With a history stretching back to ancient India; Buddhism has influenced American culture since the American Transcendentalist movement in the 1830s and '40s. Only in the past few decades; however; has this transplanted philosophy begun to blossom into a full-fledged American religion; made up of three broad groups: a burgeoning Asian immigrant population; numerous native-born converts; and old-line Asian American Buddhists. In Buddhism in America; religious historian Richard Seager offers a perceptive and engaging portrait of the communities; institutions; practices; and individuals that are integral to the contemporary Buddhist landscape.The book begins with a brief survey of Buddhist beliefs -- the story of the Buddha's life; the meaning of enlightenment; realization; the cultivation of nonattachment; and other core concepts -- and Buddhist history in both Asia and the United States. In part 2; Seager presents six well-crafted profiles of Buddhist traditions that have been brought to the United States from Japan; Tibet; Southeast Asia; and elsewhere. This section highlights challenges and problems that have come with transporting and adapting an Asian religion to late twentieth-century America: Who can teach and who can lead? What are the proper roles of laypeople and monks in a society lacking a strong monastic tradition?The last section takes up the general theme of Americanization; looking at recent developments in three important areas -- gender equity; progressive social change; and intra-Buddhist and interreligious dialogue. Arguing that the gulf between recent converts and new immigrant communities is the most prominent feature of the contemporary scene; Seager assesses American Buddhism as a whole and looks into its future: Will the dharma; traditional Buddhist teachings; be watered down to suit the lifestyles of middle-class; consumerist Americans? Will this highly decentralized religion develop strong national associations; as Catholicism and Judaism have? What institutions -- universities; monasteries; or dharma centers run by and for laypeople -- will be most effective in preserving and developing an American Buddhist tradition? This lucid survey lays the foundations for understanding one of the United States' most vital new religions.
#3497754 in Books Rigoglioso Marguerite 2010-10-18 2010-09-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .75 x 5.50l; 1.10 #File Name: 0230618863267 pagesVirgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Denise StroudGreat book2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Full of informationBy Elaine WhiteThis was an interesting read for me because I am interested in the topic. The text tends to read like a dissertation; but the information is well-documented and met my need.21 of 23 people found the following review helpful. Indispensable resource for religion and mythology scholars and studentsBy Acharya S aka D.M. MurdockWhatever one takes away from "Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity" by Dr. Marguerite Rigoglioso; the book certainly is a tour de force. Phrases like "parthenogenetic creator deity" and "virgin creatrix" readily convey the concept of a virgin mother from remotest times; like a splash of cold water waking up our long dormant female spiritual traditions. There can be no doubt that the virgin-mother concept did not originate with Christianity and that the idea of the Virgin Mary as a historical personage appears unsupportable from this and much more evidence.Suddenly; it all makes sense: Of course; the Great Creator of the Universe has been viewed as a female--a goddess--during a significant period of human culture. Evidence in many places points to this idea of a self-generative--essentially virginal--female creator preceding the development of a male counterpart. For; if God the Father or Yahweh is the creator; yet he has no consort; according to Christian tradition; and is basically asexual; then he too is virginal. Like Isis and so many others; God the Father is the Great Virgin. Nevertheless; like them he too begets. He is the Virgin Father--a concept applied to the Greek god Zeus as well; despite how many times he is said to procreate; since he is called in antiquity "parthenos" or virgin. As mythologist Robert Graves says; "Thus the Orphic hymn celebrates Zeus as both Father and Eternal Virgin." Rigoglioso also discusses Zeus as virgin creator; as in Orphic fragment 167:"Zeus's parthenogenetic capacity is expressed here in the idea that all existence was 'created anew' in the moment of his ingesting of the older god [Phanes]."While reading about the Egyptian virgin-mother goddess Neith; I was struck once more with how spiritually and religiously sophisticated were the Egyptians. Their high culture as revealed in their social structure and architecture is also expressed in their religion; mythology and spirituality. In many ways; in the Egyptian culture we are looking at an advanced level of civilization seldom reached since then.Regarding Neith; Rigoglioso relates:"As a divinity of the First Principle; Neith was an autogenetic [self-begetting] goddess who; in the ultimate mystery; created herself out of her own being. ...an inscription on a statue of Utchat-Heru; a high priest of Neith; relates that she 'was the first to give birth to anything; and that she had done so when nothing else had been born; and that she had herself never been born.'"After studying the attributes of Neith as a 7;000-year-old Virgin Mother; the parthenogenetic or virgin-birth capacity of other ancient goddesses becomes so blatantly obvious and cosmologically sound that