scholarly journals Cutting the Knot of the World Problem: Sri Aurobindo’s Experiential and Philosophical Critique of Advaita Vedānta

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 765
Author(s):  
Swami Medhananda
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
Spiritual Experience ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Spiritual Experiences ◽  
Advaita Vedānta ◽  
Advaita Vedanta ◽  
Philosophical Critique ◽  
The World ◽  
Philosophical Standpoint ◽  
The Universe

This article proposes to examine in detail Aurobindo’s searching—and often quite original—criticisms of Advaita Vedānta, which have not yet received the sustained scholarly attention they deserve. After discussing his early spiritual experiences and the formative influence of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda on his thought, I outline Aurobindo’s philosophy of “realistic Adwaita”. According to Aurobindo, the sole reality is the Divine Saccidānanda, which is not only the static impersonal Brahman but also the personal, dynamic Cit-Śakti (Consciousness-Force), which manifests as everything in this universe. At various points in his corpus, Aurobindo criticizes Advaita Vedānta on three fronts. From the standpoint of spiritual experience, Aurobindo argues that Śaṅkara’s philosophy is based on a genuine, but partial, experience of the Infinite Divine Reality: namely, the experience of the impersonal nondual Absolute and the corresponding conviction of the unreality of everything else. Aurobindo claims, on the basis of his own spiritual experiences, that there is a further stage of spiritual experience, when one realizes that the impersonal-personal Divine Reality manifests as everything in the universe. From a philosophical standpoint, Aurobindo questions the logical tenability of key Advaitic doctrines, including māyā, the exclusively impersonal nature of Brahman, and the metaphysics of an illusory bondage and liberation. Finally, from a scriptural standpoint, Aurobindo argues that the ancient Vedic hymns, the Upaniṣads, and the Bhagavad-Gītā, propound an all-encompassing Advaita philosophy rather than the world-denying Advaita philosophy Śaṅkara claims to find in them. This article focuses on Aurobindo’s experiential and philosophical critiques of Advaita Vedānta, as I have already discussed his new interpretations of the Vedāntic scriptures in detail elsewhere. The article’s final section explores the implications of Aurobindo’s life-affirming Advaitic philosophy for our current ecological crisis.

scholarly journals Divine Love as the Reason for Creation in Islam—An Exploration of Nursi’s Epistles of Light

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Nasrin Rouzati
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Spiritual Journey ◽  
Divine Love ◽  
God's Love ◽  
The World ◽  
Magnum Opus ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Shed Light

This paper aims to answer the question “why did God create the world” by examining Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s magnum opus, the The Epistles of Light (Risale-i Nur), to demonstrate that, from a Nursian perspective, divine love is the raison d’etre for the creation of the world. The first section will investigate the notion of divine love as reflected in the wider Muslim scholarly literature. This will be followed by a discussion on the theology of divine names, with special attention to Nursi’s perspective, illustrating the critical role that this concept plays in Nursian theology particularly as it relates to cosmic creation. The third section will explore the metaphysics of love, the important implications of God’s love in the creation of the world, and its role as the driving force for the dynamism and activities within the structure of the universe. The Qur’anic presentation of love, maḥabba, as well as the significance of the reciprocal nature of love between God and humankind will be explored next. The final section will shed light on the synergy between divine love and the Qur’anic notion of ibtilā, trial and tribulation, to demonstrate its instrumentality in man’s spiritual journey.

scholarly journals Staruszkowie w opowiadaniach Jurija Mamlejewa cykl „Koniec wieku”

2017 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 289-300
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Tyszkowska-Kasprzak
Keyword(s):  
Short Stories ◽  
Philosophical Tradition ◽  
Advaita Vedānta ◽  
Advaita Vedanta ◽  
Old People ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Immortal Soul ◽  
The World ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Old Men

