[Advaita-l] Advaita Vedanta, religion, and science - some clarification

[Michael Shepherd]

I too would be glad to know more of the references for the validity of
certain smritis to certain yugaa..

I would like to clarify my personal stance : Michael Shepherd, thanks to the
grace of Advaita, does not entertain 'doubts', knowing that there is only
one true answer to be found in atmabrahma..

My comments related to a previous posting on this thread, in respect of Adi
Shankara's sever remarks about Jainism, Buddhism, Sankya, etc.

I recalled comments said to have been made by the late Shri Shankaracharya
Shantananda Saraswati, about the timely arrival in a divided world of such
as Adi Shankara..

As to interpretation -- this is a personal matter. And I fully support the
'scientific' method of shruti, reason, and experience in accordance. I've
looked at the Wikipedia entry on 'scientific method' -- the problem is that
'scientists' still believe the physical world to be the only one, thus
revealed by scientists... I think you would have to rewrite the whole entry
to get the idea of 'three worlds' across.. and that might cause a spiritual
flutter among the scientific pigeons, so to speak...

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of
Ramamurthy Venkateswaran
Sent: 23 January 2009 05:56
To: sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com; advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Advaita Vedanta, religion, and science - some
clarification




Pranam to all.

I read with much interest Shri Sunil Bhattacharya's clarifications to Shri
Michael Shepherd's doubts.  I wish to seek further clarification.

Shri Bhattacharya ji has mentioned that some of the smritis are meant for
certain yugas.  Will it possible to give references of the texts from where
these references have been found?

I thank all in advance for their consideration and help in elucidating me.

With highest regards,

Sincerely,


R. Venkateswaran
> Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:40:05 -0800> From:
sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com> To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Advaita Vedanta, religion, and science> > Dear
Bhadraiahji,>  > May I add a few lines as supplement. Manu Smriti was for
the Satyayuga, Gautama and Yajnavalkya smritis are for the Tretayuga, Sankha
and Likhita smrit  / upasmritis are for the Dwaparayuga and the Parashara
smriti is for the Kaliyuga.>  > Sunil K. Bhattacharjya> > --- On Thu,
1/22/09, Bhadraiah Mallampalli <vaidix at hotmail.com> wrote:> > From:
Bhadraiah Mallampalli <vaidix at hotmail.com>> Subject: [Advaita-l] Advaita
Vedanta, religion, and science> To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009, 3:25 PM> > > Dear Michael Shepherd> > If
you check the dictionaries, the word religion is born from the root
re-legio> which means a super-natural constraint meant to hold back or
restraint a> follower to a set of beliefs, faith and observances.> >
Throughout his works Adi Sankara proclaimed and encouraged people to get
freed> from bondages and attain liberation. So the word religion is not
applicable for> advaita. > > This is not to say that observances do not
exist in Hindu "religion".> There is a practice called 'vratam' which a
person takes up at some> point of time, practices for a period, and then
concludes it. Vratam is meant to> impart a kind of rigor to practice (call
it a boot camp). But in Hinduism a> vratam is taken up only to discontinue
at some point of time in future, and not> meant to be followed forever
because no law would help forever. Adi Sankara> proclaimed that ultimately
all tenets have to be renounced to achieve the> highest truth. > >
Manusmriti can be called a law book for people but it is not a universal
law> book. For it to be It was valid a contemporary king has to adopt it as
a law. > > For the high level subjects he was discussing Adi Sankara had to
necessarily> reject many lower level subjects and the arguments contained in
them, but he> never meant to reject any thing in the absolute sense, because
local rules would> always apply for people living wihtin some given
constraints. > > As for contemporary and universal explanations, well, any
philosopher or> reformer will practically apply the highest principles to
ground realities and> interact with locals and contemporaries. However these
arguments must be seen in> that light only; whereas universal principles
must be held at all times. There> is no confusion whatever with regard to
Hindu books, though some people may be> under misconception that manusmriti
is still valid for whole Hindu society and> such people may even try to
apply it on others. However for some people who> honestly think manusmriti
is still applicable they apply it only for themselves> and follow it
sincerely but when it comes to applying it on others they do apply> the
limitations imposed by current local laws (which effectively override>
manusmriti in all respects even to the extent of invalidating it but some
parts> of the rules in manusmriti may still be valid like Hindu property
successoin> rules as adopted by British). > > As for other religious
textbooks please evaluate them yourself. They may not be> organized in the
same way using the nomenclature of Hindus. Otherwise you may be> comparing
apples to oranges and coming to wrong conclusions. If in doubt please> post
a reply. > > Regards> Bhadraiah>
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