Present book surveys and re-interprets the vast work of traditional and modern Japanese scholarship on the Twin mandalas.

The first broad study of Japanese mandalas to appear in a Western language, this volume interprets mandalas as sanctified realms where identification between the human and the sacred occurs. The author investigates eighth- to seventeenth-century paintings from three traditions: Esoteric Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and the kami-worshipping (Shinto) tradition. It is generally recognized that many of these mandalas are connected with texts and images from India and the Himalayas. A pioneering theme of this study is that, in addition to the South Asian connections, certain paradigmatic Japanese mandalas reflect pre-Buddhist Chinese concepts, including geographical concepts. In convincing and lucid prose, ten Grotenhuis chronicles an intermingling of visual, doctrinal, ritual, and literary elements in these mandalas that has come to be seen as characteristic of the Japanese religious tradition as a whole. This beautifully illustrated work begins in the first millennium B.C.E. in China with an introduction to the Book of Documents and ends in present-day Japan at the sacred site of Kumano. Ten Grotenhuis focuses on the Diamond and Womb World mandalas of Esoteric Buddhist tradition, on the Taima mandala and other related mandalas from the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, and on mandalas associated with the kami-worshipping sites of Kasuga and Kumano. She identifies specific sacred places in Japan with sacred places in India and with Buddhist cosmic diagrams. Through these identifications, the realm of the buddhas is identified with the realms of the kami and of human beings, and Japanese geographical areas are identified with Buddhist sacred geography. Explaining why certain fundamental Japanese mandalas look the way they do and how certain visual forms came to embody the sacred, ten Grotenhuis presents works that show a complex mixture of Indian Buddhist elements, pre-Buddhist Chinese elements, Chinese Buddhist elements, and indigenous Japanese elements.

A close analysis of the architecture of the stupa—a Buddhist symbolic form that is found throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia. The author, who trained as an architect, examines both the physical and metaphysical levels of these buildings, which derive their meaning and significance from Buddhist and Brahmanist influences.

50 Diamond Mandalas - Color by Number features unique hand-illustrated mandala designs of diamonds, crystals, gems, pearls and jewels for relaxation and stress relieving designs. Explore variety of decorated mandala designs range in complexity and detail from beginner to expert-level. Features & Highlights: A creative coloring book to relieve stress. 50 Unique Diamond Mandala designs & patterns to bring to life Printed on Single Sided for easy page removal and black printed page on the back to reduce the color bleeding. Easy to use 21 colors to create masterpieces. A best Gift for your loved ones. Colorists of all ages will enjoy painting or coloring these pages. About Sachin Sachdeva Sachin Sachdeva is a professional game designer and Illustrator. He has been designing educational and learning games for children's from past 15 years. His 10 years old daughter "Naisha" is the biggest inspiration for him to write and conceptualise children's books. He has published more than 175 books. Enjoy more Color by Number books by Sachin Sachdeva: 50 Animal Mandalas, Beautiful Birds, Power Quotes, Flowers & Butterflies, and Spring Season.

50 Diamond Mandalas features unique hand-illustrated designs of decorated mandalas with the blend of diamonds, pearls, stones, gems, jewels and crystals . Designs range in complexity and detail from beginner to expert-level. Features & Highlights: A creative coloring book to relieve stress. 50 Unique Diamond Mandala designs & patterns to bring to life Printed on Single Sided for easy page removal and black printed page on the back to reduce the colour bleeding. Create your own masterpieces. A best Gift for your loved ones. Colorists of all ages will enjoy painting or coloring these pages.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the International Workshop on Software Measurement, IWSM-Mensura 2007, held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in November 2007. The 16 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. The papers deal with aspects of software measurement like function-points measurement, effort and cost estimates, prediction, industrial experiences in software measurement, planning and implementing measurement, measurement-based software process improvement, best practices in software measurement, usability and user interaction measurement, measurement of open source projects, teaching and learning software measurement as well as new trends and ontologies for software measurement.

With vivid photography and insightful commentary, this travel pictorial shines a light on the Buddhist art and architecture of Borobudur. The glorious ninth-century Buddhist stupa of Borobudur--the largest Buddhist monument in the world--stands in the midst of the lush Kedu Plain of Central Java in Indonesia, where it is visited annually by over a million people. Borobudur contains more than a thousand exquisitely carved relief panels extending along its many terraces for a total distance of more than a kilometer. These are arranged so as to take the visitor on a spiritual journey to enlightenment, and one ascends the monument past scenes depicting the world of desire, the life story of Buddha, and the heroic deeds of other enlightened beings--finally arriving at the great circular terraces at the top of the structure that symbolizes the formless world of pure knowledge and perfection.

Collection of Japanese works including poetry, prose and drama.