Vedanta is not antithetical to Christism or Islam. Even if we say that divine principle resides outside man, Vedanta does not say that it is wrong.
antarbahiśca tatsarvaṃ vyāpya nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ ।
-Mahānārayaṇopaniṣad 13.5
If someone believes that Vaikunṭha is a separate world away from himself, let him believe that. There is no harm in that. A man who now sees Vaikunṭha outside might be able to see it within himself at some later point in...
Thoughts on the Three Matas
It has become common practice among us — notably among Brahmins — and especially among those who think they have understood the essence of a mata, to argue whether it is Dvaita, Advaita or Viśiṣṭādvaita, when they are faced with the prospect of understanding philosophical texts such as the Gītā or the Upaniṣads. When I translated Vedic texts such as the Puruṣa-sūkta into Kannada, many people would ask me this same...
udāracaritānām tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam ||
bāndhavā viṣṇubhaktāśca svadeśo bhuvanatrayam ||
This is the opinion of the Gītā. When contact with foreign nations is inevitable and even necessary, can we be indifferent to them? Even if we are indifferent to them, will they be indifferent towards us? Suppose an old lady, dressed in a ritually pure garment, sitting in the courtyard near the tulasī plant, shouts out aloud - “Don’t touch me. Don’t...
Principle is more important than practice
Whatever be the turmoil due to changing times, we should remember that it is related to our outer life and that it does not need to disturb our inner life. The admixture of the jātis, the mess in the choice of occupations, and the freedom of women to work - are all restricted to external practice. It does not impact internal reality. The principle of reality cannot be annulled or modified. That is why it...
About the relationship between husband and wife
In recent days, a school of political thought known as socialism is making a lot of commotion. Taking birth among the industrial workers of Europe, it might have been inevitable there. With the strong tendency in India to imitate others, a few people insisting that this system be implemented here have become powerful. One of the cardinal principles of that school of thought is that of universal...
Now, with the advent of democracy, our lives are full of constant turmoil. The king reigned over a kingdom that was subject to rule by a single ruler. Democracy, on the other hand, has many leaders. It is difficult to achieve consensus with multiple leaders - more so about wealth and its distribution. So, what is theoretically thought to be a multi-leader system practically results in anarchy. A few are vocal for agriculture; others swear by...
But then, what is the use of lamenting over that? There is another side to this topic. We see this kind of admixture only among the rarefied urban population. Those who are wealthy or in prestigious positions or in seats of power are into mixed relationships for many reasons. These are the urban nouveau riche. If we leave them aside and look at populations of tribesmen and categories of poor people, we see resistance to the idea of this...
Having now reflected upon the steps to attain the right level of eligibility, let us think once again about the four problems due to changing times.
1) The deterioration of the system of the four varṇas
The chief among the cardinal teachings of the Bhagavadgītā is to be established in one’s own dharma. One’s own dharma is determined by the four-fold varṇa system. Brāhmāna, kṣatriya, vaiṣya, śūdra - are all different varṇas. Their dharmas are...
What about the jñānī? He too has to perform karma but instructing him is not necessary. He performs karma without any guidance. Karma is imperative as long as the body exists. Life in the physical plane implies contact with the world. Even the most knowledgeable cannot escape it. If that is the case, what is so unique about a jñānī’s knowledge? The answer is that a jñānī’s karma does not result in individual results for him. It was mentioned...
Let us now remember and discuss these in some detail.
1) The pre-eminence of the self: The ātmā (self) is the essence of all beings. Whenever man thinks, "I","me", the referent of the "I" is the jīva. Both the jīva and its support and instrument - the body with sense organs and the mind - are referred to as the ātmā. The ātmā marked by an association with the body-sheath is known as the jīvātmā. In principle, the ātmā is distinct from the...