Overview
The Vedas: Why and How to Worship the Vedic Gods, including the God of Order
* Start of Class: Written Reflection due via Canvas link based upon the below Readings and corresponding Guiding Questions:
Complete Readings: “Selections from the Rg Veda,” Sourcebook of Indian Philosophy (SIP), pp. 5-9, 15, 19, 24-31; “Pre-Upaniṣadic Thought,” Outlines of Indian Philosophy (OIP), pp. 29-47
Guiding Questions: What are the Vedas? Who composed them? To whom were the Vedas addressed? In what context were they to be read or “performed”? What are the Vedic gods in a general sense, and who are some of the most prominent early Vedic gods? Is there an ethical consciousness that emerges in these hymns? Explain with reference to the god of order. What does “henotheism” mean, and how might it help us to understand the Vedic pantheon of gods/goddesses?
Wed From the Vedas to the Upaniṣads: The Problem with Karma and the Story of Satyakāma Jābālā
Complete Readings: “Chāndogya Upaniṣad” in “Upaniṣads”, sections 3.14 (pp. 123-4), 4.4 (pp. 130-1), 5.10 (pp. 141-3); “Foundations of Brahminism: Vedas and Upaniṣads,” An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, pp. 7-12
Guiding Questions: What are the Upaniṣads? How are they continuous with and yet distinct from the earlier, more ritualistic parts of the Vedas? How does the story of Satyakāma Jābālā (at 4.4) indicate differences between the attitude of the Upaniṣads and that of Vedic ritualism? What does section 5.10 (especially 5.10.7-5.10.9) of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad tell us about the relationship between action (karma) and re-birth? Who or what is Brahman? According to section 3.14 of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, what role does one’s “resolve” play in overcoming worldly attachments and uniting with Brahman?
Fri The Upaniṣads (cont.): The Ātman-Brahman Union and the Story of Śvetaketu [Note: We will not meet for this class. See instructions below for alternate learning activities.]
* 11:59 pm: Written Reflection due via Canvas link based upon the below Guiding Questions (related to the Readings given below). Then watch this Video Lecture (available at 11:59 pm) before next class meeting: “The Upaniṣads: The Ātman-Brahman Union and the Story of Śvetaketu” (69 min: 16 min for video titled “2a” + 53 min for video titled “2b”)
- Video Lecture Time Code available on the appropriate Canvas Assignment Page
- If you encounter problems accessing the video, then please contact Canvas Support Hotline for Students (1-844-702-5213) or USF’s ITS Help Desk (415-422-6668).
Complete Readings: “Chāndogya Upaniṣad” in “Upaniṣads”, sections 6.1 (p. 148) & 6.9-6.13 (pp. 153-5); “Foundations of Brahminism: Vedas and Upaniṣads,” An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, pp. 7-12 (re-read)
Guiding Questions: In what way does study of the natural world (in sections 6.1, 6.9-6.13) reveal to Śvetaketu the nature of the true Self (ātman)? How does monism aptly convey the meaning of “Brahman”? In explaining this, clarify the relationship between ātman and Brahman.
Week 5 (9/19-9/23): Early Indian Philosophy cont.
Mon The Upaniṣads (cont.): Life is a Dream and the Story of Indra’s Quest for the Self
* Start of Class: Written Reflection due via Canvas link based upon the below Readings and corresponding Guiding Questions:
Complete Readings: “Chāndogya Upaniṣad” in “Upaniṣads”, sections 8.7-8.15 (pp. 171-6); “Foundations of Brahminism: Vedas and Upaniṣads,” An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, pp. 7-12 (re-read)
Guiding Questions: Which of these two methods of inquiry into the nature of the true self does Prajāpati deploy in these passages: introspection into subjective experience or empirical analysis of the natural world? Explain briefly. What liberating truth(s) does Indra realize at the end of his conversations with Prajāpati? Why does Prajāpati give Indra wrong answers earlier in the dialogue?
Wed Introducing the Bhagavad Gītā: Its Religious and Epic Context
Complete Readings: None for today’s class.
Guiding Questions for Today’s Lecture and Class Discussion: What are the four “goals of man” (puruṣa-ārthas) in traditional Hindu society? How would you compare and contrast the central protagonists of the Rāmāyāna and the Mahābhārata? What does “avatāra” mean, and how does he appear in these two epics? Why were Arjuna and his family (his four brothers, his wife) cast into exile for twelve years, prior to the beginning of the war with his cousins? What happens to Draupadī after the dice game (an event that precipitates war between the two sets of cousins)?
Fri The Bhagavad Gītā (cont.): Questioning the Self: From Ethical Dilemma to Crisis of Personal Identity
* Start of Class: Written Reflection due via Canvas link based upon the below Readings and corresponding Guiding Questions:
Complete Readings: The Bhagavad Gītā, Chapters 1-6, SIP, pp. 101-126; “Bhagavadgītā,” OIP, pp. 116-130
Questioning the Self in the Bhagavad Gītā: From Ethical Dilemma to Crisis of Personal Identity
Guiding Questions: Why does Arjuna suddenly lose his will to fight on the battlefield? Do you think that this is the result of mere weakness of will, or does it stem from a genuine moral dilemma? What influences can we see in the Bhagavad Gītā from Vedic and Upaniṣadic ideals of ritual action and world-transcendence, respectively? Give two passages from the Bhagavad Gītā text itself (i.e., from the translation portions of the SIP reading, not from the Introduction to the Bhagavad Gītā in the SIP and also not from the OIP reading) showing this for each. Do you think that Krishna (Kṛṣṇa) asks Arjuna to fight a just war? Explain your reasoning.
Mon The Bhagavad Gītā (cont.): Desireless Action & the Meanings of Yoga
* Start of Class: Written Reflection due via Canvas link based upon the below Readings and corresponding Guiding Questions:
Complete Readings: The Bhagavad Gītā, Chapters 7-11, SIP, pp. 126-143 (also revisit Chapters 2-6, pp. 106-126); Bhagavadgītā,” OIP, pp. 130-132 (also revisit pp. 118-130)
Guiding Questions: According to Krishna, how is “niṣkāma-karma” (lit. “desireless action,” implied at 2.47) supposed to help Arjuna to perform his warrior duty (kṣatriya dharma)? In what way might this teaching help to reconcile the demands of dharma and mokṣa? What does the term “yoga” mean? Give at least three meanings of “yoga” itself.
Wed The Bhagavad Gītā (cont.): The Kinds of Yoga
* Start of Class: Written Reflection due via Canvas link based upon the below Readings and corresponding Guiding Questions:
Complete Readings: The Bhagavad Gītā, Chapters 7-11, SIP, pp. 126-143 (also revisit Chapters 2-6, pp. 106-126); Bhagavadgītā,” OIP, pp. 130-132 (also revisit pp. 118-130)
Guiding Questions: Are there different kinds of yoga? Name at least 3 different kinds of yoga. (In answering these questions, note that the meanings of yoga and the kinds of yoga are not the same thing. Each of the meanings of “yoga” will be common to each of the kinds of yoga).