Religion (Blind Faith) = = = Philosophy (Logic)

[Guest guest]

Sub : Religion And Philosophy

 

( ref personal mails to Prof Krishnamuthyji on blind faith and logic)

 

Religion insists on faith and philosophy emphasizes reason.These are two

functions of our thinking and if followed sincerely often cross each other's

path.The purpose of philosophy is to enable the seeker to see truth directly.

 

The upanishads lays down two paths for spiritual aspirants. one for the jnanins

who chose the path of knowledge exclusively and the others who have not attained

the necessary internal development needed to renounce desires.

 

A Jgnani need not perform any karmas and he devotes his time on the study of

the upanisisadic texts ,reflects and contemplates and realises the truth.

 

The other path which the upanishad has laid down is for persons who are

attracted by materialstic things around the world and who worship God as a

person purely on faith with the aim of securing through HER grace worldly

happiness and spiritual bliss .Such people take to upasanas and at the same time

acquire vidya about the supreme divinity. by pursuing this path they attain the

brahma loka after death as per upanishad.

 

Apparently these two paths which mutually opposes -- one based on faith

perfrorming rituals and attaining of heavenly felicity through them while the

other path minimised the value of these and emphasised the brahman through

knowledge and ascetic practices of life as the goal of human life. (karma Kanda

of Vedas Vs Jnana Kanda )

 

Even in the vedic days the difference between theses two schools of thought --

Mimamsa and Vedanta was there in an acute form. In order to effect a

reconciliation between these two schools according to some we have the isavasya

upanishad. Adi Sankara held strong views about the relation between karma and

jnana with an anology like that of light and darkness -- for karma is based on

ego sense and desires -- jnana on the very destruction of ego and desire.

 

They can be reconciled only by alloting to stages in spiritual life. -- karma to

pre knowledge stage -- when performed as kamya yield to worldy enjoyments and

when performed as nishkamya leading to purification of mind.which is a

preperatory stage. the way is described as krama - mukthi ( gradual liberation )

and the other kind for a jnani known as Jivan Mukthi ( liberated when embodied

).

 

Therefore we could conclude that there is a close Alliance between Logic and

faith. and one is incomplete without the other. The goal of philosophy is truth

and the goal of religion is god -- the final experience God = Truth and the

same reality. The ultimate experience of truth may be an act of faith but its

validity is judged through reason.Truth may transcend reason but it is never

illogical. one may not be able to arrive truth exclusively through reason but

one's experience and statement of truth cannot be valid if they contradict

reason.

 

Religion based on faith without philosophy tends to become dogmatic and

superstitious.

Philosophy without religion (faith) degenerates into inane and dry

intellectualism.at the same time philosophy is important for a religion without

which it boils down to sentimentalism.

 

Religion supplies the aspirant with feelings and philosophy prevents him from

wandering into dark alleys.

 

That is the reason that the hindu seers harmonised in vedanta both religion and

philosophy-- faith and reason. That is the beauty of sanata Dharma's appeal,

adequacy and universailty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk wrote:

Namaste.

 

While I thank several of the members who have personally written

to me encouraging words of appreciation, I have yet to reply to

some who have raised a few legitimate questions. Some of the

questions raised are:

1. Is Shankara the author of Soundaryalahari?

2. Is the Paramacharya trying to please everybody?

3. The ‘definition’ of truth given in DPDS – 08 is not

acceptable.

4. How can Brahman have a ‘Desire’?

5. Is Soundaryalahari an advaitic work or a religious piece of

devotion?

6. Shall we conclude that the Paramacharya relies on blind

faith rather than logic?

 

Instead of trying to answer these and similar questions myself I

would recommend them to be raised in the public forum on the

group itself so that interested members may participate in the

discussion. This way we might be paving the way for a useful

discussion on the discourses.

I have also another suggestion to make. The Discourses cover a

wide ground, almost the entire spectrum of religion and

spirituality. It would do us good to read them back and forth

more than once. Many doubts that legitimately arise get cleared

as we go along. And you can depend on the Paramacharya to

anticipate many of our doubts.

Also I must say that the Paramacharya is very lucid in his

presentation. If you find any lack of lucidity or clarity in the

‘Digest’ presented to you, it would only be my fault. I shall be

happy to have a feedback on this aspect so that I can try an

improvement.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins and Devotees of Mother Goddess.

profvk

 

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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