Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 Some time ago I was discussing Gnosticism with some Hindu friends of mine. They basically said that Naustika in their understanding meant an " atheist. " I later came across another definition for Naustika as one who does not accept the authority of the Vedas, such as a Buddhist or Jain... Can someone help me out here? - Art Gregory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 1999 Report Share Posted September 29, 1999 Austi in Sanskrit means " Is " which affirms the existence of the Almighty. Nausti (Na: No, Austi: Is) means " Is Not " denying the existence of God. Naustika, therefore, should mean 'the non-believer in existence of God'. Since every religion presupposes and establishes the existence of God, Gnosticism cannot be with respect to a specific religion just because the term has been coined by Hindus. - <lgregory <Ramakrishna > Tuesday, September 28, 1999 1:54 PM [ramakrishna] The meaning of the word " Naustika " > lgregory > > Some time ago I was discussing Gnosticism with > some Hindu friends of mine. They basically > said that Naustika in their understanding > meant an " atheist. " I later came across > another definition for Naustika as one who > does not accept the authority of the Vedas, > such as a Buddhist or Jain... Can someone > help me out here? > > - Art Gregory > > > Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah > Vivekananda Centre London > http://www.btinternet.com/~vivekananda/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 1999 Report Share Posted September 29, 1999 In a message dated 99-09-29 13:17:03 EDT, ctanmoy.ct writes: << Austi in Sanskrit means " Is " which affirms the existence of the Almighty. Nausti (Na: No, Austi: Is) means " Is Not " denying the existence of God. Naustika, therefore, should mean 'the non-believer in existence of God'. Since every religion presupposes and establishes the existence of God, Gnosticism cannot be with respect to a specific religion just because the term has been coined by Hindus. >> It has always been my understanding that Gnostics neither believed nor disbelieved. They maintain that the existance or non-existance of a " god " cannot be proven. So, would it be safe to say they are skeptics? (haha) Is this true or not? I recall a gnostic writing that I have called " The Thunder Perfect Mind " . When one reads it, it seems somewhat Vedantic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 1999 Report Share Posted September 29, 1999 I guess buddhists n jains being called as naastik must come during the time when buddhism was being uprooted. N i guess there is nothin like authority. Truth simply is truth. I guess the one who calls buddhists and jains as naastik for they don't give in to the authority of vedas and the one who denies the greatness of vedas both have to learn and understand each other. On Wed, 29 Sep 1999, Tanmoy Chakraborty wrote: > " Tanmoy Chakraborty " <ctanmoy.ct > > Austi in Sanskrit means " Is " which affirms the existence of the Almighty. > Nausti (Na: No, Austi: Is) means " Is Not " denying the existence of God. > Naustika, therefore, should mean 'the non-believer in existence of God'. > Since every religion presupposes and establishes the existence of God, > Gnosticism cannot be with respect to a specific religion just because the > term has been coined by Hindus. > > - > <lgregory > <Ramakrishna > > Tuesday, September 28, 1999 1:54 PM > [ramakrishna] The meaning of the word " Naustika " > > > > lgregory > > > > Some time ago I was discussing Gnosticism with > > some Hindu friends of mine. They basically > > said that Naustika in their understanding > > meant an " atheist. " I later came across > > another definition for Naustika as one who > > does not accept the authority of the Vedas, > > such as a Buddhist or Jain... Can someone > > help me out here? > > > > - Art Gregory > > > > > Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah > > Vivekananda Centre London > > http://www.btinternet.com/~vivekananda/ > > > > > Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah > Vivekananda Centre London > http://www.btinternet.com/~vivekananda/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 1999 Report Share Posted September 30, 1999 Thank you Sri Tanmoy for your kind reply to my question regarding Naustiks... As being " atheists " and disbelievers in God...I suppose I must enlist myself at times in their (Jaina and Buddhist) number...at other times not (being Vedantist)... So I am both a believer and not...in Saguna and Nirguna depending on the state. - Art Gregory lgregory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 1999 Report Share Posted September 30, 1999 >FREESUE > >In a message dated 99-09-29 13:17:03 EDT, ctanmoy.ct writes: > ><< > Austi in Sanskrit means " Is " which affirms the existence of the Almighty. > Nausti (Na: No, Austi: Is) means " Is Not " denying the existence of God. > Naustika, therefore, should mean 'the non-believer in existence of God'. > Since every religion presupposes and establishes the existence of God, > Gnosticism cannot be with respect to a specific religion just because the > term has been coined by Hindus. >> > >It has always been my understanding that Gnostics neither believed nor >disbelieved. They maintain that the existance or non-existance of a " god " >cannot be proven. So, would it be safe to say they are skeptics? (haha) Is >this true or not? > >I recall a gnostic writing that I have called " The Thunder Perfect Mind " . >When one reads it, it seems somewhat Vedantic. This is an interesting discussion as I use The Thunder the Perfect Mind regularly on my list ... its purpose being to contemplate and free the mind of ratiocinations... The ancient Gnostics were also the inheritors of pythagorean and neoplatonic ideas along with some Iranian influence.. Since the discovery of the NAg HAmmadi scrolls a whole new world of gnostic literature has opened up. There is evidence in some of them of more than a passing familiarity with India. The odd thing is that when Indians here the term gnostic they think atheist at once... the words of course have different etymology as we are learning... gnostic is closer to jnana or knowing than to atheism. Gnostics believed that certain special knowledge was available through initiation and training to achieve salvation. Much like the jnanis. - Art Gregory lgregory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 1999 Report Share Posted September 30, 1999 Literally Naustika (Gnostic) means " non-believer in the existence of God " . But, in reality a man may convert from a believer to a non-believer or vice-versa or may even take the middle path of skepticism depending on his experiences with life. This is all the result of imaging God as an individual entity and failing to perceive the holistic picture. - <FREESUE <Ramakrishna > Thursday, September 30, 1999 1:32 AM Re: [ramakrishna] The meaning of the word " Naustika " > FREESUE > > In a message dated 99-09-29 13:17:03 EDT, ctanmoy.ct writes: > > << > Austi in Sanskrit means " Is " which affirms the existence of the Almighty. > Nausti (Na: No, Austi: Is) means " Is Not " denying the existence of God. > Naustika, therefore, should mean 'the non-believer in existence of God'. > Since every religion presupposes and establishes the existence of God, > Gnosticism cannot be with respect to a specific religion just because the > term has been coined by Hindus. >> > > It has always been my understanding that Gnostics neither believed nor > disbelieved. They maintain that the existance or non-existance of a " god " > cannot be proven. So, would it be safe to say they are skeptics? (haha) Is > this true or not? > > I recall a gnostic writing that I have called " The Thunder Perfect Mind " . > When one reads it, it seems somewhat Vedantic. > > > Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah > Vivekananda Centre London > http://www.btinternet.com/~vivekananda/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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