Guest guest Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 VidyaJayaram asks as to how and temples belonging to Samkarite tradition. What are temples for them ? What is the connection between the advaita vedanta and the temples ? One should not form an idea on the basis of the Kanchi Kamakshi Temple which is managed by Sankara mutt. For, it is only the management and not the pujakrama that comes under the mutt. The puja is done according to srividya tradition which again is clearly tantric. on the other hand one can surmise that there existed temples (Siva and Vishnu)during early pallava period (evidenced at least by copper- plates) where the rituals were performed on the basis of Vedic mantras (and probably also puranic mantras ?). But never was a temple following an advaitic tradition !! As I have sated in my earlier mail the Adavaita tradition as propounded by Samkara had nothing to do with even the house-holders how then can it have its own temples ? Ganesan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 >What is the connection between the advaita vedanta and the temples ? Why not? Bhakti is an important element in Advaita. Shankara specifically notes that it is only divine grace that can fetch liberation. Also the numerous devotional hymns penned by Shankara. >The puja is done according to srividya tradition which again is >clearly tantric. So what? So many elements in Tantra have been absorbed by numerous schools including Advaita. Anyway Tantra was itself a Buddhist innovation which was absorbed by "Hindu" streams. And are we to believe that everything that Saiva Siddhaatan teaches in philosophy and practice, is original? If Saiva Siddhaanta can help itself to Visishtadvaita theology among other things, why can't Advaita borrow Tantric practices? >As I have sated in my earlier mail the Adavaita tradition as >propounded by Samkara had nothing to do with even the house-holders >how then can it have its own temples ? This is primarily the problem with those who are not clear with the two levels of reality as taught by Advaita - paramaartha and vyavahaara. In the sphere of vyavahaara Advaitins accept an Ishvara. And we also accept Patanjali's stance that praying to Ishvara reduces karma. Also only a small section of smaarthas can aspire for sanyaasa. The rest do not venture beyond vyavahaara. And so temples and devotion are an important part of their lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 namaskaar, Wasn't it aadi sha.nkara who gave impetus to shhaNmada (in gaaNapatya, shaakta, saurya, vaishNava, shaiva and kaumaara) forms of worship. The Shankara Mattham temple in Matunga, Mumbai, has all these dieties installed around on the sides of an hexagonal structure. the garbha gR^iha has a shiva li~nga as the main deity. In this temple, veda is used for puuja (pradoshha puujaa, mahanyaasa, nakshatra ishhTi etc.) sri-vidya type puuja is performed for devi and so forth. Directly writing them may answer some of the queries. hope this helps, aa no bhadraaH kratavo yanto vishvataH (Let noble thoughts come to us from the Universe -- R^ig veda 1.89.1) Rajagopal S. Iyer 13 March 2003 INDOLOGY, "tganesh62002" <tganesh62002> wrote: > VidyaJayaram asks as to how and temples belonging to Samkarite > tradition. What are temples for them ? What is the connection between > the advaita vedanta and the temples ? One should not form an idea on > the basis of the Kanchi Kamakshi Temple which is managed by Sankara > mutt. For, it is only the management and not the pujakrama that comes > under the mutt. The puja is done according to srividya tradition > which again is clearly tantric. > on the other hand one can surmise that there existed temples (Siva > and Vishnu)during early pallava period (evidenced at least by copper- > plates) where the rituals were performed on the basis of Vedic > mantras (and probably also puranic mantras ?). But never was a temple > following an advaitic tradition !! As I have sated in my earlier mail > the Adavaita tradition as propounded by Samkara had nothing to do > with even the house-holders how then can it have its own temples ? > > Ganesan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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