Ancient Knowledge, New Knowledge

[Ms. Aikya Param]

Hi Kim-

You write regarding mANDUkya kArikA -

breathtaking. And it oozes of freedom of thought. If old Gaudapada wants to 
use buddhist phrases to explain an idea he simply does so. I appreciate it 
immensely.

The upanishadic teachers, were conversant in all the latest movements and incorporated them, countered them, or whatever served the purpose of their communication.  What is the philosophy of today?   Postmodernism? Or is the philosophy of science our philiosophy, or the philosophy driving the internet?  

When I taught tattwa bodha I had a fairly advanced Sanskrit student who also happened to be a Ph.D  in synthetic chemistry.  We talked about collaborating on a modern version of the text for Westerners. I was trying for a partner with the appropriate science degree and brahmaGYAnam.h because tattwa bodha stands on ancient general science.  For Westerners the ancient science needs to be explained again so that the text is more than an empty vocabulary lesson and then we see the philosophical point. This synthetic chemist and I were going to explain the ancient science and then show the philosophical point and then restate the whole explanation the way today's scientist would explain the same-using the chemical table of elements (plus mind) or the parts of the atom (plus mind) instead of the five elements plus mind.

Anyway, I think about the relationships between these ancient subjects and contemporary ones. We must bring them together (as appropriate, of course) so people today see the message of the old texts in today's terms. 

Aikya