Love
On Saturday afternoon at brunch, I asked one of the teachers what the topic of her afternoon philosophy lecture would be. “Well,” she said, “I’m not sure. You see, I had planned to talk about one of two very important texts in Indian philosophy. One is about the right way to live, and one is about love. But I can’t decide which one to talk about today. What do you think?”
For me, the answer was obvious.
“Love.” I said, “I think you should talk about love.”
She smiled.
Starting Points
Often, at the end of a yoga class, students meet me at the door to review their experience. With smiles, shrugs or apologies, they describe how their bodies moved through the series of poses we practiced, explaining stories, feelings or thoughts. It seems that it is only once they have finished this review that they may move on from the practice and into the rest of their day.
Indian Philosophy 101
Years ago, when I was an undergraduate student, I took an elective course in Indian philosophy. As a Linguistics major, I had been studying Japanese language and history, and I was drawn to the Buddhist philosophy that is so deeply woven into Japanese culture. As Buddhist traditions have their origins in India, I thought a course in Indian philosophy might provide useful context for the evolution of Buddhist sects in Japan.
