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142201 VO Paths of Salvation in South Asian Philosophies and Religions (2024W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikanistik, Indologie und Tibetologie
Moodle

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Details

Language: English

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 07.10. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 14.10. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 21.10. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 28.10. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 04.11. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 11.11. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 18.11. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 25.11. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 02.12. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25
  • Monday 09.12. 11:45 - 13:45 Seminarraum 1 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-25

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Course Overview
This course explores the diverse conceptions of salvation and liberation (mokṣa,
nirvāṇa) within South Asian philosophical and religious traditions. Through
a critical examination of key texts and practices, students will gain an understanding
of how different paths to salvation have been articulated, debated,
and practiced in the region.

Course Objectives
1. Understand the various problems of life, particularly sorrow, as articulated
in South Asian traditions.
2. Analyze key texts and doctrines from major philosophical and religious
traditions in South Asia.
3. Explore different practices and paths proposed for attaining salvation.
4. Develop a comparative perspective on the conceptions of liberation in
South Asian religions.

Meeting Schedule
1. Problem of Life: Sorrow
Topics: Introduction to the concept of sorrow (duḥkha) as a fundamental
human problem. How sorrow is understood and articulated in early South Asian thought.
Readings: Selected excerpts from the Veda and early Buddhist texts.
2. The Upaniṣads
Topics: Philosophical inquiries into the nature of the self (ātman) and ultimate
reality (brahman). Concepts of self and liberation in the Upaniṣadic
thought.
Readings: Selected passages from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka and Chāndogya Upaniṣads.
3. Ancient Buddhism
Topics: The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Buddhist path
to liberation from suffering.
Readings: Selected suttas from the Pāli Canon.
4. The Dharmaśāstra and the Place of Mokṣa
Topics: The role of dharma in social and individual life; the place of mokṣa
among the four aims of life (puruṣārthas).
Readings: Excerpts from the Manusmṛti.
5. The Ritualistic Option, the Mīmāṃsā
Topics: The Mīmāṃsā school’s emphasis on ritual action as a path to salvation.
Readings: Selections from Jaimini’s Mīmāṃsāsūtras and Śabara’s Bhāṣya
thereon.
6. The Yoga and the Psychophysical Practices
Topics: The system of Patañjali’s Yoga. The role of meditation, ethical
discipline, and psychophysical practices aimed at achieving liberation.
Readings: Excerpts from the Yogasūtras of Patañjali and commentary
thereon.
7. Mahāyāna Buddhism and the Path of the Bodhisattva
Topics: The Bodhisattva ideal and the Mahāyāna expansion of the path to
salvation.
Readings: Selected passages from the Lotus Sūtra.
8. The Bhagavadgītā and the Consequences of Actions
Topics: The integration of action (karma), devotion (bhakti), and knowledge
(jñāna) in the pursuit of liberation.
Readings: Chapters from the Bhagavadgītā.
9. Bhakti and the Theistic Path
Topics: The emergence and significance of bhakti (devotional) movements.
The theistic approach to salvation through love and devotion.
Readings: Poems and hymns from the Bhakti saints.
10. The Tantric Soteriological Revolution
Topics: The distinctive features of Tantric practices and their soteriological
aims. How Tantric traditions reconceptualize the body and ritual in the
quest for liberation.
Readings: Selected passages from Tantric texts.

Assessment and permitted materials

Oral colloquium or written essay (student’s choice) at the end of the course.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Examination topics

Reading list

A Selection of Recommended Texts
• Olivelle, Patrick. The Early Upanishads: Annotated Text and Translation.
Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Olivelle, Patrick. The Law Code of Manu. Oxford University Press,
2004.
• Bryant, Edwin. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation,
and Commentary. North Point Press, 2009.
Gethin, Rupert. Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University
Press, 1998.
• Mitchell, Donald W. Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience.
Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Hawley, John S., and Mark Juergensmeyer. Songs of the Saints of
India. Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Padoux, André. Tantra. Oxford University Press, 2017.
• Malinar, Angelika. The Bhagavadgītā: Doctrines and Contexts. Cambridge
University Press, 2007.

Association in the course directory

BA 9, EC 2/2
MASK2 VO

M-11 Religionsphilosophie, Kulturphilosophie, Ästhetik
M-16 Individuelle Spezialisierung
UF E 05.1 Ethik in den Religionen
UF E 05.2 Interkulturelle Philosophie und Ethik

Last modified: Mo 25.11.2024 12:05