Learning Outcome:-
- Develop a clear understanding of Advaita Vedanta as a method, and the ramifications of that.
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of Advaita epistemology and its role as a key to understanding the vision of the Upanisads.
- Connect the epistemology to Advaita ontology and the fulfillment of its soteriological end.
In this course, we will examine the methods (prakriyas) used in the Upanisads to reveal the existence and nature of the non-dual reality. We will begin with a basic discussion of Advaita epistemology to understand the important claim of the Upanisad that it provides, not just information about the non-dual reality, but the means through which one can directly know it. First, we will undertake a close reading of Sankara’s introduction to the Brahmasutra, and commentary on Taittiriya Upanisad 2.1.1 to establish the core principles of superimposition and negation as well as implicative statements. With these parameters, we will study dialogues in the Mundaka, Taittirya, and Mandukya Upanisads that employ the foundational method of inquiry into cause-effect, and also, the methods of analysis of the levels of our waking experience and analysis of the three states of waking, dream, and sleep. Throughout, we will be connecting what we discover to the soteriological aim of Advaita Vedanta—release from human suffering and the cycle of birth and death.
Required/Elective: Required
Prerequisites: Introduction to Advaita Vedanta
Faculty/Instructor: Swamini Agamananda Saraswati
Quarter Offered: Winter 2020
Area of Study:- Hindu Studies Foundation
The Vedic-view of the purpose of life as explained by the four puruṣārthas – Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa will be discussed. An overview of the four Vedas, each consisting of the two major categories, which are further subdivided into different portions, the arrangement of the mantras into mandalas and aśtaka systems, internal classifications of each Veda into Samhitā, Brāhmana, Āraṇyaka, and Upaniṣads will be covered. The Veda’s structural hierarchy and purpose, and supplementary texts of the Vedic corpus such as – Sūtra – Bhāṣya – Vyākhyā – Ṭīkā – Ṭippaṇī – Prapaňcikā – Saṅgraha – Kārikā – Vṛtti – Vārtika – Prakaraṇa – Vāda – Khaṇḍana, including an overview of the six Darśanas will be examined, in addition to the differences between śruti and Smṛti
In this course students will be able to:
- Recognize the whole Vedic body of knowledge and its layout.
- Understand the inter-relationships of the various components of the Vedic corpus.
- Inquire into the concept of human progress in relation to the timelessness of ancient Vedic knowledge.
- Explore the relevance of the Vedic body of knowledge in today’s age.
- Examine contemporary views and interpretations of the Veda.
Areas of Study: Hindu Studies Foundations
Required / Elective: Required
Prerequisites: Admission into a program of Study
Faculty: Sri Swāmi Svātmānanda
Depending on the area of study, the Certificate Program in Hindu Studies prepares a student to become a teacher, a public intellectual, a spokesperson, a writer, and an expert ambassador in the ‘public square’. Anyone including, already employed professionals or prospective degree
students may apply to the Certificate Program in Hindu Studies. This Certificate Program is open to all, and there are no prerequisites enforced, other than the consent of the Program Director.
The Certificate Program in Hindu Studies may be earned by taking 6 courses in an area of study, for a total of 18 Quarter Credit hours.
- The Certificate Program in Hindu studies is targeted towards people who wish to develop deeper expertise in a specific area of Hindu thought, without pursuing a degree.
- Students have significant flexibility in the pace at which they complete their course credits i.e., some may take one course per quarter over six quarters, while others may be able to complete the certificate in two quarters
- Some certificate course credits may be transferable towards a Diploma or Degree program at a later stage
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As part of Hindu University of America’s commitment to ongoing community education, most courses available at the university including Graduate Division courses are open for registration from members of the community as continuing education students. Anyone including already employed professionals and prospective degree students may apply to any single course as a special student if they can demonstrate that they have the prerequisite preparation. They may discuss their preparedness to take any course with the course faculty or instructor.
- The continuing education stream of courses is targeted towards people who wish to learn ongoingly, without pursuing a specific degree or certificate.
- There are no prerequisites enforced, other than those required by the faculty, and anyone may register. We invite prospective students to try out a course or two and come back for more
- Courses taken as part of community education can be bundled together to earn certificates at a later stage.
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- For students who already possess a Master’s Degree in Hindu Studies, 60 Quarter Credit hours, or 20 courses are required to earn a Doctoral Degree
- Students who do not have a Master’s Degree in Hindu Studies but possess an equivalent of 2-years of post-bachelor’s degree education in the liberal arts, humanities or social sciences, may also apply. They may receive partial equivalency credit for courses they have taken as part of the Master’s Degree they have.
- Students who do not have a Master’s Degree already may apply for an accelerated MA-PhD Degree program.
- Typically, 90 Quarter Credit hours, or 60 Semester Credit Hours are required to earn an integrated Master’s and Doctoral Degree
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- Special Students with prior experience in religious, social work or community service, may be eligible to participate in a “Thesis Only” Doctoral Program, provided they qualify by successfully taking the Doctoral Qualifying Exam and can establish equivalency with the course work requirements.
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Learning Outcome:
- Effectively analyze the nature of the human problem and the scope of knowledge and action as means (sadhana) for solving it.
- Understand Advaita Vedanta’s epistemology and its relevance to the human problem.
- Gain clarity on the Advaita view of reality and non-duality.
- Learn the prerequisites for the knowledge of Advaita and the means to gain them.
- Recognize and analyze the differences between some modern and ancient interpretations of Advaita. and the traditional view of Sankara.
The vision of Advaita Vedanta is that one, non-dual consciousness is the content of you, the world, and the cause of the world. It is both immanent and transcendent and can be known by a human being who has equipped himself/herself with the necessary prerequisites. This knowledge, contained in the Upanisads, releases the individual from the problem of human suffering. In this course we will explore the nature and substance of this liberating knowledge through key dialogues in some of the major Upanisads, using as a guide the commentary of Sankara, Advaita’s seminal exponent. We will also explore the qualifications required for this knowledge and the prescribed means for acquiring them. In conclusion, we will examine some competing views on Vedanta, including modern interpretations. The course is designed to introduce in a comprehensive but accessible way, the vision of Advaita Vedanta.
Required/Elective: Required
Prerequisites: Must have completed or been concurrently enrolled in Orientation in Hindu Studies
Faculty/Instructor: Swamini Agamananda Saraswati
Area of Study: Hindu Studies Foundation
Start Date: 10th April 2021
End Date: 20th June 2021
Day: Saturday & Sunday
Time: 03:00 pm EST – 04:30 pm EST
Quarter Offered: Spring 2021
