Category: Academic

OCHS Publications – The Truth Within

OCHS Publications – The Truth Within

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OCHS Publications – The Truth Within

Thursday, 14 November 2013

What is truth? How does it relate to our understanding of the inner self? What role does religion play in this intersection between the two? Professor Gavin Flood, Academic Director of OCHS, explores these questions in his book The Truth Within: A History of Inwardness in Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.  

Part I focuses on the history and texts pertaining to inwardness, and the role of religion in shaping one’s inner reality. In Part II, he analyses the theory and phenomenology of inwardness, and engages in a comparison of three world religions. Integral to the volume is the idea of an inner self, an interiority unique to the individual. 

Comparing three religions, Flood discusses the various ways in which religion helps in developing this inner awareness, such as prayer, or meditation. He also contrasts the theistic approach with the non-theistic, and highlights the ways in which some traditions (including Christianity and certain forms of Hinduism) relate the truth of the inner self to that of God, or the universe. By answering age-old questions of truth and self-identity, Professor Flood offers valuable insight into the connection between God, reality, and inwardness, while at the same time providing an excellent comparison of three major religions.

The Truth Within is available in both hardcopy and e-book formats at Amazon

Nehru Centre talk: Swami Vivekananda and the Transformation of Indian Philanthropy

Nehru Centre talk: Swami Vivekananda and the Transformation of Indian Philanthropy

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Nehru Centre talk: Swami Vivekananda and the Transformation of Indian Philanthropy

Nehru Centre Event
Wednesday, 22 May 2013 – 6:30pm

Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street
London, W1K 1HF

A talk by Prabhu Guptara

Arising from research towards a history of Indian philanthropy, the lecture examines the influence of Swami Vivekananda. Briefly, the argument is that Indian philanthropy was transformed from its focus on temples and priests (with occasional charity to the poor), to take in “modern” concerns such as schools, hospitals, orphanages and other areas of public interest; and that Swami Vivekananda’s impact prepared the way for the expansion of the ambit of Indian philanthropy to national and international concerns.

Organiser: 
Nehru Centre – London
Ashok Vaswani: From Bombay to Barclays

Ashok Vaswani: From Bombay to Barclays

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Ashok Vaswani: From Bombay to Barclays

Monday, 13 May 2013

On 20 May, Mr Ashok Vaswani, CEO, Retail and Business Banking, at Barclays, delivered the final lecture of the 2013 Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Leadership Series. The event at Oxford’s Saïd Business School was sponsored by Deloitte.

In the lecture “From Bombay to Barclays”, Mr Vaswani shared the ideas and influences that have led him to become head of Retail and Business Banking at Barclays. He spoke on the role that Indian thought, culture, and society have had on his career development as a business builder and on his philosophy on leadership and strategic thought and practice. He also looked at how we measure gain and success and how we find where the balance between community and work.

Mr Vaswani spoke about the need for values such as humility and the impossibility of learning from a position of arrogance. He talked about how the the cultural values he learned in his youth have served him in his work in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the US.

Viraj Aggarwal, one of the students on the Leadership Programme said, that, “of the many business-oriented talks I’ve attended, this was by far the best. A major part of the talk was about developing a deeper understanding of business and its need to focus on making a long-term difference to the world, with money-making as an outcome rather than the goal; and how a business needs to define a purpose, and to build processes rather than product if it is to retain any permanence.”

An important aspect of this OCHS lecture series is exploration of the cultural values that leaders bring with them to their roles. On this Mr Vaswani said that, “culture is what you do when no-one is watching”, and on a related note, that the true self, “is demonstrated when you are in boiling water.”

The talk was followed by a dinner at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies for Mr Vaswani, representatives from Deloitte, and Oxford students and scholars. The dinner was an opportunity to continue the discussion, while allowing the participants to gain a deeper understanding of each other and the work they do in their respective fields.

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Leadership Programme aims to educate and inspire potential leaders and pioneers to serve the aspirations and needs of the community, and to prepare them to engage in national life, politics, public administration, business, the professions, and the voluntary sector, whilst being mindful of good professional practice and the practice of dharma. Previous speakers have been, Rt Hon. Dominic Grieve QC MP, Attorney General for England and Wales; Lord Meghnad Desai; and Mr Alpesh Patel, a barrister, businessman, and broadcaster. As well as the lecture series, the programme organises internships for Oxford students with leaders in the private and public sectors.

Mr Vaswani’s lecture can be downloaded here.

ashok-vaswani
OCHS student wins Sanskrit prize

OCHS student wins Sanskrit prize

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OCHS student wins Sanskrit prize

Monday, 6 May 2013

Rohana Seneviratne, D.Phil. student in Sanskrit at the Oriental Institute  and OCHS student, was awarded the Saraswati Sanskrit Prize. He is the first person of Sri Lankan descent and also the first Oxford student to receive this award.

