The Discover India Podcast by Professor Pankaj Jain: Bhārat Darśan
By Pankaj Jain
#India #Indology #IndianClassicalMusic #IndianCulture #IndianTraditions #India #Hinduism #Jainism #Buddhism #Dharma #Jainology #ReligionAndEcology #FilmStudies #Bollywood #IndianDiaspora #Dharmic #ManojGovindraj
The Discover India Podcast by Professor Pankaj Jain: Bhārat DarśanDec 05, 2023
Sanskrit, linguistics and AI: Methodological Congruence in a diverse Indian context
Sanskrit, linguistics and AI: Methodological Congruence in a diverse Indian context.
Abstract: The talk, while presenting the nuances of Indian multilingual situations, will focus on similarity of methods used in Sanskrit grammar, Linguistics and AI. In this context, there will be a presentation of the contributions of Panini, Saussure and Chomsky leading to the emergence of computational linguistics and AI. The National Education Policy of India launched in 2020 lays special emphasis on Mother Tongue education which poses real implementation challenges considering the multitude of languages and speech communities in India. While discussing the challenges posed by educating the millions in India, requirements of a flexible, scalable and cost-effective AI will be presented. The talk will survey the work being done in this area and will present implementation challenges and suggest solutions for designing, developing and deploying smart systems for delivering multilingual content.
Jain Philosophy, Cosmology, Ethics: A Webinar for JNU
Jain Philosophy, Cosmology, Ethics: A Webinar for JNU
Discussing "Indian and Western Philosophical Concepts in Religion" with Drs. Raj Balkaran, Jeff Long
Philosophical concepts are influential in the theories and methods of studying world religions. Even though anthropology and religious studies now encompass communities and cultures worldwide, the theories and methods used to study world religions and cultures continue to be rooted in Western philosophies. For instance, one of the most widely used textbooks used in introductory courses on religious studies introduces major theoreticians such as Edward Burnett Tylor, James Frazer, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Mircea Eliade, William James, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, and Clifford Geertz. Their theories are based on Western philosophy. In contrast, in Indic philosophical systems, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, one of the common views on reality is that the world, both within oneself and outside, is a flow with nothing permanent, both the observer and the observed undergoing constant transformation. This volume is based on innovative ideas from different Indic philosophies and how they can enrich the theory and methods in religious studies.
Refocusing the Lens: History of Modern India through Historical Photography
Join us for a captivating India Centre webinar with Prof. Lisa Trivedi, Christian A. Johnson Excellence in Teaching Professor of History, Hamilton College, New York. She will explore a 1937 photographic series, commissioned by the Jyoti Sangh to capture women at work in Ahmedabad. Discover the narrative behind the historical lens captured through the lens of Pranlal K. Patel, an early Indian photographer. Prof. Trivedi will draw from critical theories of photography to show how a reading of these photos sheds light on the past but also has the potential to open new subjects relevant to contemporary India. Brace yourself for an illuminating journey as this webinar transcends traditional boundaries, emphasizing the intersection of ethics with history and photography.
Raising Kids in America: Sharing my Parenting Experiences in the USA
Raising Kids in America: Sharing my Parenting Experiences in the USA
Webinar by Prof Pankaj Jain & Dr Erin Lothes: Dharma, Catholicism, and Ecology
Webinar by Prof Pankaj Jain & Dr Erin Lothes: Dharma, Catholicism, and Ecology
Bhopal Beyond the Gas Tragedy and the Railway Men… #railwaymen #bhopal #bhopalcity #shorts
Bhopal Beyond the Gas Tragedy and the Railway Men… #railwaymen #bhopal #bhopalcity #shorts
Philological & Philosophical Analysis of Japanese Zen Gardens
Philological & Philosophical Analysis of Japanese Zen Gardens: Zen = Chan (Chinese) = Dhyan (Sanskrit)
Teaser: Naturally Musical | Eco-Friendly Songs in Indian Films | Manoj Govindraj & Prof. Pankaj Jain
Visit https://www.youtube.com/@ProfPankajJain for the much-awaited episode one of Naturally Musical - a venture Professor Pankaj Jain and Shri Manoj Govindraj have undertaken to share the often simple yet layered thoughts behind eco-friendly songs in Indian films🎵 Keep up with every episode to see how Prof. Pankaj Jain masterfully peels back the glass onion of lyrical complexity in Indian film music while Manojji explains the theoretical aspects and Hindustani classical linkages that make these melodies beautiful. With sprinkles of short performances by both Manoj ji and I, we truly hope you enjoy this deep dive into eco-friendly Indian film music that we call “Naturally Musical”🎶 https://www.youtube.com/@ProfPankajJain
Re-orienting Orientalism: A Webinar by Dr Peter Scharf, President, The Sanskrit Library
The study of India took place in Europe and America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries under the term Orientalism, `the study of the East' which sets the East, the Orient, as opposed to the West, the Occident. Scholars in the discipline of Orientalism and in the fields that have replaced the directionally biased term with neutral ones, such as Indology and South Asian Studies in contemporary scholarship, have been accused of being outsiders who bear attitudes that subjugate Indian knowledge and culture to European knowledge and culture. Conversely, recent scholarship that purports to represent Indian knowledge from the inside has been accused of chauvinism and religious fundamentalism. The present investigation demonstrates that much recent scholarship that purports to be liberated from Orientalist attitudes, in fact, is guilty of insidious Orientalism that subjugates Indian knowledge to theoretical cultural anthropology by devaluing any investigation that is not set within that limited theoretical framework. Although cultural anthropologists engaged in subaltern studies claim to be rescuing India from Orientalism, they undermine Indian knowledge to a new extreme by drawing scholarship away from substantial issues to the theoretical framework of cultural anthropology. Those who purport to represent Indian knowledge from the inside are likewise unknowingly co-opted into this new Orientalism by allowing the themes of their research to be determined by the cultural anthropological framework. The recent dominant scholarship of arguing that certain scientific conclusions ought to be dismissed because the scientists who argued for them were orientalists on the one hand or were Hindu fundamentalists on the other all reveals itself, regardless of which way it claims to be socio-political banter devoid of any scientific value. Irrespective of the motives of the scholars, scientific conclusions should be established or dismissed on the grounds of fundamental research, incontrovertible data, and persuasive arguments, not based on accusations of purported bias.
