Engaged Jain Studies Podcast

About Engaged Jain Studies Podcast

Welcome to the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast brought to you by Arihanta Institute. Listen to top figures in the fields of Jain Studies, Religious Studies, Vegan Studies, and Social Justice discuss pressing issues of everyday relevance. Together let’s move beyond the realm of personal spiritual growth and connect philosophy, religion, and spirituality to the important task of caring for the wellbeing of society. Learn about your world and how to change it on the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast. Brought to you by Arihanta Institute, an IRC 501(c)(3) nonprofit California Corporation. Visit ArihantaInstitute.org to learn how our curriculum, spanning Jain philosophy, social justice, veganism, environmental studies, and more, can enrich your understanding of timeless principles in today's context.

Publisher

Arihanta Institute

Category

education · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 May 2024

Latest episode

20 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Aug 2026

   Narendra Kumar Jain | The Seven Stages of Enlightenment

   In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, Christopher Jain Miller, PhD, co-founder and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Arihanta Institute, speaks with Narendra Kumar Jain, PhD, an Indian artist and yoga teacher who has lived in Berlin for more than five decades, about a remarkable life shaped by Jainism, yoga, art, and the political transformations of twentieth-century India and Germany. Originally conducted in German and presented in video with English translation, their conversation traces Dr. Jain's early religious upbringing, his childhood encounters with Mahatma Gandhi, and the experiences that eventually led him to create his celebrated mural The Seven Stages of Enlightenment at the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall. Dr. Jain recalls his Jain upbringing and an extraordinary childhood encounter with Mahatma Gandhi, who introduced him to the lotus posture and told him that yoga and painting would shape his future. Decades later, those two paths converged in The Seven Stages of Enlightenment, which Dr. Jain began painting in March 1989, months before the fall of the Berlin Wall. He explains why he deliberately chose a Jain-inflected yoga theme at a time when yoga was officially forbidden in the Eastern Bloc and reflects on the mural's enduring message of self-knowledge, nonviolence, and peace amid war and social division. Inspired by this conversation? Continue exploring Dr. Narendra Kumar Jain's art and its place within contemporary expressions of Jain thought in Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement (https://www.arihantainstitute.org/book/engaged-jainism-critical-and-constructive-studies-of-jain-social-engagement-6). In the newly released volume, Professor Miller contributes a chapter examining Dr. Jain's artistic work and The Seven Stages of Enlightenment, situating the Berlin Wall mural within broader conversations about Jainism, yoga, nonviolence, and social engagement. About the Guest Narendra Kumar Jain, PhD is an Indian artist and yoga teacher who has lived in Berlin since 1967. Raised in a Jain family, he was introduced to Jain religious practice from an early age and encountered prominent Jain munis through his family. Before moving to Germany, he served as a professor of painting and art history at Agra University. He came to Berlin through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), where he continued a life and career bringing together art, yoga, and Jain thought. Dr. Jain is best known for The Seven Stages of Enlightenment, his mural at the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall, which he began painting in March 1989. Drawing together imagery associated with Mahāvīra, Jain spirituality, and the yogic chakras, the work expresses a message of spiritual transformation and peace. His other monumental works in Berlin include Berliner Melodie, a 700-square-meter mural about Mahāvīra created in 1978, and World Tree, painted in 1974. About the Host Christopher Jain Miller, PhD is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. He earned his PhD in the Study of Religion from the University of California, Davis, and serves as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich's Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology, where he co-developed and co-directs the world's first fully online Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studies. His research focuses on Engaged Jainism, Modern Yoga, and South Asian philosophy. He is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge, 2024) and co-editor of Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY Press, 2025) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington Books, 2020). Copyright 2026 Arihanta Institute Topics: Narendra Kumar Jain, Mahatma Gandhi, Berlin Wall, East Side Gallery, The Seven Stages of Enlightenment, Mahāvīra, Jainism, yoga, ahiṃsā, nonviolence, Jain art, modern yoga, East Germany, Engaged Jainism, peace.

2. 

