Cārvākas “regard paradise as a state in which man lives as he chooses, free from the control of another, and hell the state in which he lives subject to another’s rule."
Shankara's teaching that reality is an illusion is cynically brilliant - he wanted to explain away the suffering that his caste was to impose on the Shudras and Chandalas as an illusion. The inability to distinguish illusion and reality reaches unimaginable heights in the minds of the Shudras of India. Just think of a people who would elect a man or woman as an absolute ruler over themselves just because of the theatrics he or her showed on screen in a movie - absolutely flabbergasting. The modern Shudra's thinking that India is a vishwaguru when Indian philosophies can't organise society in even a gram panchayath or that the world is ripe for a Hindu world conquest when 90% of Indians earn below Rs12,000 shows the deep impact of Shankara's reality defying teaching on the Shudra mind.
All this makes sense if you're talking about Buddha. Reality is an illusion is Buddha's teaching and not of Shankara. Unlike Buddha, Shankara believed in “All is Brahman”.
I don't know about Shankara but Buddha did justify the status of the Shudras by linking it to karma.
Yes very interesting. No valid proof of aftrr-life.And if even there is makes little difference to living.-here and now. What Jain and Buddhism believed shaped a way of living. Other schools only theorised speculatively.
Missed mention about freewill, choice and idea of personal responsibility..
BJP- RSS do not want to impose Sankara's Advaita Vedanta as the only philosophy of Hinduism. Far from it they support and propogate neither the Vedic school nor the more real schools of Nyaya or Vaisheshika schools. They've no intellectual power to understand and absorb anything at the philosophical levels. They are epitome of pure political opportunism. If and when it suits they'll claim credit for nehruvian liberalism and when it suits the purpose denounce it.
Like any demogoguery the only thing that matters is what serves it best. So... please do not denigrate the best tradition of Hinduism....jignasa! by comparing the demogoguery as a philosophy. BTW Sankara as a demogogue seems to belittle the pure genius of his philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. Far from being a fundamentalist he was a true visionary and a paradigm creator when he denounced the ritualistic worship of Vedas and instead brought about the concept of singularity. Yes he didn't explore beyond the Atman- Brahman paradigm into larger metaphysical realm... only because he died young. To say Sankara was a fundamentalist and a proponent of superiority of the Vedic thought is unfortunate. It betrays poor understanding of Advaita Vedanta and Sankara's thoughts so lucidly elicited in his works.
The treatment of Characaka is the bane of brahminical order in Hinduism. Your bringing to light the simplicity of the 'amazing recognition of reality' as in cosmology is outstanding!
It's always a pleasure to read you. Thank you for sharing it.
After reading the article, I thought I should share my mind with you. It's more out of respect for you and your efforts. I am inward wanderer. Not well read. You inspire me to be more concerned and connected to the world. That's enough expectation setting I suppose : ).
I am in my mid-thirties. When I was ~15 years old and grappling with the idea of 'infinite space', I believed in the existence of multiple gods which by ~20, got modified into a personal supreme God. By ~25, it made sense to me to choose an impersonal power over a Godhead. By ~30, influenced by J Krishamurti, Samkhya, Sufism and personal exchange with someone who had kindly shared her direct perception with me, I chose to believe that reality, the essence of it, is beyond the domain of thought. It's to be witnessed; a complete event in itself. And, that each moment available to us has the potency; we are just not interested. The problem, however, is that there is no way to validate one's experience. For example, a person experiencing a unified experience can be synesthesia in action. Thus, it's an intensely personal journey. I believe no religion, no guidelines, model or philosophical construct or intellectual rigor would satiate the curious mind (this is not to say the intellect has no role in life).
Seekers, I believe with good intentions, have tried to understand and share their experiences/ worldview using intellect (words, philosophy, metaphors). They got followers, failed miserably and misled masses into conflicts and violence.
To fill the cup with air, all that is needed is to empty the water. I do not know what I seek. I do not know who I am and what is my relationship with what I seek. Also, if I seek, I am not empty. What can I do? Be serious, inquire and witness Life with whatever I have with me?
The Charvakas (sweet-tongued), had no faith in Dharma (divine duty) and Moksha (salvation) and they were always in favor of Artha (wealth) and Kama (pleasure). Their philosophy was totally materialistic, had little or no faith in Dharma or Moksha, and was not in the mainstream Hindu Philosophy.
This brilliant essay dazzles through its range and sweep, offering new interpretations of familiar texts and drawing attention to unfamiliar ones. The analysis is lucid, perceptive, and thorough.
The result of an astute, inquisitive mind engaging in deep questions. Please read for a different perception.
