Buddhism introduced many Hindu Gods and Goddesses to the Japanese. The rulers were the first to be attracted to them. Historical records show that they earnestly believed in the miracles of these divinities promised in the sutras. Many miracle stories started appearing in popular literature as the divinities percolated down to the masses. The resulting naturalisation process in the case of some divinities went to the extent that they became an integral part of the native Shinto pantheon. Their popularity remains unabated even today. The Tantric Buddhist sects also played a vital role in propagating the divinities. They regularly worshipped the divinities in their temples where people thronged in large numbers. Many steps in these ceremonies, for instance, the homa ritual, are very familiar to the present-day Hindus. The monks have also produced a considerable volume of religious literature related to these divinities. Descriptions of many divinities show that they have not changed substantially over centuries. A study of these writings also shows that a large volume of Hindu myths and legends related to these deities were transmitted to Japan. These writings are also a testimony to the way the ancestors of the present-day Hindus thought about these deities, say, around the eighth or ninth century of the Christian era.

Developing a framework to study "what makes a region," Amitav Acharya investigates the origins and evolution of Southeast Asian regionalism and international relations. He views the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) "from the bottom up" as not only a U.S.-inspired ally in the Cold War struggle against communism but also an organization that reflects indigenous traditions. Although Acharya deploys the notion of "imagined community" to examine the changes, especially since the Cold War, in the significance of ASEAN dealings for a regional identity, he insists that "imagination" is itself not a neutral but rather a culturally variable concept. The regional imagination in Southeast Asia imagines a community of nations different from NAFTA or NATO, the OAU, or the European Union. In this new edition of a book first published as The Quest for Identity in 2000, Acharya updates developments in the region through the first decade of the new century: the aftermath of the financial crisis of 1997, security affairs after September 2001, the long-term impact of the 2004 tsunami, and the substantial changes wrought by the rise of China as a regional and global actor. Acharya argues in this important book for the crucial importance of regionalism in a different part of the world.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of figures -- List of maps -- List of tables -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- List of abbreviations -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Origin of the Vedic River Sarasvati - various theories -- 3 Sarasvati in ancient Indian texts - an overview -- 4 Sarasvati in the Rig-Veda -- 5 Sarasvati in the Yajur-Veda and the Atharva-Veda -- Sarasvati and the Yajur-Veda (YV) -- Sarasvati and the Atharva-Veda (AV) -- 6 Sarasvati in the Brahmanas -- Aitareya Brahmana (AB) -- Kausitaki Brahmana (KB) -- Jaiminiya Brahmana (JB) -- Satapatha Brahmana (SB) -- Pancavimsa Brahmana (PB) -- 7 Sarasvati and other deities in Vedic texts -- Sarasvati and Ila -- Sarasvati and Bharati -- Sarasvati and male deities -- 8 Sarasvati and Vak -- 9 Sarasvati in the Mahabharata -- Practice of pilgrimage in India -- The pilgrimage of Balarama and important tirthas (pilgrimage sites) visited by him along the course of Sarasvati -- 10 Important pilgrimage sites (tirthas) on Sarasvati and folklore associated with them -- Kurukshetra -- Adi Badri -- Arunaya Tirtha, Arnaya -- Praci Tirtha, Pehowa -- Sarasvati Tirtha, Pehowa -- Brahmayoni Tirtha, Pehowa -- Prithudhak Tirtha, Pehowa -- Sapta-Saraswat Tirtha, Mangna -- Kapalamochana Tirtha -- Camasodbheda -- Prabhasa Tirtha -- 11 Sarasvati and the Puranas - Puranic version of her origin and course, features, attributes and legends -- Sarasvati's origin and the course of her flow -- Mutable aspect of Sarasvati -- Features and attributes of Sarasvati -- Some important legends connected with Sarasvati in the Puranas -- Sarasvati and Brahma -- Sarasvati and Vishnu -- 12 Iconography of Sarasvati -- Sarasvati in Hindu iconography -- Sarasvati in Buddhist tradition -- Sarasvati in Jaina tradition -- 13 Conclusions -- Annexure - I -- Select references -- Index

This Japanese Shinto book profiles each of the "Seven Luck Gods"—important deities in Japanese culture. The Seven Lucky Gods of Japan are a group of deities whose origins stem from Indian, Chinese, and indigenous Japanese gods of fortune. Not all of the gods are mythical beings. One of them is an actual historical person. Each of the seven gods has been recognized as a deity for more than a thousand years and each has had its own large following of believers. Gradually, however, these gods were transformed from remote and impersonal deities to warmer and more benevolent teleological patrons of those professions, arts, and skills practiced by the Japanese.

A New God examines the worship of a Hindu deity known as Muneeswaran in contemporary Singapore. Sinha's exploration provides an ethnographic documentation of urban-based Hindu religiosity in contemporary Singapore and makes an important contribution to the global study of religion in the diasporas.

Huyler provides an introduction to the scope of Hindu beliefs and practices, accompanied by his arresting photographs documenting the spirituality of common men and women in India. 200 color illustrations.