Podcast 17

In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, Professor Christopher Jain Miller interviews Shivani Bothra, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and the Bhagwan Suvidhinath Endowed Chair in Jain Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Professor Bothra shares her remarkable journey from India to the diaspora and how she re-discovered her Jain tradition later in life through a compassionate Jain nun. This transformative experience shaped her deep commitment to teaching compassion-in-action.

Dr. Bothra also discusses the course she is leading as part of Arihanta Institute’s Compassion Studies Initiative, Compassion to Self and Others in Jain Householder Life. The course draws from Śrāvaka Saṃbodha, a handbook on lay practices compiled by Ācārya Tulasī, and explores the teachings of self-compassion and compassion to others. Tune in to hear Dr. Bothra's insights and leave inspired to integrate more compassion into your everyday life.

Course Announcement

📖 This EJS podcast episode offers a preview of Professor Bothra's upcoming course for the 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 2017 | Compassion to Self & Others in Jain Householder Life. This course delves into the formation of compassion within the Jain tradition, focusing on the principle of ahiṃsā (non-violence) as outlined in canonical Jain texts. While ahiṃsā is widely recognized for its emphasis on avoiding harm to all sentient beings, this course extends the concept to explore compassion toward oneself and others. Drawing from Śrāvaka Saṃbodha, a seminal text by Ācārya Tulasī, students will examine the practical guidance on how lay disciples can integrate Jain ethical principles into everyday life. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this course will explore how Jain teachings foster a compassionate presence in the world, empowering individuals to contribute to a more harmonious society. Rather than merely studying compassion, students will engage with the transformative process of cultivating compassion-in-action, deeply rooted in Jain spiritual practices.

👉🏽✨ Pre-register for the course by May 4 to receive 25% off using code: CSI2017.

The 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 is supported by a grant from the Uberoi Foundation.

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe to the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast for more insightful discussions on Jain philosophy, ethics, and engaged spirituality!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS

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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST

Shivani Bothra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Before this, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Rice University in Houston, USA, and taught as a lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned her doctorate from the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Her focus is South Asian traditions, Jainism, and Nonviolence. Shivani's primary research areas are transnational Jainism, emphasizing Contemporary Jains.

ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST

Christopher Jain Miller is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. He completed his PhD in the study of Religion at the University of California, Davis and is also a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich's Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology where he co-developed and co-runs a remotely available Masters Degree Program focusing on Engaged Jain Studies. His current research focuses on Engaged Jainism and Modern Yoga, and he is the author of a number of articles and book chapters concerned with Jainism and the practice of modern yoga. Christopher is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2024), as well as co-editor of the volumes Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY 2025) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington 2020).

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