   3 Aug 2026

   Christopher Jain Miller | Yoga Sūtra: The Classical Yoga of Patañjali

   In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, guest host Agni Hogaboom, a student in the Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studies program at Claremont School of Theology and Arihanta Institute, speaks with Christopher Jain Miller, PhD, co-founder and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Arihanta Institute, about the history and enduring significance of Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra. Together, they trace how a text with no continuous lineage of practice was "rediscovered" by colonial Orientalists, elevated to the status of yoga's "classical" text, and later popularized by Swami Vivekananda at the turn of the twentieth century. Their conversation moves beyond familiar interpretations to explore what many modern yoga trainings leave out: the Yoga Sūtra's Sāṃkhya philosophical foundations, the role of yogic powers (siddhis), and, above all, ahiṃsā as the ethical foundation of yoga—a "great vow" that Patañjali describes as universal, applying regardless of caste, place, time, or circumstance. Miller also reflects on why the Yoga Sūtra remains deeply relevant today, especially for activists, educators, and anyone working toward social change. Rather than offering an escape from the world, he argues, yoga provides practices that cultivate resilience, clarity, and compassion for sustained engagement in a world marked by violence and injustice. The episode concludes with practical advice for prospective students navigating the growing number of online yoga trainings, including what to look for in faculty expertise, curriculum, accessibility, and inclusivity. Inspired by this conversation? Continue your study in Course 3002: Yoga Sūtra: The Classical Yoga of Patañjali (https://www.arihantainstitute.org/course/3002-yoga-sutra-the-classical-yoga-of-patan-jali). Through ten hours of self-paced learning and ten live discussions with Professor Miller, you'll read the Yoga Sūtra alongside Vyāsa's commentary, explore its Jain, Buddhist, and Brahmanical influences, examine its colonial reception history, and develop a deeper understanding of one of the most influential texts in the history of yoga. Live discussions with Professor Miller take place on Fridays at 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. PT from September 4 through November 6, 2026. This course is presented by the Center for the Study of Jain Yoga (https://www.arihantainstitute.org/yoga-studies) at Arihanta Institute and is additionally accredited by the American Yoga Council. About the Guest Christopher Jain Miller, PhD is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. He earned his PhD in the Study of Religion from the University of California, Davis, and serves as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich's Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology, where he co-developed and co-directs the world's first fully online Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studies. His research focuses on Engaged Jainism, Modern Yoga, and South Asian philosophy. He is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge, 2024) and co-editor of Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY Press, 2025) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington Books, 2020). About the Host Agni Hogaboom (they/them) joins this episode as a guest host of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast. Agni is a graduate student in the Master of Arts Engaged Jain Studies program track at Claremont School of Theology and Arihanta Institute, pursuing a concentration in Veganism, Animals, and Ecology. A climate activist and degreed engineer, they integrate ecological awareness with spiritual practice as a Jain yoga scholar-practitioner and founder of a mutualist, third-space dharma project in their community. Agni is also internationally recognized for their work as a designer and maker of custom couture, creating their wearable art in a plant-based, zero-waste studio. Their current research interests are Sanskrit, Jain ethics and karma theory, the intersection of veganism and environmental justice, and post-Marxist, eco-queer mutualisms. Outside of academia, Agni enjoys podcasting about horror films, operating their Victorian-era chainstitch handcrank machine, and enjoying the brilliance of the Pacific Northwest's ample beauty. Topics: Yoga Sūtra, Patañjali, modern yoga, yoga history, ahiṃsā, Sāṃkhya, Yoga Studies, Jain Studies, colonialism, Sanskrit, ethics. Copyright 2026 Arihanta Institute

3. 

   21 Jul 2026

   Dinesh Wadiwel | Animals & Capital

   In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, Arihanta Institute professor and Vegan Studies Initiative lead, Jonathan Dickstein, PhD, speaks with Dinesh Wadiwel, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and author of Animals and Capital (2023). Together they explore how capitalism depends on the exploitation of nonhuman animals, drawing on critical animal studies, political theory, and Marx's analysis of labor and value. Their conversation examines animal labor, veganism, systems of violence, and more. Inspired by this conversation? Continue exploring these ideas in Course 1025: Reading Animals & Capital with Dinesh Wadiwel (https://www.arihantainstitute.org/course/1025-reading-quot-animals-and-capital-quot-with-dinesh-wadiwel), a rare opportunity to read and discuss the book alongside its author through guided modules and live Q&A sessions. Topics: animal ethics, vegan studies, critical animal studies, capitalism, animal labor, political theory, nonviolence, human rights, and Engaged Jain Studies. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS Course 1025 | Reading "Animals and Capital" with Dinesh Wadiwel at Arihanta Institute (https://www.arihantainstitute.org/course/1025-reading-quot-animals-and-capital-quot-with-dinesh-wadiwel) ********** ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST Dinesh Wadiwel is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney in human rights and socio-legal studies, with a background in social and political theory. He is an expert in human animal studies, and disability rights. He has a background working within civil society organizations, including in anti-poverty and disability rights roles. Wadiwel is the author of Animals and Capital (2023) and The War Against Animals (2015). ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST Jonathan Dickstein, PhD specializes in South Asian Religions, Religion and Ecology, and Comparative Religious Ethics. He received his doctoral degree in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he wrote his dissertation on ancient Indian animal taxonomies and their relevance for religious ritual and dietary practice. Jonathan’s current work focuses on Jainism and contemporary ecological issues, and accordingly extends into Critical Animal Studies, Food Studies, and Diaspora Studies. Jonathan has published in a wide array of interdisciplinary journals on topics such as veganism and politics, yoga and diet, Jain veganism, and the ethic of nonviolence (ahiṃsa). Jonathan considers himself a scholar-practitioner, having spent many years not only in libraries but also in public advocating for justice for both humans and nonhumans alike. ABOUT ARIHANTA INSTITUTE As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit academic institution, Arihanta Institute is dedicated to advancing education, scholarship, critical research, and public dissemination of real-world application of the Jain principles of non-violence (ahiṃsā) and compassion (karuṇā). Our mission is to empower individuals with knowledge to embrace and apply these principles as a force for positive change, addressing the most pressing issues of our time with courage and compassion. Copyright 2026 Arihanta Institute

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