WORKSHOP ON TRIKA PHILOSOPHY OF KASHMIR (i.e. KASHMIR SAIVISM)

[Mrinal Kaul]

Posted by Mrinal Kaul on behalf of Prof Navjivan Rastogi
WORKSHOP ON TRIKA PHILOSOPHY OF KASHMIR (i.e. KASHMIR SAIVISM)

The Ten-day workshop being organised by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research at its Academic Centre Lucknow (India) from May 27, 2011 to June 06, 2011 with Professor Navjivan Rastogi as the Director aims at introducing the Trika philosophy. The word “Trika” stands for the monistic tradition/s of the tantric Saivism of Kashmir (of medieval India, specially 9th -12th centuries) subscribed to and nourished by the contributions of Abhinavagupta, one of the foremost Indian thinkers and his entire lineage. The system challenged the established paradigms of Indian philosophical thinking and re-constructed a life-affirming world-view revolutionizing philosophical responses to the core issues, extending from soteriology, logic, epistemology to language, fine arts, aesthetics and social ethos.
Unfortunately, since the traditional guru-shishya-parampara is extinct and the serious Indian scholarship of the gone-by generation represented by Laksman Joo, Gopinath Kaviraj and K.C. Pandey is no longer around, the ICPR decides to organize this as a first-level workshop in order to acquaint the participants with the fundamentals of the Trika, that is, the Kashmir Shaivism, otherwise known as Pratyabhijna school. The workshop will be broadly a theme-based one and partly text-based. The two sessions, per day, will be from 10.00 A.M. to 1.00 P.M. and 2.30 P.M. to 5.30 P.M. with one & half hours' break. The workshop will be conducted by Prof. Navjivan Rastogi together with several other eminent scholars like Profs. K.D. Tripathi, Kamlakar Misra, Kamlesh Jha and a few others.
The workshop will be open to all those who are interested in Kashmir Shaivism. As such faculty members and research scholars in the departments of philosophy, Indian philosophy, Department of Sanskrit with philosophy as one of its courses (including Sanskrit Universities) and also those who are connected with academic centres and institutions operating in the similar field will be eligible to apply.
The number of participants would be limited to twenty-five. The expenses for travel by 3rd class A/C, boarding and lodging and course-literature would be borne by the ICPR. The intending participants may apply by 31rst March on the ICPR's form which could be downloaded from its Website. <www.icpr.in> Alternatively they may send applications by post with their CV highlighting their academic credentials with research interest and area of specialization to Dr. Mercy Helen, Director, ICPR, Academic Centre, 3/9 Vipul Khand, Gomtinagar, Lucknow-226010 or by e-mail at icprlkw at gmail.com by 31rst March 2011. For any clarification she may be contacted at 0522-2392636 or by e-mail at above noted e-mail address.
The details of the course work, list of resource persons etc. will be posted in the ICPR website in due course.
Mercy Helen
Director, ICPR Academic Centre,
Vipul Khand, Lucknow.