Advaitin, Gods & Moksha

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Dear Distinguished List members,

Namaste.

 

The question raised by Shri Dennis Waite was, as I understood it, “Why

Advaitins, who consider world as unreality (as there is only one reality-which

is themselves), worship a matter like God?”

 

The answers from most of the active members of the list has been profound but

not fully convincing.

 

I think the answer could be:

 

1) Advaitin is a Hypothesis, it is not an independent religion from Hinduism

nor was it designed to be. Any serious practitioner, if he ever found the

ultimate truth, which the hypothesis so uncompromisingly states, would not be

available to either announce it or find an audience, because as per its own

theory, there is no one else besides him.

 

2) Vedas, the fundamental scripts on which the Hindu religion was developed,

explicitly accepts the presence of several gods. While it mentions in passing

the advaitin hypothesis also, it is neither the opening line nor the

concluding line nor the whole content. In short it is much more than one

hypothesis. This has been the basis for different hypothesis developed by

Ramanuja & Madhava among others, although Advaitin was elaborated 3 centuries

earlier by Sankara. The jury is still out. So Hindus have many Gods and we

have no regrets, whether others like it or not. If we are Pagans, so be it.

 

3) Gods can be interpreted as creations evolved from man upwards with more

powers and senses and option to have a body or not. Simply put, they exist

with specific powers with respect to their own portfolio. They play a senior

management role in the kingdom of God. Man is a citizen. By sadhanas, he too

can get promoted to be a god and be in heaven. If he does not make it, he gets

transferred to another location on this earth or somewhere lower down,

depending upon his past record.

 

4) The head office is Moksha. After that there are no promotions. He joins the

Board of Directors (or the cabinet if you are a politician)and the advaitin

hypothesis is that there is only one Director or PM. Other Hindus believe that

Param Atma is the Chairman or President. This is the end of the journey of the

soul, which is accepted by all Hindus. Till then-keep trying.

 

Whether we as human fashioned our organizations on the basis of God’s own

design or our Rishis designed our concepts on "God & Soul", based on human’s

social organization, literally, only God Knows.

 

By the way, the answer to Dennis question still remains outstanding. I am not

a advaitin scholar so I cannot comment on it.

 

Have I got it somewhat right or all wrong?

With Pranams

P.B.V.Rajan

 

 

"Ram Chandran" <rchandran wrote:

 

First, everything that is printed in a book by a known or unknown author may

not necessarily be accurate. Second, when anyone sees some doubtful

statements they could post them to the list and request for

clarifications. This list can and will serve

better if more members participate in the deliberations in a small

way.

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

 

 

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