Hindu Non-dualism (Advaita) in Theory
and Practice
Dr Godavarisha Mishra, Shivdasani Visiting
Fellow
Thursdays, 4.00pm - 5.00pm, commencing 16th October 2003, Oriental Institute
Lecture Schedule
Lectures 1 and 2: Introduction. Advaita: What it means; its origin and development - the pre-Sankara phase. Historical development, Sankara and post-sankara Advaita.
Lectures 3 and 4: Advaita in Theory. Epistemology - Pramanas; Metaphysics - Basic concepts of Advaita; Brahman, Jiva and Jagat - Maya and Avidya- unreality of the world; the oneness of Jiva and Brahman; Axiology - Jivanmukti and Videhamukti.
Lectures 5 and 6: Dialectical Developments among the schools of Vedanta. The interaction between the schools. Advaita, Visistadvaita and Dvaita and other schools of Vedanta.
Lectures 7 and 8: Advaita in Practice: Its Social Concern. The dichotomy between the Saguna-Nirguna Brahmans; The apparent contradiction between unreality of the world vs. the reality of the experiences of our daily life; The inconsistency in the individual soul being and becoming "one" with God.