At the official award ceremony held in New Delhi on 25 March, Rohana received his award from Dr. Karan Singh, president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), titular Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, and also an OCHS patron.

The Saraswati Sanskrit Prize is a biannual award instituted in 2008 by the ICCR in India together with the Department of Cultural and Religious History of South Asia (Classical Indology), University of Heidelberg, to recognise the contribution of students in Europe in promoting the understanding of Sanskrit and to foster deeper appreciation of  Indian culture.

Among the distinguished scholars at the ceremony were Mahamahopadhyaya Prof. Satyavrat Sastri, the first Jnanpith laureate for Sanskrit.

The prize includes a ten-day visit to India with all hospitality from the ICCR. Rohana was warmly received at the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan and Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi as well as at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University and Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. 

Video of the ceremony is available at:

youtu.be/EIbkRn96Bgc

youtu.be/DiEUt9VWWd8

youtu.be/l-TmaTDZ7TI

Saraswati-Sanskrit-Prize
Renowned Sanskritist, OCHS Fellow, Prof. Narasimhachary Passes Away

Renowned Sanskritist, OCHS Fellow, Prof. Narasimhachary Passes Away

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Renowned Sanskritist, OCHS Fellow, Prof. Narasimhachary Passes Away

Friday, 8 March 2013

Professor M.N. Narasimhachary, twice OCHS-Shivdasani Fellow and OCHS Director of Academic Affairs has passed away in Chennai, India, on Wednesday 6 March 2013, aged 74.

Born in Arthamuru village in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, Prof. Narasimhachary was educated in Chennai. He earned his Ph.D. in Sanskrit from the University of Madras for his work on Yamunacharya.

He was revered at the OCHS as an excellent scholar, a gentleman, and a friend to all who met him. OCHS alumnus Dr Ravi Gupta remembers him thus: “Some thirteen years ago, I met Prof. Narasimhachary for the first time when he arrived as a visiting professor at the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies. That fortunate encounter changed my life in more ways that I can describe. In the years that have passed, Prof. Narasimhachary served as my doctoral examiner, wrote a reference for my first job, offered advice on all my writing projects, attended my wedding, and showered blessings on the births of both my boys. But more importantly, Prof. Narasimhachary was for me a life-long mentor, a loving well-wisher, and a model of Vaishnava scholarship”.

C.S. Radhakrishnan, Professor and Head of Department of Sanskrit, Pondicherry University, describes Prof. Narasimhachary as “an indomitable researcher, an inspiring teacher, an impromptu poet, an eloquent speaker and an easy exponent of the most terse principles of Vedanta, who charmed the scholars and the students alike.”

Prof. Narasimhachary started his career as a lecturer in Sanskrit in Vivekananda College, Chennai. Subsequently he became Reader in Sanskrit in the University of Madras. He also founded and chaired the Department of Vaishnavism in the University of Madras. After a short stint as a professor of Sanskrit in the University of Malaysia, he was appointed the first Head of Department of Vaishnavism at the University of Madras.

New book – Modern Hindu Personalism

New book – Modern Hindu Personalism

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New book - Modern Hindu Personalism

Saturday, 20 October 2012
 

OCHS fellow, Ferdinando Sardella, has published a new book, Modern Hindu Personalism, in which he explores the life and works of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874-1937), a Vaishnava guru of the Chaitanya school of Bengal. Ferdinando Sardella examines Bhaktisiddhanta’s background, motivation and thought, especially as it relates to his creation of a modern traditionalist institution for the successful revival of Chaitanya Vaishnava bhakti. Sardella provides the historical background as well as the contemporary context of the India in which Bhaktisiddhanta lived and functioned, in the process shedding light on such topics as colonial culture and sensibilities, the emergence of an educated middle-class, the rise of the Bengal Renaissance and the challenge posed by Protestant missionaries.

Bhaktisiddhanta’s childhood, education and major influences are examined, as well as his involvement with Chaitanya Vaishnavism and the practice of bhakti. Sardella places Bhaktisiddhanta’s life and work within a taxonomy of modern Hinduism and compares the significance of his work to the contributions of other major figures such as Swami Vivekananda. Finally, Bhaktisiddhanta’s work is linked to the development of a worldwide movement that today involves thousands of American and European practitioners, many of whom have become respected representatives of Chaitanya bhakti in India itself.

OCHS academic director, Gavin Flood says “Modern Hindu Personalism is a significant contribution to scholarship not only of the modern Gaudiya Vaisnava movement but also of the religious history of Bengal within the last half of the colonial period. Adding greatly to our understanding of the development of Hinduism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the context of colonialism and a rising Indian nationalism, this book should be widely read by scholars of the history of colonial India and religion.”

