- This event has passed.
A Dialogue with The Veda: Hindu Scripture and the Transcendentalists
October 28, 2024 at 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
When we think of the connections between the Transcendentalists and Eastern culture, we often think about Henry David Thoreau’s seminal essay Civil Disobedience and its influence on leaders of non-violent protest movements throughout the world, including Mahatma Gandhi. However, the exchange of ideas went both ways, and the thoughts and writings of Thoreau and Raph Waldo Emerson were influenced by Hindu Philosophy. Join us for a unique symposium on this rich exchange of ideas and on how we can continue to learn from Vedic teaching to improve our everyday lives through mindfulness practices.
Sponsored by the Ms. Saluni Fadia and Prashant H. Fadia Foundation in celebration of the Foundation’s 25 years of giving back in the fields of education, health, technology, and the arts in New England and India.
5:00 – 6:00 pm: Bringing Vedic Teaching to Everyday Life: A Conversation and Guided Practice with Lara Wilson and Ruchika Sikri
Ruchika Sikri, co-creator and former executive leader of Google’s original Well-Being and Mindfulness Learning Program, has a goal of bringing secular and science-based mindfulness and compassion learning to many organizations and communities globally. With her colleague Lara Wilson founder and executive director of the Concord-based non-profit Be Well Be Here, Ruchika will lead participants through simple mindfulness techniques that help regulate emotions and start your journey to be more mindful in the moment.
6:00 – 6:30 pm: Spotlight Talk on the Concord Museum’s Vedic Texts
An English traveler and writer, Thomas Cholmondeley, gifted Henry David Thoreau 44 volumes of sacred texts of India’s Vedic literary tradition. On his death, Thoreau bequeathed half of the volumes to Ralph Waldo Emerson and half to Bronson Alcott. Concord Museum Educator Punita Arora presents a spotlight talk taking a closer look at three volumes displayed in the Concord Museum and the influence of Hindu Philosophy on Emerson and Thoreau’s thought and writing.
6:30 – 7:00 pm: Reception. The reception will not be livestreamed.
7:00 – 8:00 pm: Keynote Address: Thoreau and the Bhagavad Gita with Laura Dassow Walls
Laura Dassow Walls, Professor Emerita University of Notre Dame and author of Henry David Thoreau: A Life, presents on the influence that Vedic literature had on the Transcendentalists. Professor Walls reveals how ancient literature of India transcended boundaries – both geographic and temporal – to imbue itself in Thoreau’s life to the point that Walden reads, at times, like a successor in the tradition of Hindu philosophy.
Free for Members | $10 Non-Members | Free Virtual
Register using the form below.
