Blockseminar Yoga Sutras

Convener: Karl-Stéphan Bouthillette Contact: Karl.Bouthillette@lmu.deCurriculum:https://lmu-munich.academia.edu/KarlStephanBouthillettehttps://www.linkedin.com/pub/karl-stephan-bouthillette/38/a99/36b Course description: In the context of global enthusiasm towards various practices claiming to follow the Indian tradition of Yoga, the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali are becoming an increasingly popular and important text worldwide, both for the understanding of ancient Indian culture and to inform our outlook on a modern popular spiritual movement at the center of a multi-billion dollars’ industry. Coming from a distant land, from a bygone era, the language of the Yoga Sutras requires careful analysis. Its content is not as easily accessible as many have assumed. Invited Professor V. N. Jha, Former Director of the Centre of Advanced Study in Sanskrit, University of Pune, and his wife Ujwala Jha, herself a renown Mimsak, will be leading the lectures on the text, assisted by Laura von Ostrowski, invited PhD candidate from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, conducting her doctoral studies on the modern reception of the Yoga Sutras, and by Karl-Stéphan Bouthillette, PhD candidate and lecturer in Indian philosophy at LMU. The structure of the Yoga Sutras, its authoritative claims, its methodology and particular philosophy will be among the many aspects covered by Professor Jha. However, a complete overview of the text should not be expected. The course will introduce the main concepts at play in the text and set solid foundations for further exploration. Focus will be put on sections of higher significance: more precisely on the First Pda of the text, continuing with the Aga Yoga in the Second Pda and further topics. Relevant elements from other sections will be drawn in the discussion as the reading progresses, in order to present as holistic a picture of Yoga philosophy as possible. A brief introduction to Indian philosophy will be given in order to locate the Yoga Sutras in their cultural context. This will include a discussion on the Indian method of philosophical inquiry and a summary of the worldviews of philosophers. Thus, participants will also familiarize themselves with classical Indian philosophical methodology while exploring the epistemology of Yoga. It is said that the philosophical system of Yoga aims at bringing about life transformation. This course will examine the presuppositions behind this claim. In order to gain a better understanding of the wider context of Yoga, in ancient India and in modern days, participants will be expected to attend a pre-seminar conference to be held on Saturday the 23rd of July 2016. The details of the event will be disclosed to the participants by email and announced on Campus. Invited Faculty: 1. Prof. V N Jha, Former Director, Centre of Advanced Study in Sanskrit, University of Pune, India. 2. Prof. Ujjwala Jha, Former Director, Centre of Advanced Study in Sanskrit, University of Pune, India Assisted by 3. Laura von Ostrowski (M.A.), PhD candidate from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg 4. Karl-Stéphan Bouthillette (M.A.), PhD candidate and lecturer in Indian philosophy at LMU. Schedule: The workshop will last one week, thus five open days, no weekend, and would require a class commitment of five hours per day, including pauses. The workshop will take place from the 25th till the 29th. Class will be given from 9 to 12 am and from 13h30 till 15h30 pm. A full day pre-seminar conference will be held on Saturday the 23rd of July Location: Room D Z 007, in the main building. Examination: Students coming from Religious Studies will write a paper to be handed on the 12th of August 2016 at the latest. Other students who require credits will be evaluated through a written examination at the end of the course. Participants: A maximum of 30 people can participate in the event. Register early to save a place! Support Material: There are numerous translations of the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali available on the market. For practical reasons, this seminar will be using the -The Yoga sutras of Patanjali : an analysis of the Sanskrit with accompanying English translation”, by Christopher Chapple and Yogi Anand Viraj (Eugene P. Kelly Jr.). (Participants should avail themselves of the text in advance and on their own.) Detailed bibliography: Christopher Chapple and Yogi Ananda Viraj (Eugene P. Kelly Jr.). Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an Analysis of the Sanskrit with Accompanying English Translation. Studies in Indian Tradition. Vol. 1, New Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1990. Other translations can obviously be used in support for extra reading. Department für Asienstudien LMU München SoSe 2016 Bouthillette Karl