Showing results by author "Wise Studies" in All Categories

In this five-lecture series, Graham Burns gives a broad overview of the Upanishads, explaining the history and culture in which they arose. He takes you through several themes that are explored in some of the more prominent Upanishads. He illuminates important concepts that begin to form the foundation of much of Indian thought. Graham presents this lecture series in a clear, intelligent way that is sure to make the wisdom of the Upanishads accessible for anyone interested in learning more about the foundations of Indian philosophy.

In this five-lecture series, Dr. James Mallinson takes a deeper look at the Hatha Yoga lineage. He covers many areas from the texts to the practitioners, the philosophies to the practices. James is one of the world’s foremost experts on Hatha Yoga. His work has uncovered some of the most recent findings in the Hatha Yoga story, making a major contribution to the interpretation of Yoga in the modern world. This series is a fascinating look at the connections which led the ancient world of Yoga into the modern forms of practice today.

This course takes an in-depth look at the philosophy underpinning the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. Over five lectures, author Karen O’Brien-Kop explains the historical and cultural background in which the text was compiled. Each chapter and section of the Yoga Sutra is explained in detail, unpacking the deeper meaning of the sutras. This is a very clear and highly informative look at this popular and influential text.

The course begins by looking at the origins of Christian monasticism during the third century CE, when thousands of men and women renounced the world and withdrew to the deserts of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine to seek God in a life of solitude and prayer. What inspired them to do this? What were they trying to achieve? In seeking answers to these questions, we will examine the lives and sayings of the so-called "desert fathers", with a particular emphasis on the theological writings of Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345-399).

This lecture series with Sarah Shaw looks at several texts in the Pali Canon from the Dīgha Nikāya, the “collection of long discourses”. Sarah explores the Buddha’s teachings on subjects, including meditation, ethics, meditative states, and conditionality. This series is an excellent foundation for understanding the underpinnings of all Buddhist philosophy.

This course introduces key concepts of Indian Buddhist thought. Over five lectures, Bee explains the fundamental themes and problems of Buddhist philosophy, from the early Buddhist teachings on "suffering", "karma", and "No-Self" to the later scholasticism and the famous schools of thought around "emptiness" and "mind-only". Each chapter introduces another layer of Buddhist philosophical development and depth. The course forms a very clear and intriguing introduction to the wealth of Buddhist thought.