The Feminine Principle in the Sikh Vision of the TranscendentThis work is a critical analysis of Sikh literature from a feminist perspective. It begins with Guru Nanak's vision of Transcendent Reality and concludes with the mystical journey of Rani Raj Kaur, the heroine of a modern Punjabi epic. The eight chapters of the book approach the Sikh vision of the Transcendent from historical, scriptural, symbolic, mythological, romantic, existential, ethical and mystical perspectives. Each of these discloses the centrality of the woman, and show convincingly that Sikh Gurus and poets did not want the feminine principle to serve merely as a figure of speech or literary device; it was intended rather to pervade the whole life of the Sikhs. The present work bolsters the claim that literary symbols should be translated into social and political realities, and in so doing puts a valuable feminist interpretation on a religious tradition which has remained relatively unexplored in scholarly literature. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
seeing the Transcendent | 16 |
the Infinite Matrix | 48 |
an epiphany of interconnections | 90 |
transition from mythos to ethos | 118 |
garlands of songs and waves | 150 |
What is life? | 170 |
the paradigm of Sikh ethics | 188 |
the mystical journey | 205 |
Conclusion | 242 |
Epilogue | 252 |
Notes | 258 |
| 288 | |
| 298 | |
Other editions - View all
The Feminine Principle in the Sikh Vision of the Transcendent Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh No preview available - 2008 |
The Feminine Principle in the Sikh Vision of the Transcendent Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh No preview available - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
aesthetic artistic bāṇī beauty become Beloved Bhāi Bhai Vir Singh Bhāī Vīr Singh's bride symbol Candi Caritra Carol Christ consciousness cosmos creation Dasam Granth Dasam Granth Sahib demons Divine ethical existential experience female feminine principle feminist Feminist Theology Formless goddess Groom Guru Arjan Guru Gobind Singh Guru Granth Guru Nanak Harbans Singh heroine Hindu human hymn Ibid individual Infinite Infinite Matrix Janamsākhī Japu joti Kabir Kālī Karam Khand Kaur's Khand kudarati light male Mary Daly mati metaphor Mother Mul Mantra mystical nadar ontological patriarchal Plaskow poem poetic poetry Primal Paradox Punjabi Rāṇā Sūrat Singh Rāņī Rāṇī Rāj Kaur rasa Realm recited religious Ruether Sac Khand sacred Sikh faith Sikh Guru Sikh literature Sikh religion Sikh scripture Sikh tradition Sikh vision Sikhism Singular Sītā spiritual Sundarī sword Theology Transcendent Truth Ultimate Reality University Vār Durgā verse Weaving the Visions woman women words York