About the Journal

Tarka means “perfected reasoning” and is an embodied discernment that arises from the refinement of knowledge.

This definition of tarka is inspired by the work of the medieval Indian philosopher, theologian, aesthetician, and polymath, Abhinavagupta, who described a six-limbed system of yoga. Tarka, he argued, was the highest limb of yoga.

The wider usage of the term tarka in the Indian philosophical tradition suggests a less exalted meaning. Often defined simply as “reasoning” or “logic”, many texts of Indian philosophy – including Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, Jainism, and Buddhism – include sections on tarka, which outline the parameters of a school’s approach to philosophical argument and debate. Outside of these traditions, tarka is considered its own śāstra – or science, precept, rules, or treatise.

Tarka Journal’s guiding mission is to dissolve the institutionalized boundaries between scholarly, devotional, and embodied methods, in an effort to forge a new paradigm of cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural research and practice.

Why subscribe?

By subscribing to Tarka Journal, you will never have to worry about missing a thing: every new article will go directly to your inbox.

If you join us as a paid subscribing member, you also get access to:

• Paywalled articles, including access to articles from all previously published issues of the Tarka Journal.

• Bonus podcast content.

• Comment on articles & join the community.

• Occasional live events.

• Discounts on courses from our publisher, Embodied Philosophy.

Submit your work to be published.

We accept submissions that would be considered for our print journal, TARKA. We are especially interested in innovative, interdisciplinary work that straddles realms of scholarship and practice. Our primary areas of content are Yoga Philosophy, MindBody Studies, Dharma and Contemplative studies. In addition to more accessible yet scholarly work, we also are seeking journalistic pieces addressing current events through a contemplative lens.

Article Criteria

• Longer articles (3,000-4,000 words)

• Short articles that address key topics/terms by responding to the question, “What is…..?” or “Who is….?” (900-1200 words)

• Articles that detail a practice or a key element of practice (500-2,000 words +/-)

• Book reviews

• Submissions of artwork and/or poetry are also welcome

Compensation

We compensate $100 for short original articles and $250 for longer articles. If you have a previously published longer article that you would like to draft into a shorter article to be published on our website, we compensate a flat $50 per article.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit according to the following guidelines:

• Provide a short summary or abstract (100-200 words) outlining the basic idea of your original article.

• Provide a link to a writing sample, so that we can get a sense of whether your style fits our platform.

• If your article is accepted for publication, please follow our style guide carefully (find it here) to ensure a smooth editing process.

• Please follow our style guide for all article submissions.

Please send all abstracts and submissions in writing to stephanie@embodiedphilosophy.com.