Research notes

Lima, Peru, 2023

Seminar Of Indian Studies In Lima, Peru

By Manuel Ato-Carrera

Since its foundation in 1987, the Center for Oriental Studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (CEO PUCP) has been promoting academic research on diverse aspects of Asian cultures. Notably, this includes Indian studies, the main focus of Dr. José León Herrera (Lima, 1930-2021), founding director of CEO PUCP, a renowned Peruvian philosopher and Indologist who specialized in classical studies and who was remembered along the event here reviewed.

Each year the CEO organizes a seminar on India, China, Korea, and Japan, among other events that unfortunately had to be suspended during the pandemic. Afterward, May 2023 was the occasion to relaunch the Seminar of Indian Studies, with the support of the Latin American Association of Asian and African Studies, Peruvian Chapter - ALADAA Peru (Asociación Latinoamericana de Estudios de Asia y África - Sección Perú), For the first time the Seminar was hybrid, including both in-person and virtual events, which helped to count with the significant participation of scholars from Mexico, Argentina, and Peru.

In this way, during three mornings and afternoons, the Seminar addressed various themes such as Yoga studies, Indian philosophy, Indology in Latin America, Indian cinema, musicology, Ayurveda, and Buddhism.

The inauguration of the Seminar was on May 23rd at noon, with the participation of Dr. Ricardo Sumalavia, Director of the CEO, and with the special visit of Dr.Adrián Muñoz, founder and head of Proyecto YoLA^® and professor-researcher at the Center for Asian and African Studies (CEAA) of El Colegio de México. At PUCP’s Auditorium of Humanities, Dr. Muñoz offered the keynote speech on The Yogabīja. An early source of Haṭhayoga a pivotal text in the yogic tradition from about 14th A.D., which is available in his valuable translation into Spanish published in the Journal of Asian and African Studies (Estudios de Asia y África) from El Colegio de México. The inaugural session ended with the warm welcome of the attendants, who purchased several books related to the conference topic, such as Muñoz and Martino, Historia mínima del yoga (El Colegio de México, 2019) and Muñoz, Radiografía del hathayoga (El Colegio de México, 2016), among others.

On the same day, in the afternoon, there was a conference about Indian cinema, with the participation of professors Jimena Mora and Talia Vidal from Futari Proyectos titled:Cinema by female directors in India. Mira Nair’s work in her film Salaam Bombay!"(Cine hecho por directoras en India. El trabajo de Mira Nair en su película Salaam Bombay!), which approached us to the acclaimed director’s art.

Then, on Wednesday 24th, the morning started with a stimulant session dedicated to indological studies in Latin America (estudios indológicos desde América Latina) Vladimir Quisiyupanqui, National Secretary of ALADAA Peru and member of the Tola-Dragonetti Asian Studies Group (Grupo de Estudios Asiáticos Tola-Dragonetti) at the National University of San Marcos - UNMSM, started with the conference: “Beginnings of the Indian studies in Peru: Carmen Dragonetti and the Dhammapada”. Next was the particular address from Argentina by Zoom from Dr. Lía Rodríguez de la Vega (National University of the Chaco Austral), presenting: “Ricardo Güiraldes, his literature, and approach to India”. After that, Dr. Adrián Muñoz shared the work of “Proyecto YoLA. Yoga Studies in Latin America”, engaging the audience to learn more about this initiative. Finally, the panel ended with Dr. José Ignacio López Ramírez Gastón, from the National University of Music, who promoted a debate on “Dialogues from Afar: Indian thought as an object of Study in Peru”.

In the afternoon, the online session was dedicated to Indian philosophy, specifically to the traditions of sāṃkhya and yoga. From Argentina, Dr. Gabriel Martino (CONICET, Rutgers, UBA, USAL) shared passages from his formidable translation of Patañjali’s work in his conference: “The Notion of karman in the Pātañjalayogaśāstra” (La concepción del karman en el Pātañjalayogaśāstra) . Furthermore, in the following talk, Dr. Miguel Polo Santillán, UNMSM, presented: “Knowledge and World in Sāṃkhya”, motivating both presenters the participation from the young and engaged audience on Zoom and Facebook Live.

On the last day of the Seminar, May 25th, there was a panel oriented to the academic study of two therapeutic aspects of Indian traditions, namely: Ayurveda and the use of mantras (el ayurveda y el uso de mantras Prof. Renato Paredes (PUCP), member of the Latin American Center of Vedic Studies (Centro Latinoamericano de Estudios Védicos (CLEV))presented: “Etiology of Mental Diseases: An approach from Psychiatry and Ayurveda Psychology”; followed by Prof. Julio Flores Alberca (CEO PUCP), a specialist on musicology from Asia and different cultures, with: “The Therapeutic effect of Mantras. Past and Present”.

Lastly, in the afternoon, the closing session of the annual Seminar consisted of a panel about “The social philosophy of Buddhism in India. Past and Present” (La filosofía social del budismo en la India. Pasado y presente) integrated by CEO PUCP professors Juan José Bustamante Solari(Instituto Peruano de Estudios Budistas) and Manuel Ato-Carrera

The 2023 Seminar of Indian Studies had a special significance, not only because it allowed us to meet again after the pandemic years among those who cultivate an interest in the area studies of this region, but also because it was the first event about India organized by the CEO PUCP after Miss Marisa Amayo (former assistant at CEO since 1988) and Dr. José León Herrera’s passing away. The memory of both was present in the event, which aspires to continue each year, inviting national and foreign scholars and combining in-person and virtual sessions for everyone interested in deepening the immense cultural legacy of India and its reception throughout history in the world and our region.

Manuel Ato-Carrera es profesor de budismo, sánscrito, filosofía y religiones comparadas: https://linktr.ee/ato_carrera