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Online Lectures by Dr Ulrik Lyngs

Online Lectures by Dr Ulrik Lyngs

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"Deus ex Machina: What Can Digital Humanities Offer Hindu Studies"

Online Lecture series by Dr Ulrik Lyngs

Our visiting fellow this term Dr Ulrik Lyngs are giving four lectures this term on Digital Humanities and Hindu Studies.
 
Part I: The data science pipeline
Part II: Basic text mining
Part III: Practical example w/ RStudio and texts from GRETIL
Part IV: Reproducible work with R Markdown
 
The lectures can be accessed here:
 
In recent years, the number of Sanskrit texts available in digital formats has grown exponentially. This provides new opportunities to improve and revise traditional scholarly understandings of Hindu traditions based on primary sources. In addition to the digital application of traditional methods of textual criticism and the editing of Sanskrit texts, Digital Humanities opens the door to entirely new types of digital analysis based on methods from statistics and computer science, such as automated analysis of word frequencies, topic modelling, and visualisation of key features in vast textual corpora. In this lecture, I introduce recent developments in the Digital Humanities with a focus on Oxford and the opportunities it provides for the Study of Religions and Hindu Studies in particular. Using data from e.g. the Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages (GRETIL) and the Muktabodha database, I illustrate how the programming language R can be used to analyse and visualise Tantric texts and generate reproducible, publication-quality outputs in multiple formats, such as traditional journal articles or interactive websites.
Dr Ulrik Lyngs recently defended his DPhil thesis in Computer Science from the University of Oxford. He has an interdisciplinary background with an MA in the Study of Religion and Psychology from the University of Aarhus and an MSc in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology from the University of Oxford. He was awarded the EPSRC Doctoral Prize in 2019 for his thesis research, and has received multiple prizes for research communication and impact, including the 2017 DOMUS Prize from Linacre College, and the 2020 MPLS Impact Awards. He is a Data Scientist and Digital Humanities Consultant at the Śākta Traditions research programme, where he provides support and consultancy on natural language processing methods for analysis of large text corpora, using reproducible workflows in R Markdown. At the computer science department, he researches design strategies for supporting self-control over digital device use, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods including large-scale web scraping, automated textual analysis, experimental studies, and participant interviews. At Aarhus University, his MA thesis analysed religion as a culturally evolved set of beliefs and practices for scaffolding self-regulation.
Love and Attachment – Conceptions of Devotions in the Narada Bhakti Sutra

Love and Attachment – Conceptions of Devotions in the Narada Bhakti Sutra

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Friends Event: Love and Attachment - Conceptions of Devotions in the Narada Bhakti Sutra

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 13 July 2019 – 6:30pm to 9:00pm

Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street 
Leicester LE4 6LF 

A talk by Dr Ramesh Pattni of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies 

The core ideas of the Bhakti tradition are explored in the well-known text attributed to Sage  Nārada. What is the nature of pure devotion? What is the goal and means of devotion? How does one cultivate bhakti? How does one reach the state of supreme devotion starting from mixed emotions of love?

Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk
Chankya – The Genius of Statecraft

Chankya – The Genius of Statecraft

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Friends Event: Chankya – The Genius of Statecraft

Saturday, 6 April 2019 – 6:30pm to 9:00pm

Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street
Leicester LE4 6LF

A talk by Dr Ramesh Pattni of the OCHS

Chanakya, also known as Kautilya and Vishnugupta, was a brilliant and original thinker living  in ancient India around the 2nd Century BCE. He was an economist, a jurist, a philosopher and a master of statecraft. He was instrumental in the rise of the first Mauryan Emperor, Chandragupta and served as his chief minister and advisor. We look at some of his ideas in the Arthashastra which demonstrates his masterly grasp on many aspects of statecraft.

Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
Finding your Guru: The Tale of the Avadhuta Brahmin

Finding your Guru: The Tale of the Avadhuta Brahmin

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Friends Event: Finding your Guru: The Tale of the Avadhuta Brahmin

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 12 January 2019 – 6:30pm to 9:00pm

Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street
Leicester LE4 6LF

A talk by Anuradha Dooney of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

Hindu traditions have always honoured the guru as a great source of wisdom. This Puranic story expands the idea of guru beyond that of the saintly sadhu to embrace the whole world. It says that a guru can come in all shapes and forms. They don’t even have to be human. As we begin a new year, hoping for a bit more wisdom, we will discuss our everyday concerns learning from our new gurus. What can the sky, a tree, or a mountain teach us about our relationships? How can a python, a pigeon or a bee help us to be happier? What can we learn from water, fire, and a fish to name but a few to inspire us for the year ahead. 

Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk
Three-day Sanskrit School in Oxford, 25–27 January 2019

Three-day Sanskrit School in Oxford, 25–27 January 2019

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Three-day Sanskrit School in Oxford, 25–27 January 2019

Wednesday, 2 January 2019
 

Whether you are brand new to studying Sanskrit or have some experience – interested in learning proper pronunciation, reading the devanāgarī script, delving into meaning and grammar, or in deepening your yoga practice – this workshop is appropriate for all levels. Through chanting and discussion of yoga-related texts, as well as focused study of writing, pronunciation, translation and the history of Sanskrit and its literature, we will explore this rich, meditative language together in all of its many dimensions.

Oxford Day School: Yoga – From Ancient to Modern

Oxford Day School: Yoga – From Ancient to Modern

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Oxford Day School: Yoga - From Ancient to Modern

Friday, 16 November 2018

Our Continuing Education Department is holding its next Day School at Corpus Christi College on Saturday 24 November. The theme is Yoga – From Ancient to Modern.

Yoga has gained great popularity in the modern world, but the history and meaning of yoga remain a mystery. In this Day School we examine the development of yoga through ancient texts and modern practice. History and text tell us a lot about where yoga comes from and attempts to use it to achieve liberation, immortality, union with God, and even health.

It’s taught by: Dr Nicholas Sutton, Director of our Continuing Education Department; Gitte Poulsen, Yogi and Manager of the OCHS Kathmandu office; and Anuradha Dooney, one of our most popular teachers.

Click here for full details.

OCHS Exhibition: Hidden Treasures

OCHS Exhibition: Hidden Treasures

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OCHS Exhibition: Hidden Treasures

Thursday, 15 November 2018

From Monday 26 November to Friday 30 November, the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is holding an exhibition: Hidden Treasures in Private Academic Collections 

This exhibition aims to discover and reveal an unknown aspect of the lives of Oxford academics at the Centre of Hindu Studies.

It brings their individual interests closer to the public. The idea is to display unusual examples of what these scholars collect, as a matter of personal preference, when they travel. What you will see is hidden treasure, objects of special affection kept privately, at home or in an office, far from the public eye. For those of us studying at the Centre, viewing these examples contributes to, and enhances, the fascination we feel for utilising a Study of Religion perspective. This is especially so since the provenance of the exhibits strongly suggests that, in order to advance our understanding of religion in South Asia, we need to combine textual studies and material culture. Furthermore, the exhibition shows how religious objects can be seen from new angles, and take on added significance, when gathered together and displayed in a non-religious setting.

All the exhibits originate from the South-Asian region and have been generously loaned by four academics related to the OCHS. 

The Swami Haridhas Giri Scholarship

The Swami Haridhas Giri Scholarship

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The Swami Haridhas Giri Scholarship

Thursday, 5 July 2018

At the end of June, 2016 our Centre was graced with a visit from His Holiness Swami Niranjanananda Giri, who leads the Sri Gnianananda Giri Peetam, near Kanchi, in Tamil Nadu. Swamiji was accompanied by a small number of his followers, including children, and came to hear about the development of Hindu Studies in Oxford, and for a tour of the city.

The trip was arranged by Dr Dharshana Sridhar, and was the culmination of a series of meetings Dr Sridhar led to explore the possibility of establishing a scholarship for gifted students through the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. Dr Sridhar, and her fellow devotees wanted to develop this scholarship in honour of their acharya, His Holiness Swami Haridhas Giri.

As is often the case in England the weather was not kind to us on the day of the visit but the jolly mood of our visitors made up for that, and the swift disappearance of the chocolate biscuits showed that the children were pleased.

We gathered in our library and, surrounded by 25,000 books, we discussed the current need to study Hindu traditions closely; how this does not yet happen in India; how valuable a scholarship will be in promoting bright students to become experts on their own traditions; and how by working together we can develop the emerging field of Hindu Studies, both in Oxford and in India.

We concluded the meeting with all the donors to the scholarship fund, headed by Swamiji himself, signing an agreement establishing The Swami Haridhas Giri Scholarship, aimed at facilitating students, especially in the study of Bhakti philosophies, theologies, and practices.

This Scholarship, one of the first of its kind in Europe for Hindu studies, is the largest endowed scholarship the OCHS has received, and the scholars and students of the Centre expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Peetam, and all its devotees. The gift of an endowed scholarship provides the centre with a permanent fund from which scholars and students can receive support. We look forward to working together for many years nurturing the field of Hindu Studies, contributing to a global discourse, and influencing thinking and decision making through excellence in education.

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