Indian Culture and Ecology: A Webinar for JNU Scholars by Prof Pankaj Jain
Indian Culture and Ecology: A Webinar for JNU Scholars by Prof Pankaj Jain
Interview for New Books N/W for "Modern Jainism: A Historical Approach (2023)" with Dr. Raj Balkaran
This book presents a substantive yet accessible introduction to the modern thought of Jainism. It examines the life and thought of some of the most influential 19th and 20th-century Jain ascetic leaders that remain little known in the Western world. The book's first part provides a detailed philosophical overview of Jain thought based on the translation of a seminal Hindi text Jain Darshan. The second part introduces eight Jain saints from the major Jain sects, including their biographies, philosophical perspectives, and related contemporary movements flourishing in various places across India and beyond. The author also shares his ethnographic experiences in several chapters. Furthermore the book provides a detailed glossary of terms in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Hindi, Gujarati, and Rajasthani and their English meanings. An indispensable book that offers innovative insights into several crucial Jain movements and how they helped shape modern Indian society and beyond. The book includes historical, philological, and anthropological accounts of modern Jainism.
ModernJainism: My Seminar at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
ModernJainism: My Seminar at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
How International Democracy Ratings Misrepresent India: A Webinar by Prof. Salvatore Babones
Despite a vibrant free press, a tenaciously independent judiciary, and 75 years of free and fair elections, India has somehow gained an international reputation as an authoritarian state bordering on fascism. The Economist Intelligence Unit considers India a "flawed democracy", Sweden’s Varieties of Democracy Institute calls India an "electoral autocracy", and the Washington think tank Freedom House rates India as only "partially free". Major news organizations uncritically report such allegations, which have now become central to the global understandings of India. But are these criticisms of Indian democracy actually correct? The stridently negative appraisals of Indian democracy published by the three major democracy rating organisations seem wildly disproportionate to the actual evidence marshalled to support them. In several instances, they smack of intentional deception. When we turn to hard, quantitative evidence, we find that Indian democracy is in fact in good health, and in much better health than other, comparable countries. It is, in fact, the rankings themselves that are poorly constructed, resulting in an understanding of Indian democracy that is seriously flawed. Salvatore Babones is an associate professor at the University of Sydney and the executive director of the Indian Century Roundtable. He is a quantitative comparative sociologist whose current research focuses on the political sociology of democracy. He is the author or editor of fourteen books and several dozen academic research articles. He earned his MS (Statistics) and PhD (sociology) from the Johns Hopkins University. His 2018 book The New Authoritarianism was named among the year's 'Best on Politics' by the Wall Street Journal. He is currently researching a book on Indian democracy.
Jain Mahabharata & Jain Monks in Africa
Did you know that the timeless Indian epics, the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, hold secrets beyond their well-known tales of gods and heroes? Step into the realm of Jainism and discover the captivating universe of "Jain Mahābhāratas," in this fascinating India Studies Webinar curated by The India Centre. Join our expert guest speaker, Prof. Eva De Clercq from Ghent University, Belgium, as she guides us through the intricacies of Jain Mahābhārata material, tracing its origins from the ancient Āgamas to the present day. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the uncharted territories of these beloved epics. AND
The India Centre calls out to all curious souls who are deeply interested in unravelling the depths of history. Brace yourself for a unique and enthralling narrative of a Jain mendicant's odyssey across the Western Indian Ocean in 1946. Join us for "O Maharaj! Take these lemons – Jains and Jainism in the Western Indian Ocean," a riveting India Studies webinar that will be guided by Prof. Tine Vekemans from Ghent University, Belgium. As the Ācārya Mahāprajña Chair for Jain Studies, she seamlessly weaves together the threads of contemporary Jainism and its presence beyond South Asia. Her unique blend of textual analysis and anthropological insights casts light on Jainism through the lens of everyday experiences and practices. Get ready to be part of a time-travelling exploration that bridges cultures and generations. Calling all inquisitive minds intrigued by the unfathomable depths of history! Prepare yourself for an unparalleled and captivating journey as we unveil the remarkable saga of a Jain mendicant's odyssey across the Western Indian Ocean in 1946. Dive into the riveting world of "O Maharaj! Take these lemons – Jains and Jainism in the Western Indian Ocean," a captivating webinar in the realm of India Studies. Guided by the expertise of Prof. Tine Vekemans from Ghent University, Belgium, an eminent figure as the Ācārya Mahāprajña Chair for Jain Studies. With a seamless blend of textual analysis and anthropological insights, Prof. Vekemans sheds light on contemporary Jainism and its transcendent presence beyond South Asia, painting a vivid picture of Jainism through the canvas of everyday experiences and practices.