Old people in novels of Yuri Mamleyev The End of the CenturyThe purpose of the article is an examination of the images of old men and women in The End of the Century — aseries of short stories by Yuri Mamleyev. Elderly characters in the series are almost always presented in the context of the end of their lives and are apretext to present the author’s philosophical views on the nature of existence, death and immortality. Images of reality in The End of the Century are combined with the mystique, the belief in the immortal soul and its journey. Mamleyev’s philosophical views are based on Vedanta and Advaita Vedanta. Hence, his considerations do not fit into the mainstream of the Russian religious-philosophical tradition. Old people in The End of the Century combine the world of the living with the world of the dead, they are capable of crossing the border — death — in both directions. The characters are often accompanied by acat — which in different beliefs is associated with the ability to communicate with other worlds — and achild, abeing close to the border separating the mortal world from the amorphous underworld, arecurring symbol of rebirth. Старики в рассказах Юрия Мамлеевацикл Конец векаВ статье анализируются образы пожилых людей в цикле рассказов Юрия Мамлеева Конец века. Старые люди почти всегда представлены здесь в контексте конца жизни, ивта­кой контекст вводятся философские рассуждения писателя о природе бытия, смерти ибес­смертия. При этом изображение реальности сочетается с мистикой, верой в бессмертие души и ее переселение. Поскольку свои философские взгляды писатель основал на учениях веданты и адвайта-веданты, то они не вписываются в русло русской религиозно-философ­ской традиции.Старики/старухи в произведениях Мамлеева объединяют мир живых и мир мертвых, они способны пересекать границу, которой является смерть, в обоих направлениях. Ча­сто этих персонажей сопровождают кошки, которым в разных верованиях приписывают способность общаться с другими мирами, а также дети, находящиеся близко к границе, разделяющей мир смертных и аморфную преисподнюю, и являющиеся символом повторя­ющегося возрождения.

Awareness in Indian thought

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen H. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Self Awareness ◽  
Advaita Vedānta ◽  
Advaita Vedanta ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Intrinsic Nature ◽  
Indian Schools ◽  
Indian Thought ◽  
The World ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Philosophical Texts

Classical Indian schools all stake out positions on awareness, its intrinsic nature, its place in the causal processes crucial to human accomplishment, its relations to objects in the world, and the possibilities, according to certain religious or spiritual theories, of mystical transformation. In several prominent instances, stances taken on awareness may be said to constitute the most salient differentiation among schools, so central to a school’s overall outlook is its view on the topic. Classical epistemological conceptions, for example, are in large part shaped by positions on awareness, and the spiritual philosophies for which Indian thought is best known present theories of awareness to guide meditation and mystical practice. Yogic, Vedāntic and Buddhist mysticism all came to be supported by views of the true nature of awareness or its native state. In the professionalized debates that fill the immense proliferation of philosophical texts in the classical period (from approximately ad 100 to the eighteenth century and later), key issues are whether awarenesses have forms of their own or assume content only with reference to objects, and the precise nature of the relation, or relations, of awarenesses to objects in the world, including the role of awareness in human activity. Some important positions are shared across schools, and apart from the anti-theoretic polemics of Mādhyamaka Buddhists and others, a phenomenalist and idealist stance, a representationalism, and a direct or causal realism are the major theories concerning the content of awarenesses. The world-oriented philosophies of Logic (Nyāya) and Exegesis (Mīmāṃsā) engage spiritual or mystical views (principally, Buddhist Yogācāra and Advaita Vedānta) on the issue of self-awareness or awareness of awareness. The exchange between upholders of Nyāya and Advaita Vedānta (Vedāntic Monism) on this score is, in particular, an admirable philosophical achievement.