Shankara's teaching that reality is an illusion is cynically brilliant - he wanted to explain away the suffering that his caste was to impose on the Shudras and Chandalas as an illusion. The inability to distinguish illusion and reality reaches unimaginable heights in the minds of the Shudras of India. Just think of a people who would elect a man or woman as an absolute ruler over themselves just because of the theatrics he or her showed on screen in a movie - absolutely flabbergasting. The modern Shudra's thinking that India is a vishwaguru when Indian philosophies can't organise society in even a gram panchayath or that the world is ripe for a Hindu world conquest when 90% of Indians earn below Rs12,000 shows the deep impact of Shankara's reality defying teaching on the Shudra mind.
All this makes sense if you're talking about Buddha. Reality is an illusion is Buddha's teaching and not of Shankara. Unlike Buddha, Shankara believed in “All is Brahman”.
I don't know about Shankara but Buddha did justify the status of the Shudras by linking it to karma.
It was Buddha who led a crusade against the Charvakas.
Yes very interesting. No valid proof of aftrr-life.And if even there is makes little difference to living.-here and now. What Jain and Buddhism believed shaped a way of living. Other schools only theorised speculatively.
Missed mention about freewill, choice and idea of personal responsibility..
As always thank you Sonali Ranaday.
BJP- RSS do not want to impose Sankara's Advaita Vedanta as the only philosophy of Hinduism. Far from it they support and propogate neither the Vedic school nor the more real schools of Nyaya or Vaisheshika schools. They've no intellectual power to understand and absorb anything at the philosophical levels. They are epitome of pure political opportunism. If and when it suits they'll claim credit for nehruvian liberalism and when it suits the purpose denounce it.
Like any demogoguery the only thing that matters is what serves it best. So... please do not denigrate the best tradition of Hinduism....jignasa! by comparing the demogoguery as a philosophy. BTW Sankara as a demogogue seems to belittle the pure genius of his philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. Far from being a fundamentalist he was a true visionary and a paradigm creator when he denounced the ritualistic worship of Vedas and instead brought about the concept of singularity. Yes he didn't explore beyond the Atman- Brahman paradigm into larger metaphysical realm... only because he died young. To say Sankara was a fundamentalist and a proponent of superiority of the Vedic thought is unfortunate. It betrays poor understanding of Advaita Vedanta and Sankara's thoughts so lucidly elicited in his works.
The treatment of Characaka is the bane of brahminical order in Hinduism. Your bringing to light the simplicity of the 'amazing recognition of reality' as in cosmology is outstanding!
Lets celebrate the Charvaka philosophy!!
Amazing research! Wonderful read.
Interesting to read your article. Learnt many new things by following you on Twitter.
Thought provoking..
It's always a pleasure to read you. Thank you for sharing it.
After reading the article, I thought I should share my mind with you. It's more out of respect for you and your efforts. I am inward wanderer. Not well read. You inspire me to be more concerned and connected to the world. That's enough expectation setting I suppose : ).
I am in my mid-thirties. When I was ~15 years old and grappling with the idea of 'infinite space', I believed in the existence of multiple gods which by ~20, got modified into a personal supreme God. By ~25, it made sense to me to choose an impersonal power over a Godhead. By ~30, influenced by J Krishamurti, Samkhya, Sufism and personal exchange with someone who had kindly shared her direct perception with me, I chose to believe that reality, the essence of it, is beyond the domain of thought. It's to be witnessed; a complete event in itself. And, that each moment available to us has the potency; we are just not interested. The problem, however, is that there is no way to validate one's experience. For example, a person experiencing a unified experience can be synesthesia in action. Thus, it's an intensely personal journey. I believe no religion, no guidelines, model or philosophical construct or intellectual rigor would satiate the curious mind (this is not to say the intellect has no role in life).
Seekers, I believe with good intentions, have tried to understand and share their experiences/ worldview using intellect (words, philosophy, metaphors). They got followers, failed miserably and misled masses into conflicts and violence.
To fill the cup with air, all that is needed is to empty the water. I do not know what I seek. I do not know who I am and what is my relationship with what I seek. Also, if I seek, I am not empty. What can I do? Be serious, inquire and witness Life with whatever I have with me?
Please check it is Cogito ergo sum. Brilliant piece.
Ever wondered why religious heads willy nilly creep up to political power heads for an iceberg relationship?
The Charvakas (sweet-tongued), had no faith in Dharma (divine duty) and Moksha (salvation) and they were always in favor of Artha (wealth) and Kama (pleasure). Their philosophy was totally materialistic, had little or no faith in Dharma or Moksha, and was not in the mainstream Hindu Philosophy.
This brilliant essay dazzles through its range and sweep, offering new interpretations of familiar texts and drawing attention to unfamiliar ones. The analysis is lucid, perceptive, and thorough.
The result of an astute, inquisitive mind engaging in deep questions. Please read for a different perception.
All of these theories were to organize the society in a particular manner!
All of these “theories” were only to organize the society in a particular manner.