Scientific Pantheism

[Guest guest]

Hello ~

 

I came across a website called Scientific Pantheism. They quoted Carl

Sagan and so does this group:

 

"We are a way for the Universe to know itself. Some part of

our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return.

And we can, because the Cosmos is also within us."

 

~ Carl Sagan

 

This group seems to be somewhat going back to New England

Transcendentalism and Emerson.

 

I am nothing! I see all; the currents of the Universal

Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God.

 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Is Shakti Sadhana a pantheistic "religion"? It seems like there are

dieties here discussed. Growing up with my theistic background, I've

not felt uncomfortable here. Emerson was very much influenced by

Hindu writers and he influenced German philosophy which a lot of the

Western Philosophy has rested.

 

Any comments appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

 

Eric Otto

 

 

 

http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/emerson.htm

 

http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/index.htm

[Guest guest]

Hi Eric:

 

I think I may be creating some confusion here. You mention the Carl

Sagan quote on the front page, and note "this group seems to be

somewhat going back to New England Transcendentalism and Emerson."

 

It would probably be more accurate to say that some of the writings

you've read by Emerson, Whitman etc., who were very much influenced

by the first wave of English translations of ancient Hindu texts. A

2002 essay on Emerson by Richard Fewkes notes that:

 

"Emerson helped open the doors for others to find sources of

spiritual inspiration beyond the Jewish-Christian Scriptures. One

of his younger contemporaries referred to him as the "Hindoo Yankee -

a cross between Brahma and Poor Richard."

 

So what you are seeing in this group is not Emerson, but rather the

original philosophy that Emerson was struggling to understand on his

own terms. As you noted in your post, "Emerson was very much

influenced by Hindu writers."

 

As for the Sagan quote, it's no secret that at very high levels of

speculation and observation, science begins to arrive at the same

places as very high levels of spiritual speculation and observation.

Swami Vivekananda wrote:

 

"As one reaches the center, the radii converge! Art, literature,

painting, philosophy, science, and spirituality converge at the

center and become one; and in fact, might even become

interchangeable ..."

 

So I wouldn't say that the Shakta school of Hinduism is a sort

of "Scientific Pantheism" -I would simply say that the teachings of

Shaktism are close enough to the center to reflect many different "-

isms" near the convergence point. Where I find parallel thoughts, I

mention it; I am only showing parallel thought streams.

 

You also ask:

 

*** Is Shakti Sadhana a pantheistic "religion"? ***

 

Shaktism is a religion, yes. And if by "pantheistic," you mean that

we understand all the seeming diversity of the material Cosmos as

manifestations of One Divinity, Devi, then yes, we are that too.

 

*** It seems like there are dieties here discussed. ***

 

Yes indeed. As our front page notes, "Shakti Sadhana is an ancient

and vibrantly living Hindu spiritual tradition that focuses worship

upon Devi, the Goddess, the Divine Mother who creates and embodies

all the Universe. Many devotees conceive of Her as the Shakti

(Supreme Energy) of Shiva (Supreme Consciousness); both identical to

and inseparable from Him. Others worship Her as Supreme Brahman

Itself, holding that all other forms of Divinity, female or male,

are but Her diverse manifestations."

 

*** Growing up with my theistic background, I've not felt

uncomfortable here. ***

 

And you shouldn't. ;-)

 

DB

[Guest guest]

what people forget is the Hindu philosophy encompases not just rarified

theological discussions but also daily scoientific matters.

In the old days hindu monks practiced vaccination - that was read about by Lord

Lester (records can be had at India house library, London) and copied and

explained in english and it became his "Discovery".

Johan Kepler explained what was in Sanskrit translated to arabic and he became

the father of "Keplar's" theorem.

All these were part of Hindu and shakta litteraure millinia before the so called

"fathers" *smile*

So these gentlemen also put it in English. But they are not the creators but

restaters in Western languages.

 

Devi Bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote:

Hi Eric:

 

I think I may be creating some confusion here. You mention the Carl Sagan quote

on the front page, and note "this group seems to be somewhat going back to New

England Transcendentalism and Emerson."