Karma in Jainism = Dust Particles on Soul
Karma in Jainism = Dust Particles on Soul
Philological & Philosophical Analysis of the Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 1 | Verse 1
The pursuit of wisdom is never-ending. Researchers and scholars have provided their takes on the Bhagavad Gita for thousands of years. Professor Pankaj Jain is an integral part of this long list of academically and culturally gifted individuals who have shared the knowledge dispersed through the Bhagavad Gita so that laypeople can understand them. Professor Pankaj Jain is bringing you a weekly linguistic and philosophical analysis aimed at making you better understand and appreciate the nuances of one of the most revered Hindu texts. Tune in every Sunday for a new episode of this philological and philosophical analysis of the Bhagavad Gita at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C0Yb5MPtHo&list=PLAvLthebN2HBwRyssBF2ItkzL-_Ps7SkO Texts referenced in the series: 1. Gita Rahasya by Lokmanya Tilak 2. Gita Discourses by Osho 3. Gita Discourses by Rev. Athavale Dadaji 4. Gita interpretation by Mahatma Gandhi 5. Gita commentary by Adi Shankaracharya 6. Sargeant Winthrop and Christopher Key Chapple. The Bhagavad Gita. State University of New York Press, 2009. 7. Goldman Robert P and Sally J Sutherland. Devavāṇīpraveśikā : An Introduction to the Sanskrit Language. 3rd ed. Center for South Asia Studies University of California, 1999.
Next episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C0Yb5MPtHo&list=PLAvLthebN2HBwRyssBF2ItkzL-_Ps7SkO
Gender and Women’s Monastic Authority in Hindu Society: The Role of Charismatic Female Gurus
This lecture examines the emergent leadership of two female gurus in South Asia who have declared their status as Śaṅkarācāryās (i.e., heads of monastic institutions) based on revelatory experiences. They do this in order to change patriarchal monastic (akhāṛā) culture and challenge entrenched ideas of women’s inferiority in Hindu society. Bringing together ethnographic data and gender studies-centered analysis of their narratives and teachings, the author shall investigate the role and impact of gendered charismatic authority on modern women’s monastic lives. Prof. Antoinette E. DeNapoli is a specialist in South Asian Hinduism with a focus on asceticism, gender, sexuality, embodiment, authority, modernity, and performance. She also conducts ethnographic research on contemporary South Asian Hindu communities centered around the leadership of female gurus and ascetics (sādhus), contemporary Hindu feminisms, and contemporary female traditions of devotional asceticism and mysticism in North India. Her first book, Real Sadhus Sing to God: Gender, Asceticism, and Vernacular Religion in Rajasthan, is published by Oxford University Press, and her next book entitled, Female Gurus and Grassroots Feminism: The Modern Struggle for Gender Equality in South Asian Hinduism, is underway with Oxford University Press. She is the editor of and contributor to a special journal issue entitled, Gurus, Priestesses, Saints, Mediums, and Yoginis: Holy Women as Influencers in Hindu Culture, with Dr. June McDaniel, which is forthcoming in Religions. Dr. DeNapoli is a Professor of Religion/South Asian Religions in the Religion Department at Texas Christian University, USA.
Celebrating the Earth Day 2023 with a Webinar for the CoHNA Coalition of Hindus in North America
This Earth Day, join a conversation with Dr. Pankaj Jain: an academic and an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of #sustainability. He has worked extensively to identify indigenous movements in India that are focused on protecting the environment and show how their extraordinary commitment springs directly from their roots in Sanatana Dharma.
Philological and Philosophical Analysis of the Bhagavad Gita | Episode 1
The pursuit of wisdom is never-ending. Researchers and scholars have provided their takes on the Bhagavad Gita for thousands of years. Professor Pankaj Jain is an integral part of this long list of academically and culturally gifted individuals who have shared the knowledge dispersed through the Bhagavad Gita so that laypeople can understand them. Professor Pankaj Jain is bringing you a weekly linguistic and philosophical analysis aimed at making you better understand and appreciate the nuances of one of the most revered Hindu texts. Tune in every Sunday for a new episode of this philological and philosophical analysis of the Bhagavad Gita! Texts referenced in the series: 1. Gita Rahasya by Lokmanya Tilak 2. Gita Discourses by Osho 3. Gita Discourses by Rev. Athavale Dadaji 4. Gita interpretation by Mahatma Gandhi 5. Gita commentary by Adi Shankaracharya 6. Sargeant Winthrop and Christopher Key Chapple. The Bhagavad Gita. State University of New York Press, 2009. 7. Goldman Robert P and Sally J Sutherland. Devavāṇīpraveśikā : An Introduction to the Sanskrit Language. 3rd ed. Center for South Asia Studies University of California, 1999.
