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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The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Hindu Studies, builds on the foundations already developed by the Master’s Degree in Hindu Studies and offers students opportunities for deep specialization within a tradition or knowledge-system (also called Sampradāya a) and cross-disciplinary study, both across Hindu traditions and knowledge-systems as well as contemporary disciplines in the liberal arts, social sciences and humanities. Students can access courses offered both by HUA as well as its affiliate institutions and are developed for professional careers in teaching, writing, and scholarship, as well as public service, leadership and global engagement with religious organizations, social service and non-profit organizations and educational institutions.
- 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
- Once admitted into the accelerated program, students will have the option of completing their study with a terminal Master’s Degree or continue with their Doctoral Degree
- To earn a Doctoral Degree, students will have to take a set of Research level “Core Courses” and specialize in one or two Areas of Study, at the Doctoral Seminar level
- All Students must pass a Doctoral Qualifying Exam, (DQE), and demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in Sanskrit, in order to qualify for the Doctoral Thesis phase of the Program
- Students must write a Doctoral Dissertation based on original research as part of the Thesis Phase of their program. Ordinarily, the Doctoral Dissertation may take at least two years or more
- 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
- This “Thesis-Only” Option will require the student to write a Thesis over 36 months (or longer) and establish the equivalency for 60 Quarter Credit Hours.
The Bhagavadgita is a moksa-sastra, a sacred text that reveals the vision of the Upanisads. In that vision one is,
This course will explore and demonstrate the use of the methods (prakriyas) used in the Upanisads to unfold the non-dual
Who am I, really? Why am I here? Why do we suffer? Is there any solution to the problem of
The central problem of human life is twofold: morality and mortality. Given the certainty of death, is there a meaning
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This introductory seminar introduces students to the fundamentals of academic research and writing. A prerequisite for beginning graduate study, it
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Vedānta also known as the Upaniṣad, found at the end of all four Vedas, reveal the goal and purpose of
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Aimed at intermediate and advanced students, this course provides a comprehensive overview of Mahābhārata scholarship, including textual and historical issues
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Learning Outcome:-
- Effectively analyze the nature of the human problem.
- Discern the difference between knowledge and action as means (sadhana) for a given end and the sphere of applicability of both.
- Understand Advaita Vedanta’s epistemology and its relevance to the human problem.
- Gain clarity on the Advaita view of reality and non-duality.
- Recognize and analyze the differences between some modern and ancient interpretations of Advaita. and the traditional view.
- Learn the prerequisites for the knowledge of Advaita and the skills required to gain them.
- Understand the place of Yoga in gaining the vision of Advaita
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 engage with selections from the Bhagavad Gita, which elaborates upon topics handled with characteristic brevity in the Upanisads. In addition to expanding on the metaphysical teachings of the Upanisads, the Gita treats the prerequisites for understanding the teachings, under the rubric of karma-yoga, in great detail. This will include a discussion of the place of Astanga Yoga in Advaita Vedanta. We will conclude by examining 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: Admissions into a Program of Study
Faculty/Instructor: Swamini Agamananda Saraswati
Quarter Offered: Winter 2020
Area of Study:- Hindu Studies Foundation
Learning Outcomes:
Readings for the course will demonstrate the complexity of being human, being ethical, and exploring the ultimate meaning of life. Although the course is designed as an overview, we will focus on crucial issues concerning social justice: inequalities in income, privilege, caste, access to resources and education, and the consequences of bad governments and individual greed. The course is based on P. V. Kane’s comprehensive work History of Dharmaśāstra. Part I is required to register for Part II. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: (1) understand the breadth and depth of the textual tradition of dharma; (2) know key texts, their chronology, key concepts and the debates surrounding them; (3) learn how to read, interpret and research based on primary texts; and (4) knowledgeably draw on the tradition for understanding contemporary issues.
Area of Study: Hindu Studies Foundations
Required/ Elective: Elective
Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study
Instructor: Dr. Vishwa Adluri
Learning Outcome:-
- Gain a comprehensive and consistent overview of the Bhagavadgita as both a moksa-sastra and a yoga-sastra.
- Understand the scope and relevance of the pursuits of knowledge and action in the Bhagavadgita.
- Be able to resolve paradoxes and seemingly competing viewpoints in the verses.
- Gain clarity on the meaning of moksa, karmayoga, bhakti, and meditation, in the Gita.
- Discern some of the paradigms that underlie various interpretations of the Gita.
The non-dual vision presented in the Gita has its origin in the Upanisads, where it is revealed through a teacher-student dialogue. Consistent with this, the teachings of the Gita are delivered through a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Unlike the Upanisads, the Gita discusses at length the participants in this dialogue. The Gita also goes much further than the Upanisads in expanding the discussion of the philosophical teachings, approaching them from a variety of perspectives, sometimes precipitated by a question from Arjuna. Its uniqueness, however, lies in its elaboration of the necessary conditions for understanding its core teaching, and the means, including Ashtanga Yoga, for creating those conditions. Our inquiry into the vision of the Bhagavadgita presented in this course is based on the commentary of Sankara, the principal exponent of non-duality, advaita. Sankara’s is the earliest extant commentary on the Bhagavadgita, and arguably the most consistent, as will be demonstrated in the course of our study through an examination of paradoxical verses. As we proceed, we will also gain a clear understanding of the meaning of moksa, karmayoga, bhakti, and meditation, as presented in the Gita. And throughout the course, we will see, over the shoulders of Arjuna, the relevance of the teachings of the Gita to our lives today.
Required/Elective: Required
Prerequisites: Admission to the program of study/Must have completed Orientation to Hindu Studies or Concurrently enrolled in OTHS.
Faculty/Instructor: Swamini Agamananda Saraswati
Quarter Offered: Spring 2020
Area of Study:- Hindu Studies Foundation
Start Date:- April 11th, 2020
End Date:- June 20th, 2020
Day:- Saturday & Sunday
Time:- 2:00-3:30 pm EST
A systematic and methodological approach to the study of Vedanta will be presented. The pursuit of Vedanta through the Prasthana-traya (three-pronged approach) which includes the Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā, Brahma Sūtras, and the Upanishads, including prakarana granthas will be outlined. The Guru-Śhisya-Śhastra trilogy as key elements of a unique teaching tradition necessary for the transmission of knowledge and the envisioned transformation to occur will be elaborated in detail. The basic tenets of the varied schools of Vedanta – Advaita, Visiśtādvaita, Dvaita, Dvaitādvaita, Bhedābheda, Acintyabhedābheda, Śuddhādvaita, Śivādvaita, etc will be discussed.
In this course students will be able to:
- Recognize the preparation and prerequisites required for the study of Vedanta.
- Understand the nature of the Self, the Universe and the relationship between the two.
- Compare Vedantic perspectives about the Self, Consciousness and the Universe with an ancient and contemporary scientific and philosophical understanding.
- Discover the transformative potential of Vedanta for conscious evolution, contentment, and happiness.
Areas of Study: Hindu Studies Foundations
Required / Elective: Required
Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study
Faculty: Sri Swami Svatmananda
