A moment please !!!

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Tue, 11 Feb 1997, VP Nandakumar wrote:

> Hi,
>
>         I've been part of the Advaita discussion group for the past few days
 and
> have observed that the Vedas and the Upanishads are being used as the ultimate
> references. Even if these are so, can it not be that due to the passage of
 time
> (that's understating that actually!) and the civilization of mankind in
 general,
> some of the content might've been outdated or no longer relevant.
>

To show how much times have changed this question was asked about 2200
years ago. :-)  Is answered in length in the Mimamsa shastra.

>         Even if the content is relevant, are we sure that we're interpreting
> them correctly? I was under the impression that ADVAITA, DOESN'T ASK YOU TO
 TAKE
> ANYTHING ON TRUST. IT ONLY ASKS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE A PASSIONATE CRAVING TO
> KNOW REALITY. If these are the fundamental concepts, why is it that we take
> whatever is in the scriptures for granted and the ultimate answer? Is it not
 our
> duty to analyze the statements in the scriptures and explore the reason WHY?

Certainly. Logic is of the utmost importance.  But this is precisely why
we must pay full heed to the tradition that has built up over the years.
Reasoning based on false premises will lead to false conclusions.

>
>         For example, the question about a Brahmin becoming asudh if he crosses
> the ocean. Can it be that in those ancient times, lands across the seas were
> truly barbaric and crossing the seas were so difficult and a totally degrading
> experience that the sages might've felt that these experiences would soil a
> man's mind and soul and so made such statements in the scriptures?
>

This is probably true.  If you've ever seen one of those old sailing ships
you know how claustrophobic and unhygenic they were.  In fact I read that
at one time more sailors in the British navy died of diseases carried by
shipborne rats than died fighting!


-- Jaldhar H. Vyas [jaldhar at braincells.com]   And the men .-_|\ who hold
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