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Journey into Indian Spirituality: A Westerner Perspective

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Language and Spirit

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Abstract

This narrative-style chapter reflects first on my personal journey in adopting a Vedic perspective on life as a Westerner with a French background living in Australia. It examines critically my uses of Sanskrit terms in daily life and reflects on the extent to which Sanskrit and Indian spirituality has shaped my sense of self and identity. It considers then the challenges of ‘coming out’ with Indian philosophical sources in my writings, as a scholar researching in the field of Language and Culture education seeking to integrate a spiritual dimension into my work. Drawing on literature available on yoga and meditation studies in Western contexts, the final part of the paper reflects on the gains and pitfalls of being inspired by a system of thoughts foreign to my original linguistic and cultural roots, both in my personal and professional life.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Karma from the Sanskrit root ‘kri’ (to do/action) refers to the principle of cause and effect.

  2. 2.

    Dharma from the Sanskrit root ‘dhr’ (to hold/support) refers to behaviours in accord with natural laws which uphold the universe.

  3. 3.

    Moksha from the Sanskrit root ‘muc’ (to release/let go) refers to liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

  4. 4.

    Veils’ essay: ‘La personne et le sacré’, translated in English as ‘Human personality: Beyond the personal and impersonal’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. RIMT, Mandi Gobindgarh, India

    Chantal Crozet

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  1. Chantal Crozet
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Correspondence to Chantal Crozet .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Robyn Moloney

  2. NSW Ecumenical Council, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Shenouda Mansour

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Crozet, C. (2022). Journey into Indian Spirituality: A Westerner Perspective. In: Moloney, R., Mansour, S. (eds) Language and Spirit. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93064-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93064-6_16

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-93063-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-93064-6

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