 

It would probably be more accurate to say that some of the writings you've read

by Emerson, Whitman etc., who were very much influenced by the first wave of

English translations of ancient Hindu texts. A 2002 essay on Emerson by Richard

Fewkes notes that:

 

"Emerson helped open the doors for others to find sources of spiritual

inspiration beyond the Jewish-Christian Scriptures. One of his younger

contemporaries referred to him as the "Hindoo Yankee -a cross between Brahma and

Poor Richard."

 

So what you are seeing in this group is not Emerson, but rather the original

philosophy that Emerson was struggling to understand on his own terms. As you

noted in your post, "Emerson was very much influenced by Hindu writers."

 

As for the Sagan quote, it's no secret that at very high levels of speculation

and observation, science begins to arrive at the same places as very high levels

of spiritual speculation and observation.

Swami Vivekananda wrote:

 

"As one reaches the center, the radii converge! Art, literature, painting,

philosophy, science, and spirituality converge at the center and become one; and

in fact, might even become interchangeable ..."

 

So I wouldn't say that the Shakta school of Hinduism is a sort of "Scientific

Pantheism" -I would simply say that the teachings of Shaktism are close enough

to the center to reflect many different "-isms" near the convergence point.

Where I find parallel thoughts, I mention it; I am only showing parallel thought

streams.

 

You also ask:

 

*** Is Shakti Sadhana a pantheistic "religion"? ***

 

Shaktism is a religion, yes. And if by "pantheistic," you mean that we

understand all the seeming diversity of the material Cosmos as manifestations of

One Divinity, Devi, then yes, we are that too.

 

*** It seems like there are dieties here discussed. ***

 

Yes indeed. As our front page notes, "Shakti Sadhana is an ancient and vibrantly

living Hindu spiritual tradition that focuses worship upon Devi, the Goddess,

the Divine Mother who creates and embodies all the Universe. Many devotees

conceive of Her as the Shakti (Supreme Energy) of Shiva (Supreme Consciousness);

both identical to

and inseparable from Him. Others worship Her as Supreme Brahman Itself, holding

that all other forms of Divinity, female or male, are but Her diverse

manifestations."

 

*** Growing up with my theistic background, I've not felt

uncomfortable here. ***

 

And you shouldn't. ;-)

 

DB

 

 

/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hello Eric

 

The first sentence of the Sagan quote, "We are a way for the

Universe to know itself.", smacks of human conceit and reminds

me of the days when we thought that we were literally the center

of the universe.

 

The ego engendered in this quote is the obstacle that prevents

us from having a direct knowledge of the other two thoughts,

(1)Some part of our being knows this is where we come from.

(2) We long to return. And we can, because the Cosmos is also

within us.

 

As we move beyond the limiting ego with its desires, aversions,

and rationality toward a wider view of ourselves and our relation

to each other and the universe at large and toward a reliance on

intuition and the knowledge of the chakras, then we come to

know ourselves to be the Brahman, the Oversoul, the

substratum from which the universe arises and into which it

dissolves.

 

OM Namah Sivaya

 

 

 

 

, "Eric Otto"

<eottoe2001> wrote:

> Hello ~

>

> I came across a website called Scientific Pantheism. They

quoted Carl

> Sagan and so does this group:

>

> "We are a way for the Universe to know itself. Some part of

> our being knows this is where we came from. We long to

return.

> And we can, because the Cosmos is also within us."

>

> ~ Carl Sagan

>

> This group seems to be somewhat going back to New

England

> Transcendentalism and Emerson.

>

> I am nothing! I see all; the currents of the Universal

> Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God.

>

> ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

>

> Is Shakti Sadhana a pantheistic "religion"? It seems like there

are

> dieties here discussed. Growing up with my theistic

background, I've

> not felt uncomfortable here. Emerson was very much

influenced by

> Hindu writers and he influenced German philosophy which a

lot of the

> Western Philosophy has rested.

>

> Any comments appreciated.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Eric Otto

>

>

>

> http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/emerson.htm

>

> http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/index.htm