Ascetic and Non-dualist Traditions of Classical and Modern Hinduism
- Course Code:
- 15PSRC159
- Status:
- Course Not Running 2012/13
- Unit value:
- 1.0
- Year of study:
- Any
The course deals with the philosophical concepts and religious practises of ascetic and non-dualist traditions in the history of Hinduism. The emergence of Yoga traditions will be traced by interpreting selected original texts in translation (such as the Mahabharata, Yogasutra with commentaries) and discussing their relationship to Buddhism and Jainism. Yoga as a way of salvation will be contrasted with the concepts of knowledge and experience of “absolute being” in non-dualist philosophy. Sankara’s notion of liberation and knowlegde will be analzsed. The rise of the monastic institutions and of a living tradition of teachers will be studied with regard to hagiographical text and selected field studies that deal with the contemporary situation. The impact of ascetic and non-dualist traditions on modern Hinduism will be considered with regard to texts by modern interpreters of Vedanta, such as Vivekananda and Ramana Maharsi.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the course
- Discuss the historical and cultural contexts in which the ascetic and monistic traditions of Hinduism are embedded in the past and in the present
- Analyse different textual sources expounding ascetic practices and monistic concepts in relation to both specific philosophical discourses on consciousness and body and their practical (experiential) implications.
- Consider the impact of Western theories and the intercultural contact on the self-perception of Hindu traditions and the reinterpretation of Yogic and monistic doctrines in terms of “mysticism”.
- Distinguish between philosophical discourse on body, nature, consciousness and liberation and their reception in religions traditions.
- Assess the importance the organizational frameworks of these traditions in monastic institutions and ascetic orders.
- Critically use different literary sources and their academic interpretation.
- Write essays that utilize the theoretical approaches and the source materials presented in the course.
