7th Oct: Kashmiri Shaivism with guest Sthaneshwar Timalsina (1hr earlier)

We've had several discussions now on Bernardo's conception of the Western Path. So how different is the Eastern Path really? Many people think of Advaita Vedanta or Buddhism, but there is an incredibly rich 'Classical Tantra' tradition that flowered in the Kashmir region with many similarities to Analytic Idealism.

Professor Sthaneshwar Timalsina is a scholar and practitioner of Indian philosophy with training both in East and West, and deep expertise in the esoteric traditions of Kashmir Shaivism. Like idealism, this non-dual school holds that the universe arises from and is pervaded by a single, all-encompassing consciousness.

Dr Timalsina’s work brings clarity and academic depth to this tradition, illuminating its metaphysical sophistication and experiential insights.

In preparation, you may enjoy his dialogue with Swami Sarvapriyandana

Together, Bernardo and Sthaneshwar will explore how these traditions complement, challenge, and enrich each other in the quest to understand the mystery of being.

Initial themes will include:

• Is consciousness inherently dynamic, or still?
• Is suffering or bliss more fundamental to existence?
• Is Kashmiri Shaivism a more Western or Eastern path?
• The role of art, expression and beauty

Any remaining time will be given to participant Q&A - feel free to propose and vote on additional themes and questions below, but please note, in sessions with guest dialogues there is often far less Q&A time!

About Sthaneshwar Timalsina

Dr. Sthaneshwar Timalsina received academic and philological training from Mahendra Sanskrit University in Kathmandu, Sampurnananda Sanskrit University in Varanasi, and Martin Luther University in Germany, where he acquired his Ph.D. in Classical Indian Philosophy. While working on his dissertation, Dr. Timalsina taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Washington University in St. Louis, before attaining the rank of Professor at San Diego State University in 2005 and Chaired Professor at Stony Brook University in 2023. 

Dr. Timalsina specializes in the areas of Hindu Studies and comparative philosophies and religions. As a traditionally trained and authorized lineage-holder within the Sarvāmnāya Order, he is dedicated to the goal of preserving the traditions he inherited in a modern, institutionalized way, including by founding the Department of Tantric Studies at Nepal Sanskrit University in Kathmandu and establishing the Vimarsha Foundation in 2019, which provides a global forum for the study and practice of classical tantra.

5-6pm UK time / 6-7pm CET / 12-2pm EST

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