The Aesthetic (Rasasvada) and the Religious (Brahmasvada) in Abhinavagupta's Kashmir Saivism

Modern Transformations of sādhanā as Art, Study, and Awareness: Religious Experience and Hindu Tantric Practice

“…Acts of profound self-awareness by the perfected religious seeker are ultimately a reflection of that ultimate. (Larson 1976;Timalsina 2007;Lidke 2011Lidke , 2016 Profound self-awareness is proof of and a direct expression of Supreme Consciousness knowing itself through itself, as itself. Larson, in his seminal article (Larson 1976) on aesthetic enjoyment (Rasāsvāda) and religious realization (Brahmāsvāda) expresses the essence of the teaching.…”

“…(Larson 1976;Timalsina 2007;Lidke 2011Lidke , 2016 Profound self-awareness is proof of and a direct expression of Supreme Consciousness knowing itself through itself, as itself. Larson, in his seminal article (Larson 1976) on aesthetic enjoyment (Rasāsvāda) and religious realization (Brahmāsvāda) expresses the essence of the teaching. He suggests that Abhinavagupta's non-dualism (advaya), while different from the non-dualism of Advaita Vedānta, ultimately maintains the distinction between the aesthetic enjoyment of embodied 3 Arguably, James' general familiarity with Advaita Vedānta, directly and through the American Transcendentalists, (and to a lesser extent, Buddhism) explains in part, the general ease with which this kind of response to what is conceived as greater-than-human can accommodate existential problems traditional to India, such delusion (moha), ignorance (avidyā), uneasiness/affliction (duh .…”

“…For concise introduction to Indian aesthetics in the context of religion, see Schwartz (2004). For Indian aesthetics in general and relative to Abhinavagupta, see Kavi (1934); Masson et al (1969); Larson (1976); Katz and Sharma (1977); Gnoli (1985); Lidke (2011Lidke ( , 2015Lidke ( , 2016; Timalsina (2007Timalsina ( , 2016; Wulff (1984). experience and the ultimate spiritual realization of the disembodied absolute on logical and linguistic grounds.…”

Temple rites and temple servants: Religion’s role in the survival of Kerala’s Kū;ṭiyāṭṭam drama tradition

“…I~.s.n.a became the only hero (nayaka), and his life story the only play; moreover, the audience member was transformed from passive observer relishing the state of consciousness evoked to an active participant in the drama itself. And while the aesthetic theorist Abhinavagupta had written that the rasa experience was analogous to the attainment of liberation from rebirth (mok4.a) but only temporary, lasting as long as the drama that was its catalyst, Rfipa GosvSzni wrote that the attainment of rasa through devotion to Kr.s.n.a was equivalent to moks.a (Gerow 1981: 239--43;Larson 1976;Wulff 1986: 679-81). This religio-aesthetic theory underlies the tradition of Kfi.fiy~-t.t.am, and audience members attend enactments as participants in a devotional performance with the expectation of religious experience.…”

“…5. Studies include Gitomer (1994), Kuiper (1979), Richmond (1971); also Delmonico (1990), Haberman (1988), Larson (1976), and Wulff (1984Wulff ( , 1986; the latter five deal with rosa as a concept of both aesthetic and religious import.…”