{"id":9744,"date":"2025-10-24T13:01:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T07:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=9744"},"modified":"2025-10-24T13:01:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T07:31:03","slug":"prof-adarasupally-nataraju-delivers-special-lecture-on-nagarjuna-and-sthiramati-on-the-nature-of-bodhicitta-some-reflections-during-the-exposition-of-buddhas-holy-relics-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=9744","title":{"rendered":"Prof. Adarasupally Nataraju delivers special lecture on \u201cN\u0101g\u0101rjuna and Sthiramati on the Nature of Bodhicitta: Some Reflections\u201d during the Exposition of Buddha\u2019s Holy Relics in Kalmykia, Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Prof. Adarasupally Nataraju delivers special lecture on \u201cN\u0101g\u0101rjuna and Sthiramati on the Nature of Bodhicitta: Some Reflections\u201d during the Exposition of Buddha\u2019s Holy Relics in Kalmykia, Russia<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Posted On: 19 OCT 2025 11:00AM by PIB Delhi<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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As part of the ongoing Exposition of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha from India to the Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation, a series of academic and cultural programs were organized to promote understanding of Buddhist thought, philosophy, art, and history. Within this framework, Prof. Adarasupally Nataraju, Chairperson, Centre for Philosophy, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, delivered a special lecture on the theme \u201cN\u0101g\u0101rjuna and Sthiramati on the Nature of Bodhicitta: Some Reflections.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The event was attended by scholars, students, monks, and members of the public interested in Buddhist philosophy and Indian spiritual traditions. The session formed part of a broader set of academic dialogues accompanying the exposition of the Sacred Relics organized by the National Museum, New Delhi, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with the National Museum of the Kalmyk Republic, Elista.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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In his erudite presentation, Prof. Nataraju examined the Buddhist concept of Bodhicitta\u2014the awakened or enlightened consciousness\u2014and explored its intricate philosophical relation to Dharmak\u0101ya, the universal principle of purity, compassion, and ultimate reality.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Drawing upon classical Buddhist and Mah\u0101y\u0101na sources, Prof. Nataraju reflected on how Bodhicitta is regarded as a transcendental aspect of consciousness\u2014free from all empirical determinations and beyond the categories of human intellect. Citing the profound insights of Buddhist philosophers N\u0101g\u0101rjuna and Sthiramati, he explained that Bodhicitta is not included in the five skandhas (aggregates), twelve \u0101yatanas (sense bases), or eighteen dh\u0101tus (elements), but represents a reflection of the universal consciousness within the human heart.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Adarasupally Nataraju delivers special lecture on \u201cN\u0101g\u0101rjuna and Sthiramati on the Nature of Bodhicitta: Some Reflections\u201d during the Exposition of Buddha\u2019s Holy Relics in Kalmykia, Russia<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

He observed that Bodhicitta\u2014often described as the \u201cmind of enlightenment\u201d\u2014is the foundation of the Bodhisattva path, combining wisdom (praj\u00f1\u0101) and compassion (karu\u1e47\u0101). It is through the realization of Bodhicitta that one moves toward anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, or supreme enlightenment.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Nataraju emphasized the importance of understanding Prat\u012btya-samutp\u0101da (Dependent Co-arising) and its interrelation with the Second and Third Noble Truths\u2014the origin of suffering and its cessation. He stated that the doctrine of dependent origination reveals that all phenomena arise in mutual dependence, thereby pointing toward the interdependent and dynamic nature of existence.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeace, in the Buddhist sense, is not a static condition but a dynamic process arising from the continuous understanding of interconnectedness,\u201d he remarked. \u201cThe realization that nothing exists in isolation and that all life is interdependent naturally gives rise to Mah\u0101karu\u1e47\u0101-citta\u2014the compassionate consciousness that forms the ethical foundation of peaceful coexistence.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Referring to classical and modern interpretations, Prof. Nataraju quoted Theresa Der-Ian Yeh\u2019s summation that \u201cnothing can exist on its own, and everything is dependent on other things\u2026 any change in one part of existence influences the whole.\u201d He compared this vision to the metaphor of Indra\u2019s Net from the Avata\u1e43saka S\u016btra, which symbolizes the infinite interrelation of all beings.