New Books in Religion

Carl Ernst and Patrick D'Silva, "Breathtaking Revelations: The Science of Breath from 'The Fifty Kamarupa Verses' to Hazrat Inayat Khan" (Suluk Press, 2024)


Listen Later

In Breathtaking Revelations: The Science of Breath from the Fifty Kamarupa Verses to Hazrat Inayat Khan (Suluk Press, 2024), Carl W. Ernst and Patrick J. D’Silva explore the intersections of Sufi and yogic breath-based meditation. Ernst and D’Silva offer us here two stunning texts for study. 

The first, an anonymous Persian translation of a 14th century manuscript that introduces us to a variety of divinations, incantations, and much more, as well as a thorough outline of the science of the breath, based on whether it comes out from the left or right nostrils and its significance. This text especially is fascinating for its incantations to yogini devis (or female spirits). 

The second text under consideration is Hazrat Inayat Khan’s The Science of the Breath dictated in English to his student Zohra Williams in the early 20th century. There are numerous similarities across these two texts separated by centuries, especially the focus on breath divination based on left and right nostrils (in this instance associated with jamal and jalali qualities while in the former focused on solar and lunar relations) but also key differences, such as attention to the elements like earth, fire, water etc. in Inayat Khan’s teachings. 

Reading these two texts on breath and its divination side by side brings to focus the long tradition of Sufi engagement with yoga, and the overlaps between Hindu and Muslim spiritual practices amongst Sufis and yogis, especially of magic, sciences and much more. This book will be of interest to practitioners of Sufism as well as those with interest in Sufism, Islam, yoga, Hinduism, and much more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

New Books in ReligionBy New Books Network

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

27 ratings


More shows like New Books in Religion

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,400 Listeners

Philosopher's Zone by ABC listen

Philosopher's Zone

208 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,173 Listeners

Homebrewed Christianity by Dr. Tripp Fuller

Homebrewed Christianity

569 Listeners

New Books in History by Marshall Poe

New Books in History

209 Listeners

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast by Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

2,089 Listeners

New Books in Psychoanalysis by Marshall Poe

New Books in Psychoanalysis

190 Listeners

New Books in Military History by Marshall Poe

New Books in Military History

163 Listeners

New Books in African American Studies by New Books Network

New Books in African American Studies

161 Listeners

New Books in Anthropology by New Books Network

New Books in Anthropology

49 Listeners

New Books in Environmental Studies by Marshall Poe

New Books in Environmental Studies

18 Listeners

New Books in Political Science by New Books Network

New Books in Political Science

63 Listeners

New Books in Philosophy by New Books Network

New Books in Philosophy

110 Listeners

New Books in Native American Studies by Marshall Poe

New Books in Native American Studies

104 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,899 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

292 Listeners

New Books in Critical Theory by Marshall Poe

New Books in Critical Theory

143 Listeners

New Books in Intellectual History by New Books Network

New Books in Intellectual History

62 Listeners

Philosophize This! by Stephen West

Philosophize This!

15,041 Listeners

Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,409 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

123 Listeners

Why Theory by Why Theory

Why Theory

561 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

12,736 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,216 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

2,045 Listeners