Graduate Seminars for CSULB Students

How do the core Jain values of ahiṃsā (nonharming), aparigraha (nonpossessiveness), and anekāntavāda (non-one-sidedness) relate to the ethics and practices of animal protection and advocacy? Jains have insisted on the practice of vegetarianism for millennia, but what else might a proactive “Engaged Jainism”' involve? Is vegetarianism sufficient on the dietary level? Is veganism sufficient? Why or why not? Part One of the course explores sites of institutionalized and corporate hiṃsā (harm) towards animals, focusing specifically on industrialized animal agriculture. The purpose of this—at times vivid—investigation is to begin to comprehend just how harmful these anthropogenic phenomena are for both the animals and humans contained therein. Part Two pivots to how Jainism—past, present, and future—interfaces with these phenomena. The focus will be on the Jain ethic of nonharming, how it determines dietary practices, but also specifically how it might motivate an “Engaged Jainism” that extends well beyond what one does and doesn’t eat. Part Three looks into past and contemporary animal advocacy movements and social justice activism more broadly understood. This part will look at the diversity of principles, targets, and tactics employed by these various movements. Specifically we will explore how these movements invoke nonviolence as the guiding force behind their educational, legal, political, entrepreneurial, and grassroots activist efforts to address the plights of animals.  Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to:Broadly chart the main features of contemporary industrial animal systems.Identify mainstream perspectives on animal use and consumption.Connect Jain and Non-Jain philosophy to practice (“applied ethics” and “Engaged Jainism”).Understand common forms of animal advocacy and activism and the debates surrounding them.Describe ethical contestations within Jain communities as they engage the questions of how advocacy and activism relate to ahiṃsā, noninterventionist. interpretations of karma theory, the validity of alternative views (nayas), and the lived lay realities of cultural “integration.” To enroll in this course, please email: study@arihantainstitute.org.

This course provides a historical overview of plant- (and non-plant-) based living from a regional perspective. Tracing the emergence and development of plant-dominant, vegetarian, and vegan diets in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, the course foregrounds the cultural, religious, and geographic factors behind these—as well all adjacent and alternative—consumption patterns. Pivoting from the regional to the global, the course then explores the emergence of transnational veganism and how Jain veganism fits in this modern phenomenon. Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to:Locate significant features of international food patterns.Identify cultural and historical food trends and their relationships to economics and politics.Connect Jain and Non-Jain philosophies to food practices (“Engaged Religion”).Understand relationships between religion, the body, and consumption.Describe the intricacies of the Jain diet, past and present. 

Jain Yoga considers Jain yoga from ancient sources to the present. We will study secondary scholarship analyzing Jain yoga from critical perspectives, while reading translations from Sanskrit and Prakrit primary sources describing Jain yoga. Students will also practice and reflect on their experience of various forms of Jain yoga and meditation, experimenting with what it means to embody Jain yoga principles and techniques in their everyday lives in contemporary society. No prior experience is necessary. Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to:Understand the historical development of Jain Yoga in relationship to the broader historical and religio-philosophical milieus with which Jain authors were engaging.Identify key thinkers in Jain Yoga and understand the particulars of their unique Jain yoga systems.Demonstrate their ability to perform and present basic research and writing in relation to the field of Jain Yoga, Yoga Studies, and Jain Studies.Practice fundamental Jain yoga and meditation techniques and understand how these practices are relevant for their own lives in contemporary society. To enroll in this course, please email: study@arihantainstitute.org.

Sanskrit 2 will complete the second half of the Devavāṇīpraveśikā Sanskrit primer (Goldman and Goldman, 1980). In the process, students will learn to memorize, recognize, and recall all major paradigms of inflection (conjugations, declensions, indeclinable suffixes, prefixes, etc.). Students will gain the important research skills of basic philology such as etymology and syntactical analyses while translating modified excerpts from Sanskrit literature. Students will also memorize important Sanskrit verses designed to enhance basic vocabulary and impart familiarity with the cultural, philosophical, and linguistic landscape of Sanskrit literature. Learning ObjectivesLearn to read Sanskrit in Devanagari font.  Acquire basic Sanskrit vocabulary.  Learn to identify and understand the basic grammatical forms covered in class.Learn to understand key differences between Sanskrit and English syntaxes and to be able to convert Sanskrit syntax into English syntax.Learn basic skills for translation of Sanskrit primary sources for research  Become familiarized with other cultural and intellectual elements of the broader Sanskrit tradition. To enroll in this course, please email: study@arihantainstitute.org.

This course is a study of Jain philosophy grounded in the practical and moral imperatives of non-violence and compassion. Students will learn how non-violence and compassion emerge from the intricate system of Jain ontology, metaphysics, cosmography, epistemology, ethics, and soteriology. Historical context for the development of Jain philosophy in relation to other South Asian philosophical systems is included, while students will also integrate their learning into their personal, social, and/or professional lives today. samyag-darśana-jñāna-caritrā-mokṣa-mārgaḥ“Correct worldview, correct knowledge, and correct conductcomprise the path to liberation.”– Tattvārtha-Sūtra 1.1 Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to:Articulate Jain ontology, metaphysics, cosmology, epistemology, ethics, and soteriology.Understand the historical development of Jain philosophy in relation to other South Asian philosophical systems.Demonstrate integration of Jain philosophy into their personal, social, and/or professional lives. To enroll in this course, please email: study@arihantainstitute.org.

This course will continue our immersive journey into the vibrant world of Gujarati language and literature with this second-semester course in the two-semester sequence (Modern Gujarati 1 & 2). This course builds upon the foundation laid in the first semester, focusing on advancing your Gujarati language skills as a research tool for translating the vast and diverse tapestry of Gujarati literature. Through a structured approach based on the Pedagogical Ladder framework (incremental skill development), we will delve deeper into the intricacies of modern Gujarati grammar, vocabulary, and language structure. This advanced knowledge will enable students to further develop research skills for translating modern Gujarati texts and prepare for future studies in spoken Gujarati and pre-modern Gujarati texts.   This second semester course offers an in-depth exploration of Gujarati language structures and grammatical features, focusing on advanced pronouns, negation forms, adjectives, adverbs, participles, gerunds, and complex verbs. The curriculum is designed to enhance linguistic proficiency by examining passive voice, causatives, relative and correlative constructions, and expressions of necessity. Students will also delve into special grammatical cases and conversational techniques, with an emphasis on cultural contexts and idiomatic expressions. The semester concludes with a comprehensive review and assessment, ensuring students are well-equipped with advanced conversational skills and a deep understanding of Gujarati language nuances. In addition to enhancing language skills, our course will continue to cover various cultural, religious, and philosophical aspects of Gujarati culture, history, and traditions. We will further explore the rich cultural history of Gujarati literature, examining its progression from its origins in 12th-century religious and epic poetry to its modern forms. We will study the language's adaptation through influences from Jain scholars, the Bhakti movement, and Western education. By the end of this course, students will have acquired:Comprehensive understanding of advanced Gujarati grammar.Strategies for mastering skills required to translate Gujarati sources with greater accuracy.Enhanced familiarity with the Pedagogical Ladder framework and its application to advanced language acquisition.Deeper insight into the cultural and historical context of Gujarati literature. This course is ideal for:Students of South Asian traditions and dharma religions (Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist).Researchers interested in advanced studies of Gujarati language and literature.Students of South Asian language and linguistics.Anyone passionate about the rich cultural heritage of Gujarat. To enroll in this course, please email: study@arihantainstitute.org.