The diploma thesis examines the Rasa Theory or the Aesthetic Experience within the framework of monistic Kashmir Shaivism, the philosophical system of the tantric tradition that takes Absolute Consciousness as its ontological foundation and identifies God Shiva, whose fundamental nature is Consciousness itself, as the Absolute. It is based on the assumption that the ontology and aesthetics of monistic Kashmir Shaivism are closely intertwined. The thesis focuses particularly on the contribution of Abhinavagupta, an Indian philosopher, mystic and aesthetic theorist of the second half of the 10th century and the first half of the 11th century, to Rasa Theory, and emphasises his phenomenological approach to aesthetic experience. The main part of the thesis presents his premises through various thematic sections and essential elements of Rasa, comparing them with the positions of his predecessors, notably Bharata, the author of the Nāṭyaśāstra, one of the most significant Indian works on dramaturgy. The thesis also explores the connection between aesthetic experience and liberation, elaborating on this topic in the concluding chapter on the aesthetic experience of serenity, śānta rasa.
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