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Upanishads: Summary & Commentary
The Upanishads are among the best-known philosophical-religious works in the world and also among the oldest as the earliest texts are thought to have been composed between 800-500 BCE. These works are philosophical dialogues relating to...
Definition
Hinduism
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, originating in Central Asia and the Indus Valley, still practiced in the present day. The term Hinduism is what is known as an exonym (a name given by others to a people, place, or concept) and...
Definition
Mandala
A mandala (Sanskrit for “circle”) is an artistic representation of higher thought and deeper meaning given as a geometric symbol used in spiritual, emotional, or psychological work to focus one's attention. The image first appears in India...
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The Self-Sacrifice of a Father
The Self-Sacrifice of a Father, painting by Jacques Sablet, second half of the 18th century.
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.
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Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear by van Gogh
An 1889 oil on canvas painting, Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear, by Vincent van Gogh (1853-90), the Dutch post-impressionist artist. Painted in January in Arles. Vincent had cut off part of his ear and presented it to a prostitute in a local...
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Self-portrait with Pith Helmet by Caillebotte
An 1873 oil on canvas, Self-portrait with Pith Helmet, by Gustave Caillebotte (1848-96) the French impressionist painter. (Private Collection)
Article
Ethnicity & Identity Within the Four-Room House
The process of determining ethnicity is a problematic venture, even more so when interpreted through the archaeological record. Despite this issue, evidence, such as the four-room house, has been preserved that can be interpreted to represent...
Definition
Social Contract
The social contract is an idea in philosophy that at some real or hypothetical point in the past, humans left the state of nature to join together and form societies by mutually agreeing which rights they would enjoy and how they would be...
Video
Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-help By BS Murthy
The spiritual ethos and the philosophical outlook that the Bhagvad - Gita postulates paves the way for the liberation of man, who, as Rousseau said, ‘being born free, is everywhere in chains’. But equally it is a mirror of human psychology...
Article
The Magical Lullaby of Ancient Egypt
The Magical Lullaby (popularly known as Charm for the Protection of a Child) is an inscription from the 16th or 17th century BCE. The poem exemplifies the ancient Egyptian's personal religious and spiritual practices as it is a spell which...