Nicholas Sutton – författare

This short course sets out a detailed study of the text, philosophy, and significance of the millennia-old yoga system defined in the Yogasutras. The popular practice of yoga finds its origin in one of the most venerated wisdom books of India: the Yogasutras. Comprised of 196 short statements on the essential teachings of yoga, Patanjali’s Yogasutras holds the position of being the seminal work that defines the yoga system. Over the centuries many important commentaries have been written that seek to explain and extrapolate the full meaning of the sutras, and to this day, the text continues to be appreciated for the profound wisdom contained within it. While the Yogasutras were originally written in Sanskrit, this short course offers an accessible translation and commentary without sacrificing any of its profound wisdom. This edition will allow the reader to study and dive into the meaning and philosophy of this ancient text with its significant contemporary relevance. Yoga students, practitioners, and scholars alike will appreciate the way in which this short course guides the reader through the text.

This short course sets out a detailed study of the text, philosophy, and contemporary significance of the teachings found within this ancient sacred book.The Bhagavad Gita, which was spoken perhaps five thousand years ago and whose written form has been extant for over two thousand years, continues to inspire new generations of seekers in the East and West. Gandhi in the East and Thoreau, Emerson, Einstein, and others in the West found within its pages deep wisdom, comfort, and contemporary applications to their lives and times. The Gita ranks with the Bible, Dhammapada, Dao De Jing, Qu’ran, and other significant sacred books as a universal source teaching that transcends sectarian religions. In addition, the Bhagavad Gita—along with the Yoga sutras—is one of the two primary foundational books on the yoga path, aspects of which have become wildly popular in the West in recent decades.This new translation and commentary on the Gita is the first in a series produced by the Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies (OCHS), a Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford. The OCHS Gita is simultaneously authoritative, academically sound, and accessible for inquiring students and seekers. Each chapter has an English translation of the verses, explores main themes, and explains how the knowledge is relevant and applicable to our twenty-first-century world.

The two thousand years old Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali is a foundational wisdom text which encapsulates the essential teachings of yoga and meditation. Dr. Sutton’s new translation, clear commentary and study guide is especially valuable for inclusion in Yoga Teacher Training courses and introductory Hindu studies courses. The popular practice of yoga finds its origin in one of the most venerated wisdom books of India: the Yoga Sutras. Comprised of 196 short, insightful statements on the essential teachings of yoga and meditation. To this day, the text continues to be appreciated and studied by yoga students and teachers around the world. Dr. Sutton's book offers accessible translation and commentary without sacrificing the profound wisdom contained in the text.

The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient and celebrated wisdom book, explains yoga as a spiritual path universally accessible to anyone. Each of the Gita's eighteen chapters explores a different form of yoga—from action to meditation, from mind yoga to heart yoga. Dr. Sutton's new translation, clear commentary and study guide is especially valuable to yoga and academic teachers and students, and will be welcomed to Yoga Teacher Training courses and University World Religion and Hindu Studies courses. The Bhagavad Gita, which was spoken perhaps five millennia ago and whose written form has been extant for over 2,000 years, has inspired new generations of seekers East and West for centuries, including Emerson and Thoreau, Gandhi and Einstein. The Gita and Yoga Sutras comprise the two primary foundational books on the yoga path, aspects of which have become wildly popular in the West in recent decades.

In this in-depth, engaging guide to the Mahabharata, Hindu Studies scholar Nicholas Sutton explores the central messages of the work’s core narratives and passages of instruction, demonstrating how the questions the text poses are as relevant today as they were to those who composed this mighty treatise on human existence.

In this in-depth, engaging guide to the Mahabharata, Hindu Studies scholar Nicholas Sutton explores the central messages of the work’s core narratives and passages of instruction, demonstrating how the questions the text poses are as relevant today as they were to those who composed this mighty treatise on human existence.The Mahabharata is a truly vast work of early Sanskrit literature that reflects on a wide range of issues which have concerned people throughout different epochs. Within the context of Indian culture, the significance of the Mahabharata cannot be overstated, as its themes, characters, narratives, and preoccupations have reverberated across the region for centuries. It is well-known that the whole of the epic is structured around a central narrative that tells of an ancient conflict between two branches of the same royal house, the Pandavas and Kauravas. Yet it is also a clearly didactic work that addresses the fundamental meaning of human existence. In Light on the Mahabharata: A Guide to India’s Great Epic, Nicholas Sutton examines the multi-faceted manner in which the Mahabharata does this, elucidating the diverse and multi-layered answers the text offers to the many questions it raises. Sutton’s book explores why the main characters behave in the manner that they do, the vision of life that motivates them, and the extent to which they are able to prioritise enlightened wisdom over narrow self-interest. Unravelling the Sanskrit epic’s myriad lines of reflection, Light on the Mahabharata demonstrates that the questions the work poses and the range of answers it suggests are as relevant in the present day as they were in remote antiquity. OXFORD CENTRE SERIES: The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Publishing Series offers authoritative yet accessible introductions to a wide range of subjects in Hindu Studies. Each book in the series aims to present its subject matter in a form that is engaging and readily comprehensible to persons of all backgrounds – academic or otherwise – without compromising scholarly rigour. The series thus bridges the divide between academic and popular writing by preserving and utilising the best elements of both. Other books in the series include The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Study Guide; The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape; and Women in the Hindu World. EXPERT AUTHOR: Nicholas Sutton has spent the four decades studying, teaching, and writing on the Mahabharata. Sutton is the Director of the Continuing Education Department of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, an academy for the study of Hindu cultures, societies, philosophies, religions, and languages. He received his PhD from Lancaster University, writing his doctoral dissertation on the Mahabharata, and currently writes and tutors online courses on Hindu religious traditions. EDUCATION AID: This book serves as a comprehensive resource for both classwork and independent study of Hinduism. With the integration of discussion questions, suggested further readings, and glossary of Sanskrit terms, Light on the Mahabharata offers an accessible introduction to this enduring Sanskrit epic.