FOCHS previous events
Click here to see forthcoming events
Friends Talk: The Hanuman Chalisa
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street Leicester LE4 6LF
In this talk Nick Sutton will discuss the Hindi text of the Hanuman Chalisa and try to place this well loved work within the wider of context of Tulsidas’s retelling of the Ramayana, noting the ways in which he builds on the earlier work of Valmiki to provide new insights into the significance of the deeds of Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman. Valmiki shows Rama as a heroic prince who triumphs over the forces of evil but he is less inclined to focus on Rama’s divine identity. In the Ramcharitmanas and Hanuman Chalisa, Tulsidas chooses to write in dialect of Hindi in order to produce a Ramayana for all social classes and he tells the story in such a way that Rama’s divinity is constantly emphasised and devotion to Rama is extolled as the highest form spirituality. In this talk we will consider the background to Tulsidas’s work and look at how his devotional ideas are reflected in the Hanuman Chalisa.
Friends Event: Tirath yatra
Join us on our third annual sponsored walk taking in the fifteen main temples in Leicester.
There is no age limit and you don't have to complete the whole course, just walk as much as you wish.
All money raised goes to support the work of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.
Register at leicesterfriends@ochs.org.uk to receive a full sponsorship pack.
Friends Event: Hinduism: A Religion for Non-Believers
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre Rothley Street Leicester LE4 6LF
One of the main reasons why people in the modern world are turning away from religion is that they find the doctrines and scriptural narratives implausible in light of modern scientific discoveries. Where doubts arise about the truth of what is claimed a divine revelation, many will find it hard to continue to practice the religion based on that revelation. In this talk Nick Sutton will consider issues of faith, belief and scriptural revelation in relation to Hinduism and suggest that even where faith is lost there it is still possible to remain devotedly Hindu.
Nehru Centre talk: Kitchen Religion: Hindu Approaches to Food
Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street
London, W1K 1HF
A talk by Anuradha Dooney of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
From the earliest expressions of Hindu thought to Ayurvedic remedies, tiffin wallas, and temples of today, food, fasting and feasting have been at the heart of Hindu ideology and practice. This talk savours some of the ‘thinking behind the eating’ from the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita amongst others.
Friends Talk: The Hanuman Chalisa
Birmingham Pragati Mandal
10 Sampson Road
Sparkbrook
Birmingham. B11 1JL
A talk by Dr Nick Sutton of the OCHS
In this talk Nick Sutton will discuss the Hindi text of the Hanuman Chalisa and try to place this well loved work within the wider of context of Tulsidas’s retelling of the Ramayana, noting the ways in which he builds on the earlier work of Valmiki to provide new insights into the significance of the deeds of Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman. Valmiki shows Rama as a heroic prince who triumphs over the forces of evil but he is less inclined to focus on Rama’s divine identity. In the Ramcharitmanas and Hanuman Chalisa, Tulsidas chooses to write in dialect of Hindi in order to produce a Ramayana for all social classes and he tells the story in such a way that Rama’s divinity is constantly emphasised and devotion to Rama is extolled as the highest form spirituality. In this talk we will consider the background to Tulsidas’s work and look at how his devotional ideas are reflected in the Hanuman Chalisa.
Friends Event: The Concept of God in the Bhagavadgita: Hindu Views and Christian Responses
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street Leicester LE4 6LF
Dr. Kate Wharton, Deputy Adviser for Inter Religious Affairs and Ramesh Pattni, Co-Chair of Hindu Christian Forum
Each speaker will give a short presentation in response to the text of the Gita.
Ramesh Pattni will show how the Gita has been read by a variety of Hindu traditions to depict God in different ways. Is Krishna in his highest essence a divine being beyond personhood, a divine person coextensive with all creation or as first among equals, one divine person among many? After Ramesh has set out the different views that can be derived from the Gita, he will speak about his chosen interpretation and his devotional relationship to the words of Krishna.
Kate Wharton will respond by speaking about her experience of first encountering the Gita and how it inspired her to become involved in inter religious dialogue. In her work for the Archbishop of Canterbury, she has curated many discussions on the Gita, particularly drawing on the Sri Vaishnava tradition. In 2010, she organised a dialogue between the Archbishop and five Hindu swamis in India and several passages from the Gita were key to the discussion. Kate will present slides from these events and talk about how the Gita continues to influence her in her work.
Each speaker will speak for 10–15 minutes with time for discussion.
Dr Kate Wharton has a PhD in the interpretation of the Upanisads from SOAS University of London and has worked for three and a half years for the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. She studied Sanskrit in Mysore and is very interested in the theology of Ramanuja. Ramesh Pattni is Inter Faith Chair for the Hindu Forum of Britain, Co-Chair of the national Hindu Christian Forum and a leading member of the Chinmaya Mission. He is currently studying for his PhD in the interpretation of the Yoga Sutras at Oxford University.
Friends Talk: The Concept of God in the Bhagavad Gita
Meeting House of the Society of Friends,1 Hamlet Road
Hall Green, Birmingham B28 9BG
Friends Event: The Cook, the Thief, the Wife and the Lover: Images of Time in Hindu tradition
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street Leicester LE4 6LF
A talk by Anuradha Dooney of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.
We all know the clock-face of time that marks our days in ticks and tocks, but who knows the face of Time presented as these characters above?
This talk draws upon some less familiar faces of Time from the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita and explores the relevance of these positive and negative descriptions to our experience of time today. It is accompanied by a visual presentation and will allow time questions and further discussion
Nehru Centre talk: Bhakti and Bollywood
Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street
London, W1K 1HF
A talk by Dr Jessica Frazier of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
Nehru Centre talk: Does that mean I am God?: Understanding Vedanta?
Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street
London, W1K 1HF
A talk by Dr Nick Sutton of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
Vedanta is today the predominant form of Hindu religious philosophy and has been so for many centuries. But what does Vedanta actually teach? And how accurately do the writings of Shankaracharya reflect the ideas of the Upanishads on which Vedanta is supposed to be based. In this talk we explore these and other questions with particular emphasis on the Vedantic notion of inner divinity and what that implies for human life.