Exploring Spirituality as an Academic, Painter and Seeker

Abstract: As an academic, painter and Kriya practioner, my presentation would focus very briefly on the spiritual theories preached by the spiritual masters in the 20th Century India, and then move on to discuss the essence of what I have gained through academic study, as a spiritual seeker and artist. In this context I would be discussing my understandings of my readings of portions from Paramahansa Yogananda’s selected works, briefly, along with the manuscript that I am editing by Shri Gurunath, a Kriya yogi. My intention through these discussions would be to address questions that arise in this process of awakening.

Presenter bio: Jayita Sengupta is professor of English at Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, India. She was a Charles Wallace Fellow in 2000 for her doctoral research and a Fulbright Fellow for teaching and research at Stanford University in 2012. She has been a teaching fellow in Illinois Wesleyan and universities in Taiwan as well. Her areas of research include cultural studies, consciousness studies, translation. She has published widely and has several books to her claim. Among her latest publications is TIME, HISTORY AND CULTURAL SPACES: NARRATIVE EXPLORATIONS, Routledge, UK, 2022. She is presently working on a manuscript of spiritual verse, for Asiatic Society. As a painter, she has made creative presentations in India.

Affiliation: Department of English Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University