought by reading the original texts. The quotations from the original sources are just enormous.

Focusing on the ideological aspect, this book is a great read.
Establishment of Primitive BuddhismBuddhism in India

Gen Nakamura Selected Works, Volume 14: "The Formation of Primitive Buddhism" - How was Buddhism born? Recommended for understanding the circumstances surrounding the earliest cults.

This book is a commentary on the early days of the Buddhist Order. In this book, Dr. Gen Nakamura discusses the early days of the Buddhist Order in the context of the historical background and the state of the world of thought at that time.

The historical background of the emergence of Buddhism was discussed in "Ancient India" by Gen Nakamura, which was previously introduced in this blog. This "Ancient India" is highly recommended as an introductory book that even beginners can easily understand. In this work, "Gen Nakamura Selected Works [Definitive Edition], Volume 14: The Establishment of Primitive Buddhism, Primitive Buddhism IV," we can see the connection between ancient India and the primitive Buddhist cult even more clearly.
Civilization and Society in Ancient IndiaIndian thought, culture and history

Motokazu Yamazaki, Civilization and Society in Ancient India - Recommended for learning the historical background of the emergence of Indian thought and religion!

This book is a recommended guide to learn more about the history and culture of ancient India.

The book is very easy to read and understand. It is extremely easy to read and understand.

And I picked up this book because I wanted to know the historical background of the birth of Buddhism. To know why Buddhism was accepted by people, one must know not only the ideology but also the soil in which it was accepted. I wanted to know what kind of society people lived in and what kind of lifestyle they had at that time.

This book was a wonderful answer to my question.
Life of a disciple of BuddhaBuddhism in India

Gen Nakamura's Selected Works, Volume 13, "Lives of Buddha's Disciples" - Who were the people in the first Buddha Order? Recommended to learn about their origins and personalities.

The Ten Great Disciples are well known as the disciples of the Buddha, led by Sharifluor, Mekasuren, and Mahakasyapa, but in this book we learn not only about the Ten Great Disciples, but also about the many practitioners who belonged to the Order.

This work gives us an idea of what the atmosphere was like in the early days of the Buddha Order. I appreciated this work very much in learning about primitive Buddhism.
A History of the Rise and Fall of Indian ReligionsIndian thought, culture and history

Shunji Hosaka, "History of the Rise and Fall of Indian Religions" - A reference book to learn about the interrelationships not only with Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, but also with Sikhism and Jainism!

This book is a much appreciated reference for learning about Indian religions.

This book is unique in that it does not look at each of India's many religions separately, but focuses on their interrelationships.

The relationship between Brahmanism, Buddhism, and Jainism in ancient India. What was the background from which Hinduism and Islam grew in power over time? Why did Buddhism decline, and why has Jainism, which is said to be its sister religion, been able to survive today? This book is very valuable because it allows us to look at these questions from the historical background and the interrelationships among religions. Religion is not only religion. History, culture, politics, and economics are all involved. This book is a very stimulating work that allows us to feel the dynamism of such history.
Hazime NakamuraBuddhism in India

Masatoshi Ueki, "Buddhist Scholar Gen Nakamura Motomoto: Words and Thoughts of Motomoto" - Recommended to learn about the extraordinary scale and life of one of Japan's leading Buddhist scholars!

In fact, until I read this book, I knew very little about Dr. Nakamura. I was surprised to learn that he is a man of truly exceptional achievements.

Reading this book, I was also struck by Dr. Nakamura's way of looking at the world from a larger perspective.

This book is a very significant work that will make you think about what Buddhism is all about. I highly recommend this book. You will be amazed at the different dimensions of his achievements.