BEHE 154 Aux abords de la clairiere. Etudes en l'honneur de Charles Malamoud (Bibliotheque de L'Ecole Des Hautes Etudes, Sciences Religieu) (French and English Edition)

Book Description

This scholarly collection explores the profound Sanskrit concept of loka, meaning "world," through the lens of distinguished Indologist Charles Malamoud's groundbreaking research. Drawing from the etymological connection between the Sanskrit loka and the Latin lucus (clearing), Malamoud reveals how ancient wisdom traditions understood our world as a luminous space illuminated by celestial bodies.

The central metaphor of the clearing offers a transformative perspective on existence itself. Rather than viewing our world as an isolated realm of light, this work demonstrates how the visible world cannot exist independently from the aloka, the "non-world" that surrounds it. This recognition invites readers to contemplate the essential relationship between what we perceive and what lies beyond perception.

Standing "at the edges of the clearing" becomes a practice of expanded awareness, requiring us to acknowledge both the illuminated space of our daily experience and the vast forest of mystery that encompasses it. This dual vision challenges conventional boundaries between the known and unknown, the manifest and unmanifest.

Through rigorous academic investigation spanning four decades, these studies illuminate methodological and conceptual pathways that bridge ancient Indian wisdom with contemporary understanding. The collection offers seekers and scholars alike an opportunity to engage with sophisticated frameworks for comprehending the interconnected nature of existence, world, and the boundless reality that contains them both.