Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna

[Parisi & Watson]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian <ramakris at EROLS.COM>
To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
<ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
Date: Monday, July 26, 1999 7:11 PM
Subject: Re: Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna


<snip>
>Let us see if what you say is indeed humility. In order to do what you
>say, one must point out the defects in every religion and suggest some
>remedy for it. This of course presumes that this person knows better
>than the founders of _all_ religions. Doesn't sound very humble to me!
>Not only that, the remedies taken and applied to some religion (say
>advaita) would form a "perfect" religion. So, a person claiming that
>all religions have some defects and something to offer, would only
>*seem* to be humble, but is actually an exteremly arrogant person.


I didn't say anything at all about pointing out defects or suggesting
remedies. I merely stated the obvious: that any endeavor involving human
beings will inevitably be flawed. If we knew what _all_ the flaws are and
how to remedy them, then we would no longer be imperfect, fallible human
beings. What I did say is that we can find the things of true value that
each culture and religion has to offer. I and do believe it can be found,
buried even in the most sectarian, tribal creed.

>> in its own way. Doubtless some traditions are much more rich and
>profound
>> than others, but there is no monopoly. If 'I am That,' then everyone
>else is
>
>Same logic as above holds for this also. So the humility you are
>talking about is not humility at all. This person knows better than
>any  "rich and profound tradition" to point out defects and also
>suggest remedies for those defects from other religions. Again,
>doesn't sound very humble to me!


I don't want to get into acrimonious finger pointing. You have stated that
the Vedas are infallible and encompass all wisdom. I have said that nothing
conceived by human beings ever meets this standard, so why not look for the
valuable aspects of each culture's contribution. Let anyone judge where the
presumption may lie.

And please, don't bother repeating that the Vedas are not a human
endeavor... I've heard it all before from Christians and Muslims about their
scriptures and doctrines. The profundity and sheer beauty of the Upanishads
(with which I'm more familiar than the Vedas) can stand on its own, without
being propped up by any allegations that they are not of human origin.

Robert.