Students and faculty from the Graduate Yoga Studies program in the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts spent several weeks this summer diving headlong into the culture and history of India, and specifically into the study of Jainism.
“India holds many surprises for LMU students,” said Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology and director of the Master of Arts in Yoga Studies at LMU, the first graduate-level yoga program in the U.S. “For some, this is their first opportunity to travel to Asia and experience the somewhat overwhelming sensorium of sounds, colors, flavors, and fragrances.”
The program kicked off with a tour of the Taj Mahal, one of India’s most famous sites as well as one of the new seven wonders of the world. Known as a monument to love, the white marble Taj Mahal was built by the emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife who died in childbirth. Students then convened for four days at another architectural wonder and memorial, the Vallabh Smarak Jain Mandir in North Delhi, before moving to a historical temple complex in South Delhi for 10 more days.
A main feature of the program is studying Jainism firsthand from practitioners and professors of the Jaina faith. Students explored texts including the Acaranga Sutra (Jain ethics, 350 B.C.E.); the Tattvartha Sutra (Jain cosmology and soteriology, 450 C.E.); the Yoga Bindu and Yoga Dristisamuccaya and Yoga Shastra (Jain yoga, 6th, 8th, 12th centuries); as well as the history of modern Jain movements. They visited Jain temples of various denominations and engaged in discourses with Jain monks and nuns. The last week of the course was spent at Naval Veerayatan, a Jain hillside retreat near Pune.
“The extreme vows undertaken by Jain monks and nuns can be somewhat shocking to Western sensibilities: the renunciation of all wheeled vehicle transport, the eschewal of shoes, the plucking of one’s hair twice per year, the ideal of fasting to death, the daily temple visits by lay Jains, and so much more,” said Chapple.
Jainism is one of the three ancient religions of India and is known for its commitments to non-violence, non-possession, religious tolerance, and charity. Chapple has been a pioneer of Jain Studies at LMU since his arrival to the university in 1985 through his teaching, his numerous books and articles about the Jain tradition, and his extensive work with the Jain community in the United States and in India.
Because the trip locations afforded limited access to the internet and textual research materials, the students were asked to master a substantial reading list before departure, and to finish reading primary materials while in India. Each morning began before dawn with meditation and yoga on the roof. After breakfast, the students participated in lecture and discussion of the readings and their field trip experiences to temples, shrines, libraries, and museums. Each day they also submitted a handwritten journal documenting their learning. The program was taught by Chapple with support from International School for Jain Studies staff and graduate assistants in the Graduate Yoga Studies program.
At the beginning and end of the program, the 21 LMU graduate students were joined by 20 teachers from across the U.S. participating in the Uberoi Teacher Training in India. Chapple also served as the director of this program, which familiarizes middle and high school social studies teachers, university professors, and graduate students with core teachings and traditions within Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The educators visited schools and religious sites normally not accessible to the average tourist in India and attended special lectures by leaders from all four faiths.
“This travel experience, from the captivating culture and extensive history to the sacred site visits and deep-rooted spiritualism, provided unparalleled learning opportunities for our students,” said Chapple.