Thinking about Johannes Bronkhorst (with small updates)

On May 15, Harry Falk announced on the Indology mailing list that Johannes Bronkhorst had “left this world”. In the following weeks the mailing list (and, I am sure, other online forums) has been virtually monopolised by people remembering the Continue reading Thinking about Johannes Bronkhorst (with small updates)

Is Asian philosophy footnotes to the Buddha?

Recently I wanted to explore a fascinating passage of the Daoist founder Zhuangzi, where the text recommends “sitting in oblivion” or “sitting and forgetting” (zuòwàng 坐忘). That passage bears striking similarities to mystical practices and experiences from around the globe. Continue reading Is Asian philosophy footnotes to the Buddha?

Book Review of Svāminārāyaṇasiddhāntasudhā by Mahāmahopādhyāya Bhadreshdas Swami (Reviewed by Aksharananddas Swami)

Swami, Mahāmahopādhyāya Bhadreshdas. Svāminārāyaṇasiddhāntasudhā. 3rd ed., Swaminarayan Aksharpith, July 2024, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, pp. 468. Sanskrit. ₹ 600. Digital Copy (Open Access): https://research.baps.org/publications/books/swaminarayan_siddhant_sudha/ The landscape of Indian philosophy continues to evolve with the arrival of a new vādagrantha—a philosophical treatise that Continue reading Book Review of Svāminārāyaṇasiddhāntasudhā by Mahāmahopādhyāya Bhadreshdas Swami (Reviewed by Aksharananddas Swami)

CFP: University of New Mexico Asian Philosophy Graduate Conference (Oct. 30-31, 2025)

We recently received this call for papers for the University of New Mexico Asian Philosophy Graduate Conference, which will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) on Oct. 30-31, 2025. The deadline for submitting abstracts is June 1, 2025. More Continue reading CFP: University of New Mexico Asian Philosophy Graduate Conference (Oct. 30-31, 2025)

Brahmins and Kings, political philosophy in the Sanskrit Narratives (a guest post by John Nemec)

John Nemec has just published a new book (see here). He kindly agreed to present it to our audience in the post below. How much philosophy is there in story?  How do stories relate ideas?  How do they animate them Continue reading Brahmins and Kings, political philosophy in the Sanskrit Narratives (a guest post by John Nemec)

Second Kumārila conference (2025)

The first Kumārila conference took place at the University of Toronto in 2024. You can read more about why we need to read and write more about this key Sanskrit philosopher here: https://elisafreschi.com/2025/02/28/kumarila-conference-2025/ The second Kumārila conference will take place Continue reading Second Kumārila conference (2025)

Mantras and the inadequacy of language (guest post by Dominik Haas)

Thank you, Elisa, Amod, and Ethan, for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on your fantastic blog! I’m a researcher in the field of South Asian Studies working with Vedic and Sanskrit texts. Since writing my dissertation on Continue reading Mantras and the inadequacy of language (guest post by Dominik Haas)