theist Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 Came across this quote just now and thought it might be worth sharing. Quote: Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking; where it is absent, discussion is apt to become worse than useless. Leo Tolstoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 with "Truth-seekers". the vedic culture is the culture of truth-seekers. one thing a truth seeker knows is that he does not know the whole truth. when one is fully self-eralized, he has found absolute truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avinash Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 I agree with the quote you have provided. But I just wanted to share a misunderstanding regarding free-thinking that I have foound. Many people think that just because they say something which is contradictory to what majority believe in, then they are free thinkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gauracandra Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 Yes. This is seen in many ways, not just in philosophical understandings. Sometimes people think that creativity is the same as quirkiness (being different for the sake of being different). This stems from the same idea. On a philosophical level that if you do something different to stand out from the crowd, that you are a unique thinker, or unique artist. Very often you are just weird (not deep or creative). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted March 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 truth seeker works well. This is reference as to how the mind is used. I also agree with Avinash's point. Makes me wonder: What is the difference between philosophical speculation and mental speculation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 Free-thinking only is possible to speak about when the heart is purified from enviousness and related negativity-energies in the heart. People that have enviousness in the heart are not authorities in anything they do or say. Their opinion is not of relevance to anyone although those fallen jivas think they are so important and good and their opinion is authoritative although real wise people immediately know that all that fallen jiva say is purely wrong! As soon people have purified their heart they will immediately accept guidance of Vaishnava kings and their Vaishnava brahmanas without deviating in anything they receive as instructions! This is the daivy Varnashrama system. I can sense that very soon our beloved Planet Bhumi with the honest people living there will be open to re-accept the daivy Varnashrama system so all people will be guided by the king who is obviously representing Lord Vishnu for all beings. This is possible as the two weakest beings ever existing, Maya naga and Kali naga, are ready to be judged by Lord Yamaraj-deva! Free will for sudras and vaisyas is to fully accept the decisions of the King without trying to think about other possibilites that could also be used for this or that. The Kali yuga we are in for almost 5000 years is ending. Maya naga and Kali naga influenced many people in this yuga with manipulative attempts to enslave them through different methiods - e.g. one of the methods was to let them think they are free in opinon and their opinion is important or authoritative to anyone although their opinions were are coming from Maya naga and Kali naga. Now as Maya naga and Kali naga are completely knocked out they will be able to breathe free air and are able to submit their heart-/thinking to the guide of a Vaishnava king and His brahmananas who exactly know what are the real needs of the folk as Vaishnavas are purely guided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu and Srimati Lakshmi-devi! Sincerely, Frodo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2003 Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 it is intereting that most people try to be like others - same uniform, same culture, same club, same dress, same mantra, etc. while some few try delibertely to be different than most. some are different naturally, and they do not try for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2003 Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 Makes me wonder: What is the difference between philosophical speculation and mental speculation? In the context of spiritual vs. material, none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted March 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 you would care to elaborate a bit. In terms of our present condition of moving from a position of ignorance to knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted March 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 Proper guidance looks like the key. Prabhupada mostly uses the terms mental speculation and philosphical speculation to mean the same thing. but in this letter he shows us a different angle. ---------------------- Letter to Chaturbhus Bombay 1-21-1972 As for the difference between mental speculation and philosophical speculation, we take it that everything is known by the psychological action of the mind, so that philosophical speculation is the same as mental speculation if it is merely the random or haphazard activity of the brain to understand everything and making theories, "if's" and "maybe's." But if philosophical speculation is directed by Sastra and Guru, and if the goal of such philosophical attempts is to achieve Visnu, then that philosophical speculation is not mental speculation. It is just like this: Krishna syas in Bhagavad-gita that "I am the taste of water." Philosophical speculation in the accepted sense then means to try to understand, under the direction of Sastra and Guru, just how Krishna is the taste of water. The points of Bhagavad-gita, though they are simple and complete, can be understood from unlimited angles of vision. So our philosophy is not dry, like mental speculation. The proper function of the brain or psychological activity is to understand everything through Krishna's perspective or point-of-view, and so there is no limit to that understanding because Krishna is unlimited, and even though it can be said that the devotee who knows Krishna, he knows everything (15th Chapter), still, the philosophical process never stops and the devotee continues to increase his knowledge even though he knows everything. Try to understand this point, it is a very good question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted March 21, 2003 Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 Philosophical speculation is used by mental spculators to justify their envious thinking about the eternal truth. Although the Vaishnava philosophy is clear, envious-/asuric-/weak jivas still try to speculatite about it. Regards, Frodo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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