The Vedas

[Prashant Sharma]

On Mon, 19 Jan 1998, Miguel Angel Carrasco wrote:

>[...]
> Some time ago, I asked a question:  "Isn^Òt the essence of Advaita beyond
> the Hindu culture? Is Vedanta necessarily based on the Vedas?"
>
> There was only one answer, from Jaldhar H. Vyas, in the sense I didn't
> expect (No to the former, Yes to the latter). Does it mean that the other
> members agree to that? Not that I need an answer now. There are no more
> questions.
>
> --Miguel Angel
>
        To the second question I can only answer on the basis of what
 I have learnt from the scholars about Vedanta, and the answer is yes
Vedanta is necessarily based on the Vedas.
On the earlier question about the essence of Advait being beyond Hindu
culture I have the following comments to make. The Vedas answer the
most difficult question that the mind raises: what is the purpose of life,
or what is the position of oneself in the world that one percieves. The
answer is given in the frame work of Hindu culture and is essentially the
equation of "me" with "my duties". "I" donot exist beyond the duties that
I perform.  What exists is Nirguna Brahman. This to me is the essence of
the Vedas, and I leave it to you to decide if it is beyond the Hindu
culture or not. Personally it doesnot really matter.