Hindu and Buddhist Paths to Liberation: The Soul, Divinity, and Freedom From Suffering
Press Release
Speaker: Dr. Mark Berkson
Title: Hindu and Buddhist Paths to Liberation - The soul, divinity, and freedom from suffering
Description: This talk will look at conceptions of the soul and ultimate reality/divinity in Hinduism
and Buddhism, and will explore each tradition's path to liberation from suffering
and the cycle of life and death. The lecture and discussion will address the ways
that the insights and practices of these traditions have provided resources for spiritual
seekers in contemporary America. The practices examined in this presentation will
include meditation, yoga, and chanting.
Bio: Mark Berkson is Professor and Chair in the Department of Religion at Hamline University.
He teaches courses in Asian religions (including the Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, and
Daoist traditions), Islam, and comparative religion. Mark received his PhD from Stanford
University in Religious Studies, his MA from Stanford University in East Asian Studies,
and his BA from Princeton University. Mark’s scholarly work has addressed topics such
as conceptions of the divine in Asian religions, Confucian and Daoist philosophy,
death and dying, religion and non-human animals, and interfaith dialogue. His work
has been published in numerous books and journals. He has released two lecture series
with the Great Courses - "Cultural Literacy for Religion" and "Death, Dying and the
Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures."
Date: March 31
Location: PC Forum
Time: 7:00 pm