Jainism, one of the most ancient traditions of the world | Episode 1: The Moksha in Jainism
This is an inaugural episode of a series on Jainism, one of the world's oldest traditions, thriving today in India, Nepal, Thailand, Japan, Kenya, Belgium, Canada, the UK, and the USA. Mahatma Gandhi was influenced by a Jain guru's teachings and through Gandhi, nonviolence became the mantra for Dr. Martin Luther King's Civil Rights Movement in the USA. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela also based his movement on Gandhian nonviolence. In this series, we discuss the origin, the legendary role models, the history, the philosophy, and the contemporary relevance of this Indic Dharmic tradition.
Science in Ancient India: A Webinar by Professor Subhash Kak
Uncovering the hidden gems of ancient Indian science never ceases to intrigue, especially the lesser-known early Indian scientific contributions, which include a comprehensive theory of mind, Pāṇini's remarkable Sanskrit grammar, Piṅgala's binary numbers, and more. But what sets apart the work of Kaṇāda?
Join Professors Subhash Kak and Pankaj Jain as they take us on a fascinating journey of discovering the work of Kaṇāda, who dared to propose a system that encompasses space, time, matter, and observers - a feat no physicist has attempted to date.
Sitar: Instrument of Tradition and Modernity - A Lecture-Demo Concert by Prof Srinivas Reddy
In this interactive lecture demonstration, Prof. Srinivas Reddy introduces the sitar, a prominent Indian instrument that embodies ancient technologies and modern innovations. He also discusses how the sitar represents the syncretic nature of Hindustani raga music regarding instrument design, raga exposition and aesthetic appreciation, as well as how the instrument is used in various genres, from classical raga music to Bollywood. The interactive session also includes a short sitar performance.
2nd Justice Ranade Memorial Lecture by Prof. Pankaj Jain: "Understanding Dharma - A Necessity to Understand India"
Indian Civilization is primarily based on Dharmic Principles. The nature of Dharma, however, is extremely subtle. Often, naively Dharma is equated with religion, resulting in confusing or misleading interpretations about India. Therefore, it is essential to understand Dharma's contours and India and its value system. 2nd Justice Ranade Memorial Lecture by Prof. Pankaj Jain attempts to do precisely that. It delves into different meanings and interpretations of Dharma in the Indic texts and provides a perspective to understand India.
Music, Power, Identity, and Technology: Indian Music Culture in (and out) of the Global Music Economy
At the end of WW I, a historical conjuncture incorporated technological developments, social change, political dynamics, and industrial structure into a rapidly growing global music economy. India’s position in that economy was determined by internal cultural dynamics but equally by its place within the corporate structures of British colonialism. Coincident with Indian independence, a second historical conjuncture helped to isolate the Indian music industry from the global music economy. That isolation affected Indian music culture in multiple ways throughout the 20th Century. Although the cultural effects of globalization have become increasingly embedded in the 21 st Century, the aftermath of that isolation continues to be apparent in Indian music culture. This talk is based on ethnographic and archival research on India’s music industry. I examine the position of and developments in Indian music, culture, and commerce from the early 1920s through the first decades of the 21 st Century.
GREGORY D. BOOTH is Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Auckland and has studied Indian music and culture for more than forty years. He is the author of Behind the Curtain: Making Music in Mumbai’s Film Studios (OUP 2008) and Brass Baja: Stories from the World of Indian Wedding Bands (OUP 2005), as well as numerous articles on the music and film industry in South Asia. He co-edited the 2014 OUP publication More than Bollywood –Studies in Indian Popular Music. He is currently studying India’s music and film culture industries focusing on various factors, including intellectual property, technology, industrial structures, and the music-film relationship.
Yoga, Dharma, and Ecology: A Webinar by Prof. Pankaj Jain
Professor Pankaj Jain shares examples from key Dharmic and Yogic texts and contexts from which Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists continue to derive their inspiration. Evidently, in Yogic and Dharmic contexts, religion, ethics, and environmentalism are intertwined with each other instead of distinctly evolved theories.
About the Theme: In the West, the current paradigm of wishing to establish ecological balance via education, public policy, advocacy, and law enforcement has a serious deficit, i.e., how to do it. The Indic way is to provide the HOWTOs to accomplish an environment-friendly society. Yoga practice can go a long way for the benefit of ecology. Thus, a paradigm shift is needed from a top-down enforcement approach to bottom-up individual practice where Yoga can facilitate the praxis necessary for establishing ecological balance.
About the Author: Pankaj Jain is a Philosophy, Religious Studies, Film Studies, Sustainability, and Diaspora Studies, Professor. He has authored three books and has co-edited the Hinduism Section of the Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. His articles have appeared in multiple academic journals and popular websites.
Academic Works: Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability Science and Socio-Religious Revolution in India: Moving the Mountains Dharma in America: A Short History of Hindu-Jain Diaspora Edited volume: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions- Hinduism and Tribal Religions.
