Advanced level Hinduism

[Guest guest]

I am involved in marking Advanced level coursework on Hinduism.

One of the important themes being explored is Advaita Vedanta.

Let me share with you what one candidate wrote:-

 

He was trying to present a balanced view between the different

schools of philosophies and one of the criticism he posed for the

advaiti that would bring a smile was:-

 

"The Advaitis position begs the question:

'Then what are you doing here?'

If you are God, what are you doing down here?

Stay where you belong, in the realm of unclassified, undifferentiated.

 

This is highly amusing though the Advaitis reply could be framed as

"I am not here and neither are you".

 

There is a serious point to this. No doubt Advaita Vedanta is the

final destination. We are all travellers going to that same destination,

hence it is nice to know what the destination may look like - it

may help us go faster! Still we should be fully aware of our

serious limitations in trying to come to terms with Advaita. As long

as we are 'here' we have to resort to and operate via the 'relative'.

So a Ramana or a Vivekananda are a great help.

 

The coursework I was marking was full of such humility...

 

jay

 

jay

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Vivekananda Centre" <vivekananda@b...> wrote:

>

> No doubt Advaita Vedanta is the

> final destination. We are all travellers going to that same

destination,

> hence it is nice to know what the destination may look like - it

> may help us go faster!

 

Namaste.

The following may be of help :

.. 'The visions of Sri Ramakrishna' by Swami Yogeshananda published

by Sri Ramakrishna Math. Form and formless visions are described.

.. Geeta chapter 11. Cosmic form is described.

.. Vivekachudamani: 'Where is the universe gone, by whom is it

removed; it was just now seen by me, is it non-existent now ? What a

wonder ! '

.. In 'Talks with Swami Vivekananda', he describes a couple of times

the sequence of things happening to him as he journeys towards the

Advaitic-Consciousness-state.

In the same book, 'Sat-Chit-Ananda' is also described as well as

looking at Geeta from the perspective of Brahman that is in all.

--

As an aside, I sometimes wonder, if at the end one may have to

actually conclude that we are indeed inside a huge dinosaur :-)

 

With Love,

Raghava