From: Mermaid . (britannica@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Mar 21 2002 - 21:40:12 MST
[rhinoceros]<snipped>The next question is whether there is some kind of
reality which could be perceived, but not with our current means of
perception. However, I am not ready to discuss this one yet.
[Mermaid]This thread reminds me of something I learnt a long time ago. Its
called Advaitha Vedanata. Vedanta is Hindu Philosophy. The three major
schools of thought in Hindu philosophy - Dvitha, Advitha, and
Vishishtadvitha i.e. Dualism, Non-Dualism and Conditional Non-Dualism.
Dvitham: Dualism. Man and God are two seperate entities. God and Man share a
unique relationship between them wherein Man is the finite element and God
is the infinite element. The Finite element is constrained by the never
ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Infinite element of God is
free from all constraints. This being has no beginning nor an end. Man is
Jivathman and God is Paramathman. The finite and the infinite become One
through devotion and religion.
In this school of thought, God and Man are distinctly seperate entities. One
is dependent and the other is independent. They exist on wholly different
planes of consciousness. In the religious literature of this school of
thought, it is written that all souls are born under bondage and lives in
ignorance. Once the Jivathman is able to see the Parmathman without the veil
of ignorance, then it attains enlightenment.
Advaitham: Non-dualism. The finite and the infinite elements are actually
one and the same. There is no difference between Man and God. There is one
being, one consciousness, one reality. Here ignorance doesnt obscure one
from attaining liberation from the never ending cycle of birth and death.
Man spends time drowning in Maya or illusion and once he realises that there
is only one identity, he is free from the cycle of birth and death.
Buddhism and Jainism share several similar pov with this school of thought.
Vishishtadvitha: Conditional Non-Dualism asserts that the Supreme Being is
full of auspicious attributes. There are three realities: God, Soul, Matter.
Only God is independent. The seperation of the devotee from his Lord is only
temporary. This temporary seperation can only be overcome through devotion
and intense love for the Lord. The period when this school of thought
flourished gave rise to some of the most beautiful theistic poetry of the
Vaishnavite sect of Hinduism. This school of thought rejects the notion of
illusion. All creation has sprung only from the body of the Lord and hence
there can be nothing illusionary about one's existence. One can reach the
likeness of the Divine and reach closer to God through prayer and devotion.
Although, Matter and Soul emanated from God making them a part of the
Supreme Being, their identities are quite seperate.
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