Professors Jessica Cane and Pankaj Jain Discuss India-Pakistan Partition and History
"1947 Partition is a small blip in the infinite Indian civilizational consciousness beyond time, beyond space." - Professor Pankaj Jain
Questions discussed:
1. What/how you were taught about Partition in school?
2. Is Partition part of shared cultural knowledge - do people reference it in everyday conversation?
3. Do you feel any connection to this history?
4. We read Anita Desai's Clear Light of Day and Bapsi Sidwa's Cracking India - if you have read either of these novels, do you feel a connection to the story, a particular character, etc.?
5. What does being Indian mean to you?
6. What do you wish Americans knew about India? This can be present-day, historical, or both.
Partition-themed Films mentioned: • Garam Hawa (Post partition) • Khuda ke Liye (Pakistani) • Train to Pakistan (Based on Khushwant Singh’s novel) • 1947 Earth (Post partition) • Chhalia (Post partition) • Dharmputra (Post partition) • Dhool ka Phool • Mammo • Nastik (Post partition) • Partition of Pakistan • Pinjar (Post partition) • Tamas and Buniyaad (TV Serials) •Khamosh Pani (Post partition) •Motir Maina (Post partition)
What India Can Teach Us: A Webinar by Prof Pankaj Jain
What India Can Teach Us: A Webinar by Prof Pankaj Jain
As the currents of globalization sweep us into the twenty-first century, it calls for a global renaissance where knowledge systems inspired by Indian civilization have much to offer to the world. Prof. PankajJain, Head of Humanities and Languages, FLAME University, through this Upskill session, will introduce participants to the unique India-centric liberal education offered at FLAME University and shed light on why it is essential in today’s time to adapt the India-focused approach to solving global issues like climate change.
Self, No-Self, and Self-Consciousness: Some Classical Indian Views, A Webinar by Prof Stephen Phillips
Self, No-Self, and Self-Consciousness: Some Classical Indian Views, A Webinar by Prof Stephen Phillips
The question of what accounts for personal identity through bodily, emotional, and mental change is one of many topics related to the positions taken on the nature of subjectivity and self-awareness in classical Indian thought. “Enlightenment” and yogic practice is another. This talk takes up Vedānta, Yogācāra Buddhism, Nyāya, Cārvāka, and other classical views, the debate between Naiyāyikas and Buddhists in particular.
Bio:
Stephen Phillips is professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin and has been visiting professor of philosophy at the University of Hawaii and Jadavpur University. Author of ten books, including Aurobindo’s Philosophy of Brahman (Brill 1984), Classical Indian Metaphysics, “Refutations” of Realism and the Emergence of “New Logic” (Open Court 1995 and Motilal Banarsidass 1998), and Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy (Columbia 2009), named by Choice an “Outstanding Academic Title,” he has more recently written Classical Indian Epistemology: The Knowledge Sources of the Nyāya School (Routledge 2012), which presents classical Indian views in terminology suited for philosophy professionals. With Matthew Dasti, he published The Nyāya-sūtra: Selections with Early Commentaries (Hackett 2017), and with Dasti and Nirmalya Guha, a short text, God and the World’s Arrangement: Vedānta and Nyāya Philosophy of Religion (Hackett 2021). Phillips teamed with N. S. Ramanuja Tatacharya to translate the perception chapter of the monumental fourteenth-century Tattva-cintā-maṇi, “(Wish-fulfilling), Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology,” by Gaṅgeśa (American Institute of Buddhist Studies 2004 and Motilal Banarsidass 2008), in 750 pages. In three volumes, about 2000 pages, a translation of the entire text has now been published by Bloomsbury (2020) in a solo-authored set including much historical and philosophic exegesis. A synopsis is available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/gangesa.
Hindusim & Ethics of Creation Care: A Webinar by Prof. Pankaj Jain with Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
Hinduism and Ethics of Creation Care
Speaker: Professor Pankaj Jain
Respondent: Professor Cybelle Shattuck
Moderator: Dr. Robert A. Hunt
Partners:
The Interfaith Council of Thanks-Giving Square
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
SMU Perkins School of Theology.
Co-Sponsors:
The SMU Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Cultures
The Interfaith Council of Thanks-Giving Square and its partners and co-sponsors listed below are pleased to present the 2022-23 Faiths In Conversation Series titled, ‘Religion & Ethics of Creation Care’. This is a 6 part monthly series featuring scholars representing Judaism, Buddhism, Native Americans, Islam, Christianity & Hindusim. Speakers from different religious traditions will explain how their religious tradition understands the ethics of creation care. In addition to addressing the value of creation in itself, of particular concern will be the relationship of creation care to human dignity, economic justice, and migration stimulated by changes in the climate. Participants will learn how each religion understands what it means to be human in relation to the rest of the natural world, and the particular responsibilities of humans toward the natural world and their fellow humans. Each presentation will be followed by a brief response and the opportunity to ask questions of the speaker.
