Pre-seminar (Integral Approach to Knowledge) events - presentations and discussions

University of Human Unity 

International Seminar on Integral Paradigm and Other Approaches to Knowledge,
Pre-seminar events - presentations and discussions

Unity Pavilion

Monday, 26.12.2011  9.30 am -12.00 noon

Seeing the Being of Delight in All Things: The Development of an Intuitive Mentality in Art, presentations by Debashish Banerji

This presentation will consider the categorizations of Indian art pedagogy with a view to understanding the practices and goals of seeing contained in them, in terms of developing an intuitive mentality. What kinds of intuitions can we expect from an artistic sight in our journey towards knowledge? Abanindranath Tagore's notion of sajag sadhana (meditation with eyes wide open) and its foundations in the six limbs of Indian painting (sadanga) will be considered, along with their connections, if any, with Upanishadic notions of the Sense of sense, Samjnana and the attainment of non-dual seeing, Darshan.

Tuesday, 27.12.2011  9.30 am -12.30 pm

Artistic and Other Approaches to Knowledge - Presentations by Ladislav Brozman and Aurelio

This is a part of pre-seminar is meant to help to clarify some of the major ideas of the Artistic approach to Knowledge in Music, Architecture, Fine Arts and Theater, and its fundamental relations to other approaches.  
- Ladislav will give a brief overview of the technical aspects of violin and its connection to all parts of being, and then present the musical perception of the world using the example of Bach's d-minor Partita.  He will try to show the benefit and almost indispensable importance of the Vedic Thought, which, in its universal vision can lead us to Knowledge in every action wherever consciousness is involved.
- Aurelio will present “Basic Harmonic Principles of Auroville's Center”. In a quest to grasp the deeper meaning and symbolism of Auroville's Centre  in manifestation, we shall explore its constituent principles, in a process of analogic harmonic thinking while at the same time cultivate deeper listening to the matrix of creation.         
          
 
 Wednesday, 28.12 2011  9.30 am -12.00 noon

The Vision of an Integral University, Presentation by Marco Masi, PhD, University of Lyon

Marco Masi, a devotee of Sri Aurobindo and Mother, on the base of his experience will make a comparison between the standard academic model and an integral education paradigm trying to outline how and on what principles a future university in Auroville could come into being. He completed his Ph.D. in physics at the university of Trento (Italy) and is actually working as a researcher in applied physics at the Institute of Nanotechnologies of Lyon (France).

Thursday, 29.12.2011    9.30 am -12.30 pm

The Role of Sanskrit in the Future Science of Language - Presentations by Sampadananda Misra,  Nishtha Muller and Vladimir Yatsenko

Sanskrit and its role in the future studies of Linguistics is the topic of discussion. It could help to clarify some of the central ideas and approaches to Philology and Linguistics in general, and their fundamental relations to other approaches.

Friday, 30.12.2011  9.30 am -12.30 pm

Philosophical and Psychological Approaches to Knowledge - Presentations by Matthijs Cornelissen, Neeltje Huppes,  Ananda Reddy, Debashish Banerji,  facilitated by Rod Hemsell

It is meant to help to clarify some of the major ideas and approaches to Philosophy and Psychology and their fundamental relations. 

Saturday, 31.12.2011   9.30 am -12.30 pm

Exploration of Integral Paradigm of Knowledge

Introduction by Vladimir Yatsenko, presentations and discussion by Rod Hemsell, Mattijs Cornelissen, Neeltje Huppes, Ananda Reddy, Debashish Banerji, Marco Masi, Keka Chakroborthy, and others.
 
Wednesday, 4.01.2012     9.30 am – 12.30 pm

Exploration of the Scientific Approach to Knowledge - "Coherence of thinking and the reality of seeing", by Keka Chakroborthy

An exploration of the actuality of seeing perceived by mind as a coherence of some phenomena. The interdependence of mind and matter in experiencing the mental phenomena of the material world. A brief overview of the process of mind's perception of the material world from the cosmic to the sub-atomic scales. It will deal with both Relativity and Quantum theory.

"Science as a contemplative experience", by Marco Masi

"The distinction between primary and secondary qualities underlies our modern scientific conception of the world with its separation between an 'objective' and subjective reality. This leads to unaware assumptions with unwarranted inferences about physical reality. Contrary to the conventional reductionist 'sense mind science' in a contemplative science one has first of all to become aware of this unfounded distinction, and secondly must learn new ways of seeing physical phenomena and the wholeness of Nature through a closer experiential contact. Some examples and exercises will be presented."

“Quantum Physics and Integral Knowledge”, by Ulrich Mohrhoff

While science uses a conceptual framework that formulates questions and interprets answers, the question whether this is the right framework, or even what the criteria for “rightness” are, cannot be determined by its methods. Making sense of quantum mechanics is particularly challenging. The attempt to interpret its formalism in a materialistic framework of thought has had disastrous results. While the majority of physicists have therefore given up on making sense of the theory, New Agers have made matters worse by latching onto a materialistic interpretation and coating it with a spiritual veneer. In this presentation I will explain (in outline) how quantum mechanics in its entirety follows from the fundamental affirmations of the integral framework of thought due to Sri Aurobindo. I will then show (in outline) that the theory itself suggests a spiritual interpretation, which is very different from that peddled by New-Agers, and which cannot be found if one accepts a materialistically prejudged version of the theory as one's starting point.