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the main part of his lecture, Prof. Nataraju analyzed the interpretations of N\u0101g\u0101rjuna and Sthiramati on the nature of Bodhicitta. Citing N\u0101g\u0101rjuna\u2019s Discourse on the Transcendentality of Bodhicitta, he noted that Bodhicitta is \u201cfree from all determinations, uncreated, non-atmanic, and universal.\u201d For N\u0101g\u0101rjuna, understanding Bodhicitta fills the heart with loving kindness, for karu\u1e47\u0101 (compassion) is its essence.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He then elaborated on Sthiramati\u2019s view from his Discourse on the Non-Duality of the Mah\u0101y\u0101na Dharmadh\u0101tu, where Bodhicitta, Dharmak\u0101ya, Tath\u0101gata-garbha, and Bh\u016btatathat\u0101 are understood as expressions of the same ultimate reality. Bodhicitta, he explained, represents the manifestation of Dharmak\u0101ya within the human heart\u2014its purification constituting the realization of nirv\u0101\u1e47a.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Quoting D.T. Suzuki\u2019s interpretation in Outlines of Mah\u0101y\u0101na Buddhism (1908), Prof. Nataraju observed that Sthiramati describes Bodhicitta as \u201cthe spiritual essence of the Buddhas, the source of all virtues, earthly and transcendental.\u201d Even when momentarily obscured by ignorance or passion, Bodhicitta remains intrinsically pure\u2014its essence indistinguishable from that of the Dharmak\u0101ya.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Nataraju also drew thought-provoking parallels between Buddhist and Ved\u0101ntic philosophies, noting similarities in their metaphysical inquiries despite doctrinal differences. He compared the Buddhist notion of Dharmak\u0101ya with the Upani\u1e63adic idea of \u1e5ata\u2014the cosmic order\u2014whose reflection in human life takes the form of dharma. Similarly, he pointed to the Ved\u0101ntic theory of anta\u1e25kara\u1e47a (internal organ) and its dependence on consciousness for functionality, suggesting that Bodhicitta functions as a reflection of the universal principle of awareness.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He remarked that though Buddhist thinkers often resisted metaphysical speculation, their reflections on Bodhicitta and Dharmak\u0101ya inevitably reintroduced transcendental dimensions into Buddhist philosophy. \u201cIt is hard to escape metaphysical inquiry,\u201d he noted, \u201cfor even silence on the transcendental\u2014as maintained by the Buddha\u2014was a form of profound philosophical communication.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Nataraju discussed the ethical and practical implications of cultivating Bodhicitta for individual and collective peace. He outlined ten contemplative steps drawn from Buddhist texts to help realize Bodhicitta in daily life\u2014beginning with reflection on human suffering and culminating in the realization of Bodhicitta as an\u0101tman (selfless) and universal.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He emphasized that peace is not merely the absence of violence but a living, dynamic realization of interconnected existence. \u201cThe cessation of hims\u0101 (violence) comes not from suppression but from the deep understanding of Prat\u012btya-samutp\u0101da, which reveals that our lives are intricately bound together,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen the human heart is filled with compassion born of understanding, peace naturally follows.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Nataraju concluded by observing that the realization of Bodhicitta leads to the dawn of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhicitta\u2014supreme intelligence\u2014that reflects the nature of Dharmak\u0101ya. The Buddha\u2019s silence on metaphysical questions, he added, was not a denial of transcendence but an expression of Mah\u0101karu\u1e47\u0101-citta\u2014infinite compassion.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The lecture was one among several academic events organized during the Exposition of Buddha\u2019s Holy Relics in Kalmykia, showcasing India\u2019s profound Buddhist heritage and its enduring influence on global philosophical thought. The program highlighted the shared civilizational ties between India and Russia and the continuing resonance of Buddhist philosophy in fostering intercultural understanding and peace.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prof. Adarasupally Nataraju delivers special lecture on \u201cN\u0101g\u0101rjuna and Sthiramati on the Nature of Bodhicitta: Some Reflections\u201d during the Exposition of Buddha\u2019s Holy Relics in Kalmykia, Russia Posted On: 19 OCT 2025 11:00AM by PIB Delhi As part of the ongoing Exposition of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha from India to the Republic of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9744"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9746,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9744\/revisions\/9746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}