{"product_id":"living-mantra-mantra-deity-and-visionary-experience-today-hardcover","title":"Living Mantra: Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMani Rao\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLiving Mantra \u003c\/i\u003eis an anthropology of mantra-experience among Hindu-tantric practitioners. In ancient Indian doctrine and legends, mantras perceived by \u003ci\u003erishis \u003c\/i\u003e(seers) invoke deities and have transformative powers. Adopting a methodology that combines scholarship and practice, Mani Rao discovers a continuing tradition of visionaries (\u003ci\u003erishis\u003c\/i\u003e\/seers) and revelations in south India's Andhra-Telangana. Both deeply researched and replete with fascinating narratives, the book reformulates the poetics of mantra-practice as it probes practical questions. Can one know if a vision is real or imagined? Is vision visual? Are deity-visions mediated by culture? If mantras are effective, what is the role of devotion? Are mantras language? \u003ci\u003eLiving Mantra\u003c\/i\u003e interrogates not only theoretical questions, but also those a practitioner would ask: how does one choose a deity, for example, or what might bind one to a guru? Rao breaks fresh ground in redirecting attention to the moments that precede systematization and canon-formation, showing how authoritative sources are formed. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLiving Mantra \u003c\/i\u003eis an anthropology of mantra-experience among Hindu-tantric practitioners. In ancient Indian doctrine and legends, mantras perceived by \u003ci\u003erishis \u003c\/i\u003e(seers) invoke deities and have transformative powers. Adopting a methodology that combines scholarship and practice, Mani Rao discovers a continuing tradition of visionaries (\u003ci\u003erishis\u003c\/i\u003e\/seers) and revelations in south India's Andhra-Telangana. Both deeply researched and replete with fascinating narratives, the book reformulates the poetics of mantra-practice as it probes practical questions. Can one know if a vision is real or imagined? Is vision visual? Are deity-visions mediated by culture? If mantras are effective, what is the role of devotion? Are mantras language? \u003ci\u003eLiving Mantra\u003c\/i\u003e interrogates not only theoretical questions, but also those a practitioner would ask: how does one choose a deity, for example, or what might bind one to a guru? Rao breaks fresh ground in redirecting attention to the moments that precede systematization and canon-formation, showing how authoritative sources are formed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMani Rao, PhD, is a poet and independent scholar. She has nine poetry books and two books in translation from Sanskrit including \u003ci\u003eThe Bhagavad Gita \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eKalidasa for the 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Century Reader\u003c\/i\u003e. See manirao.com for links and updates. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 215\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.81 x 8.27 x 5.83 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 01, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51794577719584,"sku":"9783319963907","price":145.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/a1918e45ec9c62c01aa783cbe90efd74.webp?v=1780729983","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/living-mantra-mantra-deity-and-visionary-experience-today-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}