3 hours 57 minutes
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Purchase our eight Indian Tradition courses for the discounted price of only £80. You will get our courses on the The Philosophy of the Yoga Sutra, The History and Practices of Hatha Yoga, The Upanishads: Stories of the Self, Tantra: Theory and Practice, Women in Yoga, Swami Vivekananda & His Legacy, How Yoga Came to Britain and Hindu Asceticism & its Spiritual Disciplines
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This lecture series with Sarah Shaw looks at several texts in the Pali Canon from the Dīgha Nikāya, the "collection of long discourses”. Over 7 lectures 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. Total length: 6 hours 26 minutes Try a free sample
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These three lectures are an introduction to one of the most important schools of philosophy in the ancient world, the followers of Plato (c.348-428 BCE) who are now called the Neoplatonists. Writing from roughly 100 to 500 CE, these philosophers offered interpretations of Plato’s ideas from varying perspectives but always focussing on the nature of the human soul, and its relationship with the cosmos and with the One, the supreme, divine ground of being which gives rise to all that is. Each lecture is devoted to a different personality and viewpoint – Plotinus’ contemplative approach, Iamblichus’ ritual approach, and the visionary mysticism of the legendary Hermes Trismegistus. 2 hours 20 minutes Try a free sample
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Over five lectures, Gavin Flood gives an overview of the history, theory and practice of Tantra. He explores aspects from the Śaiva Siddhānta tradition to the Non-Saiddhāntika, to Buddhist tantra. He gives an overview of the many developments in thought, cosmologies and the varied and fascinating practices that have emerged over the centuries. 1 hour and 53 minutes Try a free sample
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Over four lectures, Nicholas introduces us to the lives and sayings of the desert fathers, with a particular focus on the fascinating writings of Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345-399). In doing so, he makes the wisdom of the desert relevant to contemporary spiritual practice. 4 hours 57 minutes Try a free sample
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This course introduces key concepts of Indian Buddhist thought. Over 5 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 schools of thought around ‘emptiness’ and ‘mind-only’. 3 hours 40 minutes Try a free sample
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In this course John Danvers presents what he calls ‘the mysticism of being-here’ - a particular interpretation of mysticism that differs from many of the more orthodox views. John draws on the writings of a wide range of mystics, and on commentaries by other authors who have addressed different aspects of mysticism; these include: Teresa of Avila, Jacob Boehme, the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Meister Eckhart, Martin Heidegger, Thomas Merton, Baruch Spinoza and a number of Buddhist teachers. Total length: 3 hours 11 min Try a free sample
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Over three sessions Daniela explores Hindu asceticism, featuring the differences among the main ascetic groups and then focusing on their sādhanās or spiritual disciplines with close attention to the practice of austerities and the practice of yoga. Total length: 3 hours 27 minutes Try a free sample
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Over three sessions Suzanne explores how yoga came to Britain, covering the individuals and movements that influenced the exchange between the yoga from India, and the cast of characters in Britain who eagerly received these exotic ideas that have become part of mainstream, modern life. 2 hours 40 minutes Try a free sample
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In this 5 part lecture series Gwilym Beckerlegge discusses the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), the Hindu teacher who was arguably the first 'global guru'. Vivekananda has been influential in shaping what has come to be known as Modern Yoga, which is now practised beyond India. Gwilym covers the influence of Vivekananda's own guru, the widely revered Sri Ramakrishna, Vivekananda's fascinating journey from India to the United States and Europe at the turn of the 20th century, and the institutions Vivekananda started in Ramakrishna's name. Total length: 2 hours 57 minutes Try a free sample
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In this ten part lecture series Sarah Shaw explores several stories from the Jātakas, stories of the previous lives of the Gautama Buddha both in human and animal form. The stories are entertaining and allegorical. Sarah connects these tales from 4th and 5th century B.C.E. with their relevance for our lives today. Total length: 4 hours 41 minutes Try a free sample
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Moses’ encounter with God on the summit of Mount Sinai, as told in the biblical book of Exodus, contains a number of peculiarities and paradoxes. Early Christian mystics seized on these as clues to the spiritual understanding of Moses’ experiences, and as guides to the practice of contemplation. In this course we will examine five moments in Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai. We will explore how these intriguing passages inspired four early Christian writers – Gregory of Nyssa, Evagrius of Pontus, Pseudo-Macarius and Dionysius the Areopagite – as they reflected on such topics as the unknowability of God and the state of a mind at prayer. In doing so, we will discover the influence of scripture on the development of the Christian mystical tradition. 4 hours 8 minutes Try a free sample
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In these two lectures about Sandro Botticelli (1444-1510) and the meaning behind two of his best loved paintings, Angela introduces you to the esoteric worldview which flourished in the early centuries CE in cultural centres such as Alexandria in Egypt, and was reborn in Renaissance Europe. In fifteenth century Florence, a group of intellectuals centred around the great Platonic philosopher Marsilio Ficino (1433-99) instigated a revival of what was then called ‘the ancient wisdom’, now often referred to as the Western esoteric tradition, or the Perennial Wisdom. 1 hours 49 minutes Try a free sample
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Get all of our Contemplative Christianity courses for one discounted price. You will receive The Wisdom of the Desert with Nicholas Buxton, Moses, Mount Sinai, and early Christian Mystics with Ann Conway-Jones and The Spanish Mystics: Ecstasy & Communion with Peter Tyler.
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Get all of our Wise Studies courses exploring Buddhist texts and teachings for one discounted price. You will receive Essentials of Buddhist Philosophy with Bee Scherer, An Introduction to Soto Zen with John Danvers The Early Teachings of the Buddha & Lives of the Buddha with Sarah Shaw.