discussions of whether or not a figure was "really a virgin" seem absurd. As does nitpicking a certain term; as to whether or not it might mean "virgin" or just a "maiden" who is fertile. The bottom line is that we are discussing a cosmological ideal; not real women who possess body parts.Although I have been studying Greek religion and mythology for decades; including in college and post-graduate studies in Greece itself; I was nonetheless intrigued to review the evidence concerning not only the antiquity of the pre-Olympian goddess Hera as a virgin mother but also her primacy over the male gods; who appear to be later interlopers and usurpers.Indeed; the struggle reflected in the mythology between Hera and Zeus; or the goddess and the god; in ancient Greece appears to have begun around 1;000 BCE and may have lasted some 300 or so years; before the Olympians finally ascended to the throne.Marguerite further states:"Strong indicators that Hera was originally conceived as a parthenogenetic goddess can be found in association with her cult on the island of Samos; located off the coast of ancient Anatolia (Turkey). On Samos; one of the primary and earliest seats of her worship; she was known as Hera Parthenia; 'Hera the Virgin'... Such a title was apparently not uncommon in association with this goddess..."Renewing her virginity annually in a river; Hera was nonetheless the mother who gave birth parthenogenetically to the Greek god of the forge; Hephaistos.The concluding chapter; "The Gnostic Sophia: Divine Generative Virgin" by Dr. Angeleen Campra; ties the subject together nicely by providing a bridge between Paganism and Judeo-Christian tradition; as it shows precisely how this ages-old concept of the divine feminine as primordial creator was demoted; at precisely the same time when Christianity was being formed; with its subordinate female figure of the Virgin Mary. Says Campra:"Sophia rose out of a patriarchal worldview; but I argue that both iterations--Hochma/Sophia of the Wisdom literature of the fifth to first centuries B.C.E. and Sophia of the Valentinian Gnostic myth of the first centuries C.E.--reveal the attributes of the more ancient Virgin Mother deities from the areas neighboring West Asia."Campra's extensive survey clearly reveals that parthenogenesis was part of the enigmatic Gnostic doctrine; which brings this extremely ancient concept right down to and into the Christian era; with its evident remake of the Virgin Mother Goddess in Mary; whom I and many others contend is a mythical not historical figure; largely based on this widespread and ancient goddess concept.Rigoglioso's important study goes a long way in resurrecting the works of Marija Gimbutas; Riane Eisler and Merlin Stone in the "Great Matriarchy v. Patriarchy Debate;" in which their thesis of Goddess or female primacy has been assailed and claimed to be "discredited;" replaced with more oblique terminology describing "partnership" versus "dominator" cultures. Indeed; in this regard Marguerite has come out in support of this earlier research and says in VMGA:"Critics of the theory that a matriarchal phase of human history preceded patriarchy will no doubt deride the fact that I am even considering such a concept as basis for this book. Haven't we thoroughly trounced the notion and shown it to be archaeologically and anthropologically untenable or unprovable; after all? Haven't we shown; in fact that matriarchies never existed? I would argue; no."Concerning Gimbutas in specific; Rigoglioso also remarks:"Although controversy surrounds Gimbutas's methods and conclusions...; the viewpoint I adopt is in accord with those of archaeologists and other scholars who are verifying and expanding on various aspects of Gimbutas's theories... I believe that; because prominent classics scholars...independently held to similar theoretical views; the assumption of an early matriarchal substratum in Greece; upon which my analysis is based; is built on firm; if not conclusive; footing."The only serious criticism I have of the book is its price; which is unfortunately that of an academic press and too great for the average reader; who will thus miss out on all the fascinating and important information.Moreover; for the average reader this book may seem dense and; at times; tedious; as well as challenging because of the academic style of citation that includes the author; year and page number parenthetically in the text; rather than as footnotes or endnotes. Non-scholars may find the style initially distracting or intimidating; but they may also get used to it in their quest to pull out all the gems; which are plentiful.Also; in the chapter on Demeter and Persephone; whom she demonstrates were "originally conceived as Virgin Mothers;" Rigoglioso goes into a lengthy discussion of the rape of the virgin goddess and the ritual use of a phallus by initiates into the Eleusinian Mysteries; both male and female. This section is important for historical purposes; but it may make some readers uncomfortable in its frankness and graphic depictions.Although it is a scholarly work that may be difficult for some to tackle; Virgin Mother Goddesses readily proves Rigoglioso's major points; including and especially the existence in the human psyche; religion and mythology extending back millennia of the concept of a self-generating or parthenogenetic female divine creator. Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity is an indispensable resource for scholars and students of comparative religion and mythology; as well as women's spirituality and goddess studies; that I personally will be using for years to come.
