Transcending dualities is the central theme of Hindu spirituality. It is said that duality is the cause of all sorrows.
The duality that plagues Indian society today is the general belief that spirituality and worldly life are irreconcilable poles of a duality, and a person has to choose one or the other.
Taittiriya Upanishad connects up spirituality with real life. It tells us how to transcend the duality of spirituality and worldliness to attain true prosperity, which is the spaciousness of infinite resourcefulness. The abstracts of the ideas that led to the technological revolution, and paradigm shifts in management science, in the recent decades can be seen in the lines of Taittiriya Upanishad. The west had no inhibitions about applying these ideas. The Indians on the other hand are still obsessed with imperfect practical solutions for their problems, and in that process are accentuating the divide between spirituality and worldly life.
The interpretation of Taittiriya Upanishad attempted by me tries to bring out that the theme of Taittiriya Upanishad is the application of spirituality to worldly life to attain true prosperity.
After the introduction please read the sections in chronological order.
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A.V.Gopalakrishna Warrier
6 comments:
I've had this thought too - that the whole world is a sacred space, and that something is greatly amiss in the very distinction of secular from sacred.
The problem I believe derives in part from so many of us completely identifying adherence to specific doctrines with the sacred. Those who emphasize doctrine to this extent can only see the whole world as sacred if everyone on earth can be made to accept their doctrines. I don't think this is realistic.
the world is just a mass of thoughts. put it that way. the world is influenced by thoughts. every thought has subtle vibrations. and this vibrations has the power to influence people. try this, try planting two seeds for two separate plant pots. when plant no 1 grows, say all the bad things to it. say the nastiest things in the world to it. curse at it. and then, on plant no 2, say loving, sacred things to it. recite mantras or anything lovely and holy around plant no 2.
notice the difference of the plants growth. plant no 1 will look dead, and pale in comparison to plant no 2. just try it.
Paul: All doctrines are the expressions of the same sacred principle. The doctrines reside in the sacred principle but the sacred principle is not fully contained in any doctrine. I think the problem arises mainly because people forget that all doctrines are connected to specific contexts. Within the confines of the specific context a doctrine is a unifying factor. Out of context it becomes a challenge to integrity.
Vickramthevar: I will not put it that way. The world is actually a jumble of thoughts, emotions, mindless actions and a lot of solidified things that does not make any apparent sense. Behind all these one sees the ideas emanating from the world of ideals. All these can be influenced by the vibrations coming from the world of ideals. I think that is why mantras work wonders. But for a mantra to work the chanting of it should be done in such a way that it conveys the underlying idea.
I am sure that the plant experiment suggested by you will work. What the plants imbibe is the idea of tenderness. And when we convey that tenderness we also act in a tender manner. Only a tremendous actor can sing soft lullabies and at the same time act very harshly to the plant.
Well, I do not agree what you write as being the divide between the spiritual and the practical. This is not unique to Hindus or to any people as such...it is universal...the whole idea of religion and spirituality is to integrate the two...
I fully agree with your observation.
I was talking within the limits of my identity as an Indian Hindu. And my feeling is that in India this has got institutionalized to a greater extend. The iron of foreign domination was in their soul for a longer period than for the french people.
ALL my human gratitude for you, AVG Warrier, and for your Love-imbued work. I' ll take your commentary in hereafter meditations and study. God preserve His Light within you. (Buenos Aires)
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