Mysticism and Philosophy in Kashmir with Mateen Salim

This self-paced e-course explores the rich intellectual and spiritual traditions that developed across Kashmir and the wider Himalayan and Central Asian world. Beginning with Buddhist thought and its ideas surrounding consciousness, perception, compassion, and the nature of reality, the course moves into Kashmiri Shaivism and its deep philosophical engagement with consciousness, and the relationship between the individual and the universal. It then examines the development of Sufi mysticism in Kashmir, including its encounters with existing traditions and the ways local thinkers, poets, and spiritual figures expressed ideas of devotion, unity, self-knowledge, and the search for the divine. Rather than treating these traditions as isolated or interchangeable, the course looks at their historical contexts, encounters, differences, and points of intellectual and spiritual continuity, offering a deeper understanding of the diverse traditions that have shaped Kashmir’s cultural heritage.