Key Quotes Flashcards
“Neti Neti”
Kena Upanishads
“aathato brahman jijnasa”
And thus begins the enqiury into the Absolute Truth
“Brahman satyam, jagat mityam, jīvo Brahmaiva nāparah” - Śaṅkarācārya
Brahman is true, World and Atman is false. No difference, only truth is Brahman (Nirguna)
“Aham Brahmasmi”
I am Brahman
“Mama māyā duratyayā”
My maya is difficult to overcome - BG
“Jévera Svarüpa Haya Kṛṣṇera Nitya Däsa”
The constitutional position of the living entity is an eternal servant towards the Lord.
“Prajnana Brahman”
The highest and purest knowledge is Brahman.
“Tattvam-asi”
That art thou. You are that (Brahman)
“Sat, chit, anandam atmanam”
Existence, consciousness, bliss - that is the Supreme Self
Adiheyn ulhan, udhal ulhan
Lord resides within body of servant, and both enjoy there
“Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ”
The Lord is the well wisher of all beings
“ahiṁsā paramaḥ dharma”
Ahiṁsā is the highest dharma
“Dharma hiṁsā tathaiva ca”
- Vyāsa: But never refrain from violence in the protection of dharma
Atharva-Veda on Karma (applied to all ahiṁsā)
“There is no exception to the law of Karma… man reaps what he sows.”
Śaṅkarācārya’s sūkta origins?
Nāsadīya-sūkta (Ṛg-veda)
Rāmānujācārya’s sūkta origins?
Puruṣa-sūkta (Ṛg-veda)
Prof Schweig on intimacy.
“Intimacy with this divine is the one underlying motive across Hindū traditions”.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s standing on Śaktism
Embodying both right and left.
Followed Goddess Kali at Dakshineshvara.
“It does not really matter by which door one enters; once inside the house, all reach the same place.”
Śivānanda’s Yoga Āśrama and purpose
Vedānta Dhanwantari Āśrama
Founding (Risikesa āsrama) = very strict.
Modern = user friendly health spa.
“Serve, love, meditate, realise.”
Skanda Vale founder and purpose
Guru Subramaniam
“Community of the Many Names of God” - one religion of love.
Examples of divine feminine in Vedas
Hymn to Mother Earth (Pṛthvī-sūkta).
Worship of generous Mother Earth in form of cow (Gau-sūkta).
Hymn to Goddess of Wisdom, Devī-Gāyatri.
Hymn to Lakṣmī (Śrī Sūkta accompanying puruṣa-sūkta).
Invariable association of every male divinity with equal female counterpart.
Examples of divine feminine in Upaniṣands
Goddess Usha in Kena-upaniṣad.
Gargi defeating male counterparts in intellectual debates.
Ashish Nandi
‘Intimate Enemy’
Ram Mohan Roy
To return to ‘Golden Age’, must take it on the chin and reform from within
Professor Kiswar of Manushi
Agrees w Ram Mohan Roy.
Ahiṁsā over Marxist confrontation.
Matriarchal tradition: life is individual fulfilment, not societal battle for equality.
Ātmā, paramātma, sanātana dharma, yogic virtues.
Neither left or right, but “Truth Winger”.
Atharva-veda’s Brahmacārya-sūkta
A guru wombs and builds the brahmacārī disciple, emerging ‘twice born’.
Gautama-Smriti and Manu on possibilities of divorce
Gautama-smriti: allows wife to divorce if husband is violent and disgraceful.
Manu: allows wife to divorce if husband is unfaithful or violent. But, does not allow any man to divorce his wife on any grounds.
Spider and web analogy
Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad
Cow and bull, mare and stallion…
Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad
Hindū epistemology
R: Trust Pratyakṣa and Anumāna. Insists that if Śabda goes against these, then scripture should be rejected.
Ś: Only Śabda. “Brahman satyam, jagat mityam” so senses are adhyāsa.
Ram Mohan Roy (Brahmo Samaj) and Dayānanda Saraswati (Arya Samaj) on the challenge of secularism.
RMR: Reason > Scripture. Cooporation and reformist, open education, and clarifying/merging theology. Individual autonomy.
DS: Vedā Saṃhitā (Arsa) > Upaniṣads, smritis, and reason (an-arsa). Confrontationalist, revivalist.
Professor David Bentley Hart
Rise of secularism is something to despair. Its bedfellow, atheism, invites the demise of morals and social cohesion.
Sam Harris
According to UN’s Human Development Report (2005), the least religious societies on earth are also the healthiest (life expectancy), higher in adult literacy, per capita income, educational attainment, gender equality…
Whereas the fifty nations ranked lowest by UNHD index are unwaveringly religious.
John Rawls
Veil of Ignorance: lose identity, just and fair for all (the Original Position).
But, ignorance wears off…
Overlapping Consensus: Not imposing or rejecting religion, but taking guidance to make own choices (religion as half-way).
Acintya-bhedābheda
Tattva = One and distinct/many.
To people (secularism) = acceptance of similarities and differences.
“Yadā yadā hi dharmasya”
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in dharma, I descend Myself. - Krishna, BG
“Karmaṇy evādhikāras te
mā phaleṣu kadācana”
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. - Krishna, BG
Krishna on sex (BG)
I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles (for children, Grhastha).