Modern Hindu Personalism is available to buy online at OUP or Amazon

IK Foundation Lecture: India: A Secular State?

IK Foundation Lecture: India: A Secular State?

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IK Foundation Lecture: India: A Secular State?

Nehru Centre Event
Thursday, 18 October 2012 – 6:30pm

Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street
London, W1K 1HF

A talk by Dr Nick Sutton of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

The constitution of India is clearly that of a modern secular society that excludes any single religion from exerting significant political influence.  Yet India is still far from being a country without religion.  In this talk we will consider the limits of secularism and exactly what distinctions exist between secular and religious societies.

Organiser: 
Nehru Centre – London
New book series

New book series

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New book series

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

The OCHS is proud to announce a new academic book series “Archaeology and Religion”, published in partnership with Routledge India. The new series examines inscriptions, ritual objects, coins, and sculptural and narrative representations on shrines to help investigate the complex relationship between manifestations of religion and the archaeological record.

Through the study of the archaeological record, we can appreciate the diverse uses of sacred sites and how religious communities and practices have changed and evolved over time. This series is broad in scope and is open to multi-disciplinary proposals exploring archaeology and religion.

This series introduces the reader to the major religions of South Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam through the form and function of sacred sites and their interaction with society. It is in the capacity to acknowledge multiple forms of one deity and the cyclic nature of time that the Indic culture is unique and it is here that early textual traditions provide insights for possible de-codification of symbols and icons.

In contrast, the archaeological record focuses on a wide diversity ranging from open-air altars, tree-shrines, pillars, memorial stones to religious architecture, monastic complexes and temple towns. The crucial element in the built landscape was the religious shrine and fresh insights into the role of religion in the past are possible through an understanding of the social context of these shrines.

Another important aspect of the series relates to the continued use and reuse of sacred space. An apt example of this is the site of Nagarjunakonda in the lower Krishna valley in Andhra that emphasises the sharing of a common architectural vocabulary by several religious traditions.

Finally it is the visual record of conservation and transformation of religious architecture over the last two hundred years during colonial rule that becomes significant in comprehending the present relationship between the community and sacred space.

Proposed book titles currently include: Negotiating Sacred Space: Locating Early Medieval South Asia in a Trans-cultural World; Archaeology and Religion in Early Historic Punjab;Archaeology of multi-religious centres such as Varanasi or Mathura; Archaeology of Buddhism in South Asia.

Professor Himanshu Prabhu Ray is the editor of the new Archaeology and Religion series. She is currently the Chair of the National Monuments Authority, New Delhi. and formerly a professor at the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. She was a Shivdasani Visiting Fellow at the OCHS in 2005 and edited the proceedings of the Archaeology and Text conference which was held in Oxford in 2007, published by Oxford University Press under the title Archaeology and Text: The Temple in South Asia. 

More information can be found at www.ochs.org.uk/publications/archaeology-and-religion-series.

Jolly good fellows

Jolly good fellows

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Jolly good fellows

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Academic year 2011–2012 gave us one OCHS fellow and three Shivdasani Fellows. The Shivdasani Fellowship exists to enable outstanding scholars of Indian nationality to come and study, write, and teach at Oxford University.

Shivdasani Fellows

Purushottama Bilimoria

Professor Bilimoria is a highly engaging and cheerful individual and it was inspiring to see the amount of ground he covered in six short weeks. He tutored eleven students on a wide range of topics and took full advantage of the facilities Oxford offers. While at the OCHS he authored several papers and prepared a syllabus on ‘Gandhi and the Civil Rights Movement in America 1893-1993’ for a course he will be teaching in University of California- Berkeley.

Purushottama Bilimoria, is Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Studies at Deakin University in Australia and Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne. Visiting Professor and Lecturer at University of California, Berkeley and Dominican University, San Anselmo. His areas of specialist research and publications cover classical Indian philosophy and comparative ethics; Continental thought; cross-cultural philosophy of religion, diaspora studies; bioethics, and personal law in India.

Prof. Bilimoria teaches and publishes on Hindu religious philosophies. He also works on political philosophy, pertaining to ethics of rights, theories of justice, capabilities, education and gender issues in third world, particularly South Asian, contexts.

On his stay at Oxford, Professor Bilimoria reports: ‘It was truly like being in a family, and everyone was always so kind, courteous, caring, and going out of their way to do things for a scholar-academic often somewhat new to the environment, and caught up in his own work, and head. I learnt so much, and was able to share so much. The handful of students I tutored and mentored were simply great; I have kept in touch with most. A wonderful place to sit, read, think, and write into the wee-hours of the night; and come downstairs to streets to take in a few breaths of the world around, and gaze at the towering spires of the colleges.’

