RS 251: Yogis and Ascetics

(1 Unit)
What does it mean to want to renounce the world? When do the conditions of society cause us to want to transcend everyday life in a radical way? Explores the historical development of concepts of yoga and renunciation in South Asia as they extend into Hindu, Jain and Buddhist practices. Themes include the relation between dissent and social responsibility, the difference between negation and affirmation, and the roles of wandering and control of the body in ascetic practices. Valdina.