News

Faith and Food in Hindu Traditions

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 18 December 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

A Talk by Anuradha Dooney of the OCHS Continuing Education Department

"From food are made all bodies, which become food again for others after their death. Food is the most important of all things for the body; therefore it is the best medicine for all the body’s ailments. Those who look upon food as the Lord’s gift shall never lack life’s physical comforts." Taittirya Upanisad 2.1.1
 
From the earliest expressions of Hindu thought to the Ayurvedic remedies, tiffin wallas, and temples of today, food, fasting and feasting have been at the heart of Hindu ideology and practice.

Friends Event: "Ours is this Self, and it is our World": Asceticism and spiritual practice in the Upanisads

Birmingham Friends Event
Saturday, 4 December 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Dr Rembert Lutjeharms of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

For over two thousand years the Upanisads have been revered as the culmination of all Vedic thought. Spiritual practitioners of various persuasions have studied these works, looking for answers, guidance, or intellectual stimulation. But what do the Upanisads teach, and what type of guidance do these texts offer? This talk will explore the importance of discipline and work in the Upanisads, and examine the role of asceticism and insight as spiritual practice.

Friends Event: Putting faith back into faith schools

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 20 November 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

This month our speaker is Pradip Gajjar, the project director of the IFoundation, the organisation behind the Krishna Avanti school, the first Hindu School in Leicester. Pradip's talk is titled "Putting Faith Back into Faith Schools". Leicester is set to have its first state funded Hindu School. With this comes choice for parents, excitement for community leaders and a potential social debate on the contribution and value of faith schools. This talk will argue the value of faith schools.

Friends Event: Leadership in Hindu Thought

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Talk given by Shaunaka Rishi Das of the Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies.

The work and qualities of a leader have been discussed in many places in Indian literature. From these writings we can discern clear guidelines for the practice of leadership in our personal, family, and community roles in life. We will ask if leadership is different from management, and if leaders are trained or born, among other things.

Friends Event: Orientalists and their 'Hinduisms'

Leicester Friends Event
Friday, 3 September 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

A talk by Sharada Sugirtharajah, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Birmingham

 
There is much discussion among scholars about how we can define the term ‘Hinduism’. My concern is not so much about who invented the term ‘Hinduism’, but rather to look at the thinking behind European representations of Hinduism. The aim is to show that although European Orientalist conceptions of Hinduism are varied and complex they display certain common identifiable features, which we will explore.

Friends Event: Yudhishthira and Dharma: Understanding the Mahabharata

Birmingham Friends Event
Friday, 3 September 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Talk given by Dr Nick Sutton Ph.D., B.A. (Hons) of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

In this talk we will consider the different ways in which the Mahabharata explores the subtleties of dharma and exposes the tensions that can appear between the dharma of virtue, the dharma of duty, and the dharma of moksha. Here the character of Yudhishthira is central to Mahabharata's teaching as he is shown to be a man of inherent virtue whose duty forces him to take courses of action that conflict with his highest ideals.

A day of leadership

8 August 2010

In partnership with the City Of London Friends group, we held a one-day course at the OCHS on 7 August. The course, ‘A Day of Leadership from Indian Sources’ addresses the needs of city professionals in understanding Hindu culture and identity.

 
India’s rise in global economic and political importance is paralleled by a rising interest in Indian civilisation and what makes India tick.

Friends Event: Bhagavan, Brahman and Paramatma

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 21 August 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Talk given by Dr Nick Sutton Ph.D., B.A. (Hons) of the Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies

 
In this presentation Nick Sutton will consider the different ways in which the Hindu tradition provides insights into the nature of God, looking at both the teachings of the Vedas and the ideas of some of the major acharyas. After looking at the principal doctrines, we will consider whether there is a consistent Hindu theology and what implications are to be drawn from the apparent diversity of doctrines found within the extensive purview of Hindu Dharma.

Expanding Hindu studies online

5 August 2010

In 2009–10 we expanded our online course offering to four courses per term to a total of 146 students compared to 78 the previous year. These courses are ‘Understanding Hindu Identity’, ‘Vedas and Upanishads’, ‘Mahabharata and Ramayana’, and ‘Bhagavad-gita’. It is expected that at least two new courses are to be added in 2010–11: ‘Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, and the Goddess: Readings from the Puranas’, and ‘A History of Yoga’.

 
Each course consists of lecture notes, audio, and video materials, and discussion forums.

Friends of the OCHS (FOCHS) update

12 July 2010

In December 2008 a gathering of CED alumni in Leicester became the inaugural meeting of the Friends of the OCHS-Leicester (FOCHS-L). Since then, monthly fund- and awareness-raising activities have been held and 30 kind Leicester Friends have signed up for monthly standing orders.

As the FOCHS-L developed from our CED courses, it’s not surprising that the events have been largely educational with lectures on Hinduism in its modern contexts. Extra special thanks are due to Raj and Ramila Chauhan of Aartus and their team for making this all happen.

Friends Event: Krishna in the Bhagavata

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 24 July 2010 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

A talk given by Dr Nick Sutton of the Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies.

 
In this lecture Nick Sutton will explore the enigmatic figure of Krishna, starting from his appearance in the Mahabharata as avatar, politician, Deity and teacher and then considering how the stories of the Bhagavat concerning Krishna's life in Vraja contribute to the understanding of God within the Hindu tradition.

Friends Event: Kids Zone: Guru Purnima

Kids Zone Leicester
Saturday, 24 July 2010 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Join in the fun by celebrating Guru Purnima with activities, fun, learning and lots more.