Rasa in Moral Journey: Aesthetic Dimensions of Ethical Action in Gandhi
Gandhi’s thoughts on non-violent political action and his programs for social reconstruction have been subjects of scholarly debates, often sharp, for a long. More recently, visual and literary representations of Gandhi that remind people of the meanings of an extraordinarily complex life have also received attention (Ramaswamy 2021). However, little consideration has been given to Gandhi’s aesthetic sensibility that informed his moral journey. The general perception of Gandhi is as a man of action with a utilitarian approach even to art and literature. Yet as he expresses at the end of his “autobiography,” he saw his “Experiments with Truth” as a source of rasa (aesthetic delight). His writings reference ethical actions as things of beauty and avenues to reach perfect harmony. His almost obsessive stress on simplicity also had an aesthetic dimension. Art historian Stephanie Chadwick compares Gandhian simplicity-based aesthetics with the minimalist art of American painter Barnett Newman in the early to mid-twentieth century. Chadwick suggests that even though the two men never met in their aesthetics, they share a concern for inclusiveness and equality (Chadwick, 2014). The fascination with Gandhi as a public figure may see ebb and tide in the coming times. What exploration of his writings and exchanges give us a glimpse into is something personal and deeper – an understanding of a moral journey intricately tied to an aesthetic journey. In my presentation, I will discuss how Gandhi’s writings reflect a search for the unity of truth, goodness, and beauty. They suggest that moral action was a path to realize that unity in his journey. In Gandhi’s view, moral action was in service of the goal of experiencing rasa.
Bio
Neelima Shukla-Bhatt is a professor of Religion and South Asia Studies at Wellesley College,
Wellesley, MA, USA. She obtained her Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from Harvard University in 2003.
She is the author of Narasinha Mehta of Gujarat: A Legacy of Bhakti in Songs and Stories (2015) and
co-author with Surendra Bhana of A Fire that Blazed in the Ocean: Gandhi and Poems of Satyagraha
in South Africa, 1909-1911 (2011). She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed books
and journals focusing mainly on the devotional poetry of medieval India and women’s religious
expressions.
4th song in #AnandBakshi Lyrics Series, reminding us of motherland
4th song in #AnandBakshi Lyrics Series, reminding us of the motherland (in Raag Kedar)
yun nind se woh jan e chaman jag uthi hai
pardes mein phir yad e watan jag uthi hai
pardes mein phir yad e watan jag uthi hai
yun nind se woh jan e chaman jag uthi hai
phir yad hame aaye hain sawan ke wo jhule
phir yad hame aaye hain sawan ke wo jhule
woh bhul gaye hamko unhein
hum nahi bhule unhein nahi bhule
iss dard ke kanto ki chubhan jag uthi hai
pardes mein phir yad e watan jag uthi hai
iss shehar se achchha tha bahot
apna wo ganv
iss shehar se achchha tha bahot
apna wo ganv
panghat hai yahaan koi na
pipal ki woh chhanv pipal ki wo chhanv
pachchhim mein wo purab ki pawan jag uthi hai
pardesh mein phir yaad e watan jaag uthi hai
yun nind se wo jaan e chaman
hum log sayaane sahi diwane hai lekin
begane bahot achchhe hai
begane hai lekin begane hai lekin
begaano mein apno lagan jaag uthi hai
pardesh mein phir yad e watan jaag uthi hai
yun nind se woh jaan e chaman jaag uthi hai
From https://www.hindigeetmala.net/song/yun_nind_se_vo_jaan_e_chaman.htm
Is there an Indian way of knowing and theorizing in social sciences? 12th Webinar by the India Centre, FLAME University
Alternative ontologies and epistemologies: Is there an Indian way of knowing and theorizing in social sciences?
In an “informal essay” (1989), poet, translator, and folklorist A. K. Ramanujam asks an intriguing question, "Is there an Indian way of thinking?” Taking inspiration from the celebrated essay, without any misconception of equivalent competence, I ask, Is there an Indian way of knowing and theorizing in social sciences? Ramanujan's answer was in the affirmative for an imagined India in the deep past but not for the post-colonial India of the present. The subtext of his argument was that in contemporary India, we do not have an Indian way of thinking capable of producing context-free theories with universal applications. Provocatively, Ramanujam suggests there are only Indian experiences but no thought. His analysis suggests that following a violent and subjugating encounter with the west, the Indian (or Vedic) way of thinking—rooted in a logic of chaos, context-dependent nature of truth, and a majestic celebration of ambiguity—was displaced by a bundle of inconsistent and contradictory ontologies and epistemologies. In this talk, I argue for ontological and epistemological pluralism possibilities in context-dependent ways of knowing. A pluralism in thinking gives rise to concepts and associated explications of alternative theories of society, cultures, polities, and economies. Context-dependent alternative understanding and explanations, which in a post-colonial sense challenge the hegemony of Eurocentrism in knowledge production. Using some examples, including from my earlier work on theorizing cultures of protests in Dhandak and Jan Andolan (2014), I discuss an Indian way of knowing and theorizing.
Bio: Anup Kumar is a professor of communication in the School of Communication, Cleveland State University. He completed his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 2008. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed communication and political science journals and is the author of Making of a Small State (2014). Before joining academia, he was a journalist, then an environmental activist, and before that, a chemist.
