Ananda Marga Social And Spiritual Practices

Deploying a distinctive disaggregative approach to the study of 'religion', this volume shows that spiritual movements with extensive counterfactual beliefs have been much more creative than one might expect. Specifically, Wayne Hudson explores the creativity of six spiritual movements: the Bahá'ís, a Persian movement; Soka Gakkai, a Japanese movement; Ananda Marga and the Brahma Kumaris, two reformed Hindu movements; and two controversial American churches, The Church Universal and Triumphant and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of these movements have counterintuitive features that have led Western scholars making Enlightenment assumptions to dismiss them as irrational and/or inconsequential. However, this book reveals that these movements have responded to modernity in ways that are creative and practical, resulting in a wide range of social, educational and cultural initiatives. Building on research surrounding the ways in which spiritual movements engage in cultural productions, this book takes the international research in a new direction by exploring the utopian intentionality such cultural productions reveal.

The relationship between new religious movements (NRMs) and violence has long been a topic of intense public interest--an interest heavily fueled by multiple incidents of mass violence involving certain groups. Some of these incidents have made international headlines. When New Religious Movements make the news, it's usually because of some violent episode. Some of the most famous NRMs are known much more for the violent way they came to an end than for anything else. Violence and New Religious Movements offers a comprehensive examination of violence by-and against-new religious movements. The book begins with theoretical essays on the relationship between violence and NRMs and then moves on to examine particular groups. There are essays on the "Big Five"--the most well-known cases of violent incidents involving NRMs: Jonestown, Waco, Solar Temple, the Aum Shunrikyo subway attack, and the Heaven's Gate suicides. But the book also provides a richer survey by examining a host of lesser-known groups. This volume is the culmination of decades of research by scholars of New Religious Movements.

This book is a compilation of discourses and question and answer sessions given by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, the founder of the socio-spiritual movement Ananda Marga. Most were given in the early years of the organization in order to instruct disciples on the basics and specialties of Ananda Marga philosophy, and should be read in that context. Many were unpublished in English until now. 'Ananda Marga is a revolution. It is not only a spiritual revolution but also an economic, social and mental revolution. The economic system, the social structure, the trend of thinking and the spiritual practices prescribed in our Ananda Marga are not only new but something quite different from the established ideas and practices in these spheres of life.Ananda Marga is not a change merely due to the cycle of time but a revolution, a radical change - in the true sense. '

This book outlines the theory of Neo-Humanism as propounded by the great 20th century think P.R. Sarkar. Neo-humanism is described as humanism expanded to include the entire creation: all varieties of human cultural expressions, and the animal and plant world, even until the inanimate world. This 'new-humanism', rather than being an aetheistic concept, recognizes the value of a human beings internal world, and thus bases the inspiration of neo-humanism upon a universal spirituality which is an essential part of the human psyche, although at times unconscious. This inner connection provides the mental epansion, empathy and perception so that will allow human society to live 'neo-humanism' not only intheory mut as a real expereicen intergrated into the individual and collective self. The author also clearly and concisely describes the modes by which vested economic and media interests manipulate and distort human thinking, and how this can be combatted through rationality and proper education. This he links in a unique way spirituality, rationality and human emotion. This book offers a unique perspective for anyone interested in sociology, multi-culturalism, anti-speciesism, globalization, anthropology, alternative economics, etc.

The book forms the basis of Ananda Marga Philosophy, upon which all other works of the author can be properly unerstood: but not only of Ananda Marga, of the essential fundaments of yoga philosophy and practices in general. In a clear, logical order, it gives an account of the essence of human life and the relation of a human being in the universe, with the world and with the cosmos. Essential reading for anyone with a sincere interest in spiritual philosophy and meditation practices.