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ON BEING.pdf (545.23 KB)

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On Being: The Fictional Yamas and Niyamas

Geisse, Elisabeth
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481124015984363

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Cleveland State University, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
This thesis consists of ten short stories that are structured, formatted and thematically aligned with the yamas and niyamas, the ten moral tenants of yoga philosophy. The yamas and niyamas are the first two limbs of Patinjali’s eightfold path, or the path to enlightenment through yogic practices. The yamas account for five principles that guide ethical living and instruct followers on how to interact with others and the world. The yamas consist of: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (non-excess), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). The niyamas are guidelines for personal practices that relate to, develop, and enhance one’s relationship with self. The niyamas are: saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and ishvara prandihana (surrender). Each story in this collection loosely correlates with and comments on its assigned yama or niyama. As a collection, the stories function as glimpses of being—fractal pieces of life from inside differing existential or personal crises. The characters face moral, personal and spiritual dilemmas, often grappling with ghosts from the past, striving to make sense of what is through varying tools and coping mechanisms. The highest goal for this thesis is to act as commentary on the modern condition by using the spiritual and existential lens to diagnose and categorize modern afflictions. Some characters reach towards being—towards harmony or enlightenment—as dressing for their wounds. Others merely grapple with their conditions of dis-ease. Still others contribute to, and worsen, the disharmony. Guided by ten moral principles, these stories stand alone and work together to lead readers into the depths of varying states of being, while shedding light on modernity’s inherent conflict with ancient spiritual practices.
Imad Rahman, MFA (Committee Chair)
Caryl Pagel, MFA (Committee Member)
Christopher Barzak, MFA (Committee Member)
David Lardner, PhD (Committee Member)
153 p.
Fine Arts; Language Arts; Literature; Modern Literature; Religion; Spirituality; Theology
Yoga; yama; niyama; fiction; short story; literary fiction; story collection; existential; spiritual; god; being; existence; life; love; patinjali; yoga philosophy; eightfold path

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Geisse, E. (2016). On Being: The Fictional Yamas and Niyamas [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481124015984363

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Geisse, Elisabeth. On Being: The Fictional Yamas and Niyamas . 2016. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481124015984363.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Geisse, Elisabeth. "On Being: The Fictional Yamas and Niyamas ." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481124015984363

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1481124015984363
134
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12