Ye shaam mastani, 3rd song in the Anand Bakshi lyrics series
Lyrics of Ye Shaam Mastaani, Madhosh Kiye Jae - ये शाम मस्तानी, मदहोश किये जाये
ye sham mastaani, madahosh kiye jaye
mujhe dor koi khiche, teri or liye jaye
ye sham mastaani, madahosh kiye jaye
mujhe dor koi khiche, teri or liye jaye
dur rahati hai tu, mere paas aati nahi
hotho pe tere, kabhi pyaas aati nahi
aisaa lage, jaise ki tu, hansake zahar koi piye jaye
ye sham mastaani, madahosh kiye jaye
mujhe dor koi khiche, teri or liye jaye
baat jab mai karun, mujhe rok deti hai kyo
teri mithi nazar, mujhe tok deti hai kyo
teri hayaa, teri sharam, teri qasam mere hoth siye jaye
ye sham mastaani, madahosh kiye jaye
mujhe dor koi khiche, teri or liye jaye
ek ruthi hui, taqadir jaise koi
khaamosh aise hai tu, tasvir jaise koi
teri nazar, banake zubaan, lekin tere paigaam diye jaye
ye sham mastaani, madahosh kiye jaye
mujhe dor koi khiche, teri or liye jaye
ye sham mastaani, madahosh kiye jaye
mujhe dor koi khiche, teri or liye jaye
From https://www.hindigeetmala.net/song/ye_shaam_mastani_kishore.htm
Ye Jo Mohabbat Hai, 2nd song in the series of songs by Anand Bakshi
Ye Jo Mohabbat Hai, 2nd song written by the great lyricist Anand Bakshi
ye jo muhabbat hai, ye unaka hai kam
mahabub ka jo, bas lete hue nam
mar jae, mit jae, ho jae badanam
rahane do chhodo bhi jane do yar ham na karege pyar
rahane do chhodo bhi jane do yar ham na karege pyar
tute agar sagar naya sagar koi le le
mere khuda dil se koi kisi ke na khele
tute agar sagar naya sagar koi le le
mere khuda dil se koi kisi ke na khele
dil tut jae to kya ho ajam
ye jo muhabbat hai, ye unaka hai kam
mahabub ka jo, bas lete hue nam
mar jae, mit jae, ho jae badanam
rahane do chhodo bhi jane do yar ham na karege pyar
rahane do chhodo bhi jane do yar ham na karege pyar
nazar kisi se na ulajh jae mai darata hun
yaro hasino ki gali se mai guzarata hun
nazar kisi se na ulajh jae mai darata hun
yaro hasino ki gali se mai guzarata hun
bas dur hi se kar ke salam
ye jo muhabbat hai, ye unaka hai kam
mahabub ka jo, bas lete hue nam
mar jae, mit jae, ho jae badanam
rahane do chhodo bhi jane do yar ham na karege pyar
rahane do chhodo bhi jane do yar ham na karege pyar
From https://www.hindigeetmala.net/song/ye_jo_muhabbat_hai_ye.htm
Jis gali me tera ghar na ho, a classic song written by Anand Bakshi
Jis gali me tera ghar na ho, a classic song written by Anand Bakshi
jis gali me teraa ghar na ho baalamaa
us gali se hame to guzaranaa nahi
jo dagar tere dvaare se jaati na ho
us dagar par hame paav rakhanaa nahi
zindagi me ka_i ragaraliyaan sahi
har taraf muskuraati ye galiyaan sahi
khubasurat bahaaro ki kaliyaan sahi
jis chaman me tere pag me kaate chubhe
us chaman se hame phul chunanaa nahi
jis gali me teraa ghar na ho baalamaa
aa ye rasame ye kasame sabhi tod ke
tu chali aa chunar pyaar ki odh ke
yaa chalaa jaaugaa mai ye jag chhod ke
jis jagah yaad teri sataane lage
us jagah ek pal bhi thaharanaa nahi
jis gali me teraa ghar na ho baalamaa
From https://www.hindigeetmala.net/song/jis_gali_me_teraa_ghar_na_ho.htm
Climate Crisis and Indian Movies: A Webinar for Vancouver School of Theology by Prof. Pankaj Jain
Episode 63. Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Raag Bhairavi in Hindi Film Songs
Episode 63. Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Raag Bhairavi in Hindi Film Songs
Webinar with Shri Manoj Govindraj and Professor Pankaj Jain
Reviewing the Music of #LaalSinghChaddha (2022), latest home production of #AamirKhan
The only way to revive #IndianFilmMusic is to bring back #ClassicalRaagas in our songs! Almost all contemporary music fails to reach anywhere near the heights of #Lagaan (2001) or #DilSe (1998) because #IndianClassicalMusic has vanished in the last two decades. The soul of our music is our immortal Raagas: Bhairav, Bhairvi, Malkauns, Darbari, Malhar, and dozens more! #AamirKhan cites two songs as his inspiration, #OhReTaalMile (Anokhi Raat, 1968) and #TereMereSapne (Guide, 1965): 1st based on Raag #Pilu, 2nd on Raag #Gara! Apparently, his #LaalSinghChaddha team forgot the Raags behind the classics so their music disappoints ultimately! Sharing some examples from @ARRahman Golden Era as a humble reminder of our leading artists' creativity!