Professor M Narasimhachary

For Hilary and Trinity terms we were honoured to host Professor Narasimhachary. This is Professor Narasimhachary’s second stay at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

Prof. Narasimhachary is a world-class Sanskritist and an excellent teacher. ‘Studying Sanskrit texts under the supervision of Professor Narasimhachary has provided me with the kind of insight into the language that can only be gained from one profoundly rooted in the Sanskrit tradition,’ says student Lucien Wong. ‘The phenomenal breadth of his expertise has allowed me to discover subtle and fertile connections between various texts and ideas that would no doubt have been overlooked without his guidance.’

The spoken Sanskrit clsses given by Prof. Narasimhachary are an excellent complement to the University’s offerings.

‘I find his more traditional, cultural approach to the language to be invaluable and very necessary in order to truly appreciate the language,’ adds another of his students, Bhavishna Modi, ‘The Professor impresses us all with his recitations of verses, no matter what the topic, and despite all his students being at different levels we are all able to benefit from the lessons he teaches. He approaches the Ramayana with such enthusiasm that he leaves us inspired to explore beyond the material discussed in class, and it is exciting to learn the mantras he so memorably teaches! The Centre has provided a wonderful opportunity to the students at the University.’

Professor Narasimhachary is the Founder Professor and Head (Retired), Department of Vaishnavism, University of Madras, India. His specialist subjects include the Pre-Ramanuja Religion and Philosophy, Pancharatra Agama Literature, Telugu and Sanskrit Literature and popularisation of Sanskrit as a spoken tongue. Prof. Narasimhachary received the Certificate of Honour for Proficiency in Sanskrit from the President of India for the year 2004.

While at the OCHS he also lectured on Post-Ramanuja Developments in Shri Vaishnavaism, Readings in Ramanuja’s Sribhashya, and Readings in Kavya.

Professor Parimal Patil

Parimal G. Patil is Professor of Religion and Indian Philosophy at Harvard University, where he is Chair of the Department of South Asian Studies. His primary academic interests are in Sanskrit philosophy and the intellectual history of religion in India. In his first two books, Against a Hindu God and Buddhist Philosophy of Religion in India, he focused on interreligious debates between Buddhists and non-Buddhist philosophers in the final phase of Buddhism in India. Currently, he is working on early modern Sanskrit philosophy, especially the work of the New Epistemologists.

For professional reasons his stay in Oxford was shortened, however he managed a busy schedule of lectures, tutorials, and meetings with old colleagues including Dr Jim Benson, an early mentor who started Professor Patil on his journey into Sanskrit.

We hope to be able to host Professor Patil again for a full term.

OCHS Visiting Fellow

Andrea Acri

We were also pleased to host Andrea Acri, a scholar of Shaivism in the Indian Subcontinent and the Indonesian Archipelago.

‘My one-term stay at the OCHS as a visiting fellow was enriching,’ he says. ‘Of the many research centres and academic institutions I have visited worldwide, the OCHS is the most unique, being characterised by an approach to Hindu studies that beautifully espouses the rigorous academic standards and refined intellectual environment of Oxford to the human warmth and pluralistic attitude of India. I was struck by its atmosphere of genuine friendliness and deep respect for the Hindu culture – an aspect that one cannot always take for granted in today’s academic world. Run by devoted staff members and populated on most days by a host of Oxford undergraduate and graduate students, regular or occasional visitors, and other academics, the Centre was for me much more than a vibrant scholarly hub – it provided me with a truly “home away from home” experience.’

Andrea Acri is from Parma, Italy. He holds a Laurea degree in Oriental Languages and Cultures (Sanskrit) from the University of Rome ‘Sapienza’, and an MA degree in Southeast Asian Languages and Literatures (Old Javanese) from Leiden University (the Netherlands). Before receiving his PhD from the same University in early 2011, he was awarded a J. Gonda Fellowship in Indology at the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS, Leiden). He was then granted an Australia Endeavour Award for Postdoctoral Research and a Visiting Fellowship at the School of Culture, History and Language of the College for Asia and the Pacific, the Australian National University (Canberra).

His other research interests are Hinduism and Indian philosophies, Sanskrit and Old Javanese languages and literatures, and various aspects of the intellectual history of the Indic world. He is the author of Dharma Pātañjala; A Śaiva Scripture from Ancient Java; Studied in the Light of Related Old Javanese and Sanskrit Texts, and co-editor of From Laṅkā Eastwards: The Rāmāyaṇa in the Literature and Visual Arts of Indonesia (KITLV Press, 2011).