Karma is perhaps the most famous concept in Indian philosophy, but this is the first comprehensive study of its various meanings and philosophical implications. Karma and Rebirth in Classical Indian Traditions offers a harmony of approach and an underlying set of methodological assumptions: a corpus of definitions of karma, a dialectic between abstract theory and historical explanation, and an awareness of logical oppositions in theories of karma. No “solution” to the paradox of karma is offered, but the volume as a whole presents a consistent and encompassing approach to the many different, often conflicting, Indian statements of the problem. Broad in scope and richly detailed, this book demonstrates the impossibility of speaking of “ the theory of karma” and supplies the basis for further study. Exploring methodological issues arising in the study of a non-Western system of soteriology and rebirth, the contributors question the interaction of medical and philosophical models of the human body, the incorporation of philosophical theories into practical religions with which they are logically incompatible, and the problem of historical reconstruction of a complex theory of human life. This title is part of UC Press’s Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1980.

Astrology and Kabbalah is a rewrite of The Anatomy of Fate, first published in 1978. It is about astrology's place in the wider context of Existence as set out by the ancient esoteric tradition of Kabbalah. The topics to be examined are the origin of humanity and the influence of the cosmos on mankind, at both the individual and collective levels. The birth chart is looked at from a psychological and spiritual perspective, as is personal fate and transpersonal destiny. The character and karma of nations, Providence and free will are also considered; so too is an astrological school of the soul, from an esoteric viewpoint. This work is the result of over 50 years' reflection on astrology and Kabbalah. When The Anatomy of Fate was published by Penguin Books it was described as 'a learned and wise classic.' This new and now revised edition, with its added pictures and diagrams, gives yet deeper insights.