Episode 62. Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Rare Raags in Hindi Film Songs
#RareRaags in #HindiSongs - Episode 62 - A Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music with Shri Manoj Govindraj and Professor Pankaj Jain Little lesser-known raags in Hindi film songs: 1. #RaagDesi - Aaj gaavat man mero jhumke (#BaijuBawra) 2. #KausiKanada - Sau baar janam lenge (#UstaadonKeUstaad) 3. #Kamod - Ae ri jane na dungi (#Chitralekha) 4. #MiyaKiSarang - Gori tori paijaniya (#Mehbooba) 5. #Bhoopkali - Dil toh hai dil (#MuqaddarKaSikandar) 6. #Madhukauns - Inteha ho gayi intezaar ki (#Sharaabi)
Gandhi and Gender of Fasting: A Webinar by Prof Vinay Lal (11th episode of The India Studies Series by the India Centre, FLAME University)
Gandhi and Gender of Fasting: A Webinar by Prof Vinay Lal (11th episode of The India Studies Series by the India Centre, FLAME University)
Can the tradition of fasting have any relation to the genders at large? Whenever we think of the tradition of fasting, we are reminded of Mahatma Gandhi, the modern master of fasting who gained attention through his 15 odd major public fasts. Prof. Vinay Lal of the UCLA in his webinar on “Gandhi and the gender of fasting” discusses how Gandhi’s refusal of being bound by the general and rigid ethics, sociology, and philosophy surrounding the tradition of fasting led to the radicalization and feminization of public sphere.
Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Episode 61. Raag Mala Songs
Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Episode 61. Raag Mala Songs
Postcolonialism and India: 1976 - 2020: A Webinar by Prof Harish Trivedi
Postcolonialism and India: 1976 - 2020: A Webinar by Prof Harish Trivedi (10th episode of the India Studies Series by the India Centre, FLAME University)
The formulation and effect of Postcolonialism were widely different in different locations - in the US academy where it began, in the White Commonwealth where it was embraced, and in India where it was resisted. This webinar traces the trajectory from the pre-Postcolonial to the post-Postcolonial. It focuses in particular on four Indian/para-Indian case studies: Phanishwar Nath "Renu", who was one of the first writers to depict post-Independence disillusionment in India, V. S. Naipaul, who sought to break free of the old colonial burden, Salman Rushdie who was the poster-boy of the Postcolonial writers (as distinct from its celebrity theorists), and Taslima Nasreen, the postcolonial writer virtually brushed under the ideological carpet. Harish Trivedi, former Professor of English at the University of Delhi, was visiting professor at the universities of Chicago and London. He is the author of Colonial Transactions: English Literature and India (1993; rpt.1995), and co-editor of Interrogating Post-colonialism: Theory, Text and Context (Shimla 1996; rpt. 2000, 2006), Post-colonial Translation: Theory and Practice (1999; several reprints), The Nation and the World: Postcolonial Literary Representations (2007), and Kipling in India: India in Kipling (2021). A festschrift for him was published under the title India and the World: Postcolonialism, Translation and Indian Literature: Essays in Honour of Professor Harish Trivedi (2014), edited by Ruth Vanita and with contributions by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Zhang Longxi, Susan Bassnett, David Damrosch, Robert J. C. Young, and David Dabydeen among others.
Hindi Commentary from Pratapgadh Citadel near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, India
Hindi Commentary from Pratapgadh Citadel near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, India. The castle where Shivaji killed Azam Khan.
Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Episode 60. Raag Chhayanat
Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Episode 60. A Webinar on Raag Chhayanat with Shri Manoj Govindraj
Contribution of Indian Traditional Merchant Communities for Indian Economy: A Webinar by Dr. Thomas Timber
Contribution of Indian Traditional Merchant Communities for Indian Economy: A Webinar by Dr. Thomas Timber (9th Episode of the India Studies Series by the India Centre, FLAME University)
Discussing Uttarakhand's Culture
Discussing Uttarakhand's Culture
Gandhi's Sarvodaya: Modern Challenges, Sustainable Solutions: A Webinar by Prof Veena Howard (8th episode of the India Studies Series by The India Centre, FLAME University)
Gandhi's Sarvodaya: Modern Challenges, Sustainable Solutions: A Webinar by Prof Veena Howard (8th episode of the India Studies Series by The India Centre, FLAME University)
This presentation analyzes various aspects of Mohandas K. Gandhi’s philosophy of Sarvodaya (uplifting of all), which he articulated through a practical constructive program. More precisely, I will focus on how Gandhi sought to mobilize native approaches to addressing the issues of disease, death, racism, economic inequality, and environmental degradation. Various components of Gandhi's Constructive Program offer a path ensuring individual, societal, and environmental health, founded on moral principles.
Speaker:
Veena R. Howard, Ph.D.
Endowed Chair in Jain and Hindu Dharma
Professor, Department of Philosophy
California State University, Fresno
Series on Popular Music Based on Classical Music - Episode 59. Raag Hamir
Episode 59. A Webinar on Raag Hamir with Shri Manoj Govindraj
Discussing Dharma and Ecology with Abhiir Bhalla
Discussing Dharma and Ecology with Abhiir Bhalla - Join in a conversation that explores the intersectionality of religions, languages, and sustainability. They discuss the role of ‘Dharma’ in inspiring climate action not just from religious communities but also from tribal communities. This conversation spans from Pope Francis’ call to climate action to the role of centuries-old Indian religious texts in driving climate action in even contemporary times!