Bharathi and Advaita

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (S-2) ◽  
pp. 6-11
Author(s):  
Senthamzil Pavai S
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Advaita Vedānta ◽  
Advaita Vedanta ◽  
The People ◽  
Great Sense ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
The Universe ◽  
The Way

Bharati is the twentieth-century non-recipient. The English of India; During the year, poetry was written in the form of poetry, liberation, social liberation, and the unity of the people with regards to the separation of religions and religions. These songs, legends, myths, and philosophies were completely different and gave new meaning to various god ideas. Bharati, who is the best spiritual poet, has established himself as the Advaita Vedanta by placing himself in the words of the Gita, who sees the soul in all things and sees everything in the soul. The purpose of this article is to explain Bharati's Advaita principle. Gnanika Kavi Bharati, the principle of the best of the Naradharata Bharatam, has manifested himself as an Advaita Vedantic. One that is not two is Brahman. It has penetrated the universe and the cosmos, the myths and the lives. Hiding this state of affairs is a delusion, a world, and a trap. The conqueror of illusion; Bharati's Advaita principle is that Jeevanmukthan is. It is the clear thought of Bharatiya. He emphasizes oneness among many deities. Bharatiya had a great sense of unity within the religion. That is why the rule of Brahman in the soil and sky is the realization of the sovereignty of Brahman in the Panchabhutas. Realizing that the sovereignty of the Brahman is frozen in all life, the poet realizes that the Brahman is also in the Paramatma jivatmas. Bharatiya illuminating the Advaita light is illusory. She refuses to fear death. He cautioned against the possibility of differences due to the illusion of inner turmoil. Your business is here to love people in an effort to inspire them! This is the way to see the differences; The Advaita Principle of Bharati is that humanity will excel if everyone has the sense of "I am everything".

Intimations of a Perennial Wisdom

2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-370
Author(s):  
Patrick Laude
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Zen Buddhism ◽  
Advaita Vedānta ◽  
Advaita Vedanta ◽  
Intimate Connection ◽  
Wisdom Traditions ◽  
Deep Sense ◽  
The Ideal

Abstract This essay sketches some of the main characteristics of a perennial and cross-civilizational concept of wisdom. It argues that the latter is based upon a strong and deep sense of transcendence and upon the discernment that flows from it. This essay highlights the ways in which this discriminative wisdom does not amount to any form of dualism, but, on the contrary, leads its proponents and practitioners to an all-encompassing experience of anthropocosmic harmony and metaphysical unity. Taking stock of Asian wisdom traditions such as Advaita Vedānta and Zen Buddhism this paper also stresses the intimate connection between wisdom and objectivity; hence the ideal of a full attentiveness to reality in its irreducible suchness. Finally the essay broaches wisdom’s power of intellectual and spiritual displacement as a means of realizing the aforementioned objectivity. The final section discusses the circumstantial and ontological reasons for wisdom’s concealment, and the ways in which sagely expressions must be adjusted to a wide spectrum of human limitations.

scholarly journals One or None? Truth and Self-Transformation for Śaṅkara and Kamalaśīla

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
David Vincent Fiordalis
Keyword(s):  
Michel Foucault ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Advaita Vedānta ◽  
Advaita Vedanta ◽  
Religious Philosophy ◽  
Ontological Commitments ◽  
Spiritual Path ◽  
The World ◽  
Gain Access ◽  
Buddhist Monasticism

This article explores how two influential 8th-century Indian philosophers, Śaṅkara and Kamalaśīla, treat the threefold scheme of learning, reasoning, and meditation in their spiritual path philosophies. They have differing institutional and ontological commitments: the former, who helped establish Advaita Vedānta as the religious philosophy of an elite Hindu monastic tradition, affirms an unchanging “self” (ātman) identical to the “world-essence” (brahman); the latter, who played a significant role in the development of Buddhist monasticism in Tibet, denies both self and essence. Yet, they share a concern with questions of truth and the means by which someone could gain access to it, such as what, if anything, meditation contributes to knowledge and its acquisition. By exploring their answers to this and related questions, including how discursive and conceptual practices like learning, reasoning, and meditation could generate nonconceptual knowledge or knowledge of the nonconceptual, this essay shows the difficulty of separating “philosophical” problems of truth from those related to self-transformation or “spirituality,” as Michel Foucault defines the terms. It also reassesses, as a framework for comparison, the well-known contrast between “gradual” and “sudden” approaches to the achievement of liberating knowledge and highlights them as tensions we still struggle to resolve today.

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