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Re: Vedanta site
Joan Sotkin (joan@rfl.com) wrote:
: Vedanta, a philosophy of all religions
Dear Joanji:
The claim of Vedanta to be the philosophy of all religions need
discussion. Personally, I am not satisfied that such an all encompassing
statement can be held as a true statement.
Vedanta, especially Advaita Vedanta teaches us that the apparent multiplicity
in the world, which gives the impression of separateness and
individuality to us, is inherently a deficient view, since we are all
part of the One and the One is in all of us.
On the other hand, Christianity appears to celebrate the very
multiplicity that Vedanta rejects, holding our uniqueness and
individuality to be God given and permanent. Which is the reason why in
Christianity, "love thy neighbor as yourself" is a commandment,
prescribed like a bitter pill. In contrast, in Vedanta, it is borne out
of Self-realization. In the book of Revelation, there is a verse that
says that in Heaven, God will give every individual a new name,
signifying that with the new name, a person will start anew, and will live
behind the miserable earthly lives, freed of the burden of toil that was
a legacy of Adam's original sin.
I have heard that Paul Deussen too held the view that Vedanta explains
the logic behind why we should love our neighbors as ourselves, but I
believe that Christians would not agree to such a statement.
With best regards,
Dhruba.
