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Hindu
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Hindu
Heritage Study Program
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Principles
and Practice of Hindu Dharma
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-HR
201.05
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The
Message and Teachings of the Holy Texts of Vedas
and Agamas
The
Spiritual Knowledge of the Divine, the
Supreme
and the
Universe
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Level - 2 ~
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Lesson
- 75 :
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The
System of Adhvaitha by Sri Sankara
Brahma
Suthra and Various Philosophies
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Please
see below
for
Lesson - 02
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The
Brahma Suthra of Sri Vyasa Maharishi are the basis of Vedanthic
philosophy, widely followed by all Hindus. The teachings of other
Dharsanas, Agamas and traditions of Smartha Sampradaya, Saiva, Vaishnava
and Saktha systems also contributed to the teachings of many commentators
and the daily practice of religion. Several great Acharyas or teachers
have written commentaries and interpretations of Hindu philosophy
based on the Sruthis.
We
have the systems of Sankara, Bhaskara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Vishnuswami,
Nimbarka, Vallabha, Chaithanya and the northern and Southern schools
of Saivism including Meykandar's Saiva Siddhantha. Among them, Kevala
Adhvaitha by Sri Sankara, Visishta-Advaitha by Sri Ramanuja and
Dvaitha by Sri Madhva are commentaries on Brahma Suthras of Sri
Vyasa and are the most popular. Sankara's teachings closely follow
the traditions of Smarthas.
The
first systematic exponent of Advaitha is Gaudapaada, who is said
to have lived in the eightth century AD. His pupil Govinda later
became the teacher for Sankara. [Some Hindu historians and scholars
claim Sankara lived in the sixth century BC]
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The
Adhvaitha system of Sri Sankara was developed as a commentary on
Vyasa Maharishi's Brahma Suthra and the Vedhantha Philosophy, contributing
to the vast majority of Smartha, Saiva and Saktha followers and
closely following their traditions with some features of rituals,
modifying the Mimamsa system.
The
Advaitha taught by Sankara is a rigorous, absolute one. Whatever
is, is Brahman. It is absolutely homogenous by Itself. "Brahman,
the Absolute, alone is real; this world is unreal; and the Jiva
or individual soul is non-different from Brahman." The Atman
is self evident.The
atman is the basis of all knowledge.
Brahman
is not an object, as It is Adrishya, beyond the reach of our vision.
Sankara's Supreme Brahman is Nirguna, formless, without attributes,
without special characteristics, immutable and eternal. It is impersonal.
It becomes a personal God or Saguna Brahman only through Its association
with Maya. They are not two opposite entities.
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Lesson
- 76 :
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The
Commentaries on Vedantha - Suthras
Principles
of Unity in Adhvaitha Philosophy
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In
Advaitha philosophy, the same Nirguna Brahman appears as
Saguna Brahman for the pious worship of the devotees. It is the
same Truth from two different points of views. The former is transcendental
and the latter is relative. The Jiva or the individual soul is relatively
real. Its individuality lasts until it is bound by the unreal Upathis
or limiting conditions due to Avidhyas. The Jiva identifies itself
with the body, mind and the senses when it is deluded by the Avidhya
or ignorance. Jiva merges one with the Brahman when it gets knowledge
through annihilation of Avidhya.
To
Sankara, the world also is only relatively real. If you get knowledge,
the Maya will vanish and the illusion of body and world will disappear.
The unchanging Brahman appears like changing world through the mysterious
Maya. The superimposition of the world on Brahman is due to Avidhya
or ignorance as a result of the mysterious effects of Maya. In Vivartha-Vaada,
the cause produces the effect without undergoing any change in itself.
When Avidhya or the veil of ignorance is destroyed through knowledge
of the Eternal, when Mithya-Jnana is removed by true knowledge,
we shine in the Divine splendor and glory with the true vision of
the Absolute.
Sri Sankara's Adhvaitha theory was a good reply to the theories
of blind rituals of Poorva Mimamsa and to Buddhist teachings which
were gaining acceptance in some areas. He wrote commentaries to
Srimad Baghvad Gita to show Sri Krishna's opposition to blind ritualistic
practices as in Mimamsa. He also opposed the passive cause and effect
theories of Sankhya and Buddhist theories against Vedic Gods.
In
addition to the Adhvaitha philosophy and teachings on Jñana
marga, Sri Sankara also established his system of devotional worship
of six forms of Saguna Brahman for daily prayers to Ishta-Devatha
or a personal Deity in the form of a Vigraha at homes or in Temples.
He also gave us the religious practice following the Vedas and Smrithis.
This was for the common people who cannot reach the high level of
Jñana marga. He established four of his ashramams in the
four corners of India to propagate his system of philosophy.
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Chapter
- 5: The Hindu Philosophy and its Principles - Lessons 75 &
76
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