Book Reviews - Book Summary | JainGPT

This is a review of "Book Reviews" by J. W. De Jong, published by J. W. De Jong. The review covers several books on Indian studies, including:

Gerhard Oberhammer's work on Yogic meditation: The reviewer, D. Seyfort Ruegg, discusses Oberhammer's analysis of different types of meditation in the Yoga Sutras, contrasting it with other scholars. Oberhammer's approach to the composition of the Yoga Sutras, which takes into account criticism of atomization, is found convincing. The review also touches on Oberhammer's comparisons of Yoga concepts with Buddhist thought and his interpretation of theistic meditation.
A. J. Alston's "Samkara on The Absolute": J. W. De Jong reviews this sourcebook of Samkara's texts. He notes the book's aim to present Samkara's teachings systematically and acknowledges Alston's thorough research. However, De Jong expresses reservations about Alston's translations, deeming them "somewhat free" and sometimes inaccurate, which he believes hinders a full understanding of Samkara's thought.
Joseph E. Schwartzberg's "A Historical Atlas of South Asia": J. W. De Jong commends this atlas as a valuable resource. While praising its comprehensiveness and clear presentation of information, he points out some unsatisfactory aspects in the text concerning ancient Indian history, particularly regarding the dating of events and the interpretation of Pāṇini's work. He suggests that a more critical revision by a competent scholar could have improved these sections.
Richard Simon's "Kleine Schriften": J. W. De Jong reviews this collection of Richard Simon's publications, primarily focusing on his work in Vedic music. He highlights Simon's significant contributions to the field and welcomes the accessibility of his collected writings.
Helmuth von Glasenapp's collected works: J. W. De Jong reviews two volumes of von Glasenapp's selected writings. He notes von Glasenapp's extensive scholarship, particularly his research on Jainism, Buddhism, and Vedanta, and praises his engagement with less-studied areas of Indian thought.
Christopher H. B. Reynolds' "Sinhalese. An introductory course": J. W. De Jong reviews this introductory course on spoken Sinhalese. While acknowledging its thoroughness and suitability for learners, he finds the presentation of the Sinhalese script somewhat unsatisfactory and suggests that the book might be better used with a teacher rather than for self-study due to the complexity of some grammatical explanations.
Peter Zieme and György Kara's "Ein uigurisches Totenbuch": J. W. De Jong reviews this work on Uigur texts translated from Tibetan, focusing on Naropa's teachings. He highlights its importance for specialists in Uigur and Tibetan Buddhism but critically points out numerous inaccuracies and misunderstandings in the translations from Tibetan, suggesting that a better grasp of Tibetan and Buddhist terminology would have improved the work.
Heinz Bechert (ed.), "Die Sprache der ältesten buddhistischen Überlieferung / The Language of the Earliest Buddhist Tradition": J. W. De Jong reviews the proceedings of a symposium on the language of early Buddhist tradition. He notes the complexity of the issues discussed and the diversity of opinions among scholars, emphasizing the need for detailed studies to establish a reliable theoretical framework.
R. Ananthakrishna Sastry's "Visnusahasranama with the Bhāṣya of Śrī Samkarācārya": J. W. De Jong reviews this edition and translation. He notes its popularity but questions the authenticity of Sankara's commentary and points out some imperfections in the translation, suggesting they should be corrected in future editions.
J. Harmatta (ed.), "Prolegomena to the Sources on the History of Pre-Islamic Central Asia" and "Studies in the Sources on the History of Pre-Islamic Central Asia": J. W. De Jong reviews these volumes containing articles on Central Asian history. He acknowledges their value but suggests that clearer editorial guidance and a more comprehensive introduction would have been beneficial for readers. He also highlights several articles of particular interest to readers of the journal, discussing specific scholarly debates.
Piotr Klafkowski's "The Secret Deliverance of the Sixth Dalai Lama as Narrated by Dharmatāla": J. W. De Jong reviews Klafkowski's work on the controversial account of the Sixth Dalai Lama's later life. While commending the intention to preserve Tibetan flavor in translation, he criticizes the accuracy of Klafkowski's translations and suggests that tentative translations should be clearly marked.

The review also includes critiques of specific scholarly points, translation choices, and methodological approaches within each of the books discussed. Overall, the review demonstrates a deep engagement with the scholarly content and a critical evaluation of the presented works.