The Advaita Worldview=Anantanand Rambachan - Author

 

 

The Advaita Worldview God, World, and Humanity

Anantanand Rambachan - Author Price: Rs.400-00 Hardcover - 158 pages   Divine Books.Delhi Lala Murari Lal Chharia Oriental Series,     2007 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title A new interpretation of Hindu tradition focusing on the nature of God, the value of the world, and the meaning of liberation. In this book, Anantanand Rambachan offers a fresh and detailed perspective on Advaita Vedanta, Hinduism's most influential and revered religious tradition. Rambachan, who is both a scholar and an Advaitin, attends closely to the Upanisads and authentic commentaries of Sankara to challenge the tradition and to reconsider central aspects of its current teachings. His reconstruction and reinterpretation of Advaita focuses in particular on the nature of brahman, the status of the world in relation to brahman, and the meaning and relevance of liberation. Rambachan queries contemporary representations of an impersonal brahman and the need for popular, hierarchical distinctions such as those between a higher (para) and lower (apara) brahman. Such distinctions, Rambachan argues, are inconsistent with the non-dual nature of brahman and are unnecessary when brahman's relationship with the world is correctly understood. Questioning Advaita's traditional emphasis on renunciation and world-denial, Rambachan expands the understanding of suffering (duhkha) and liberation (moksa) and addresses socioeconomic as well as gender and caste inequalities. Positing that the world is a celebrative expression of God's fullness, this book advances Advaita as a universal and uninhibited path to a liberated life committed to compassion, equality, and justice. "…a fine scholastic introduction to 'the understanding of Self.'" — Nonduality Highlights "With typical lucidity and stylistic elegance, Rambachan … makes a major contribution to the contemporary exegesis, exposition, and indeed evolution of Indian philosophy. A gifted thinker and writer, Rambachan here handles the heady and difficult concepts of classical nondualism with eminent clarity and ease." — CHOICE "This is a fine introduction to, and argument for a reinterpretation of, Advaita Vedanta by a scholar who is also an Advaitin. The book is thus constructive in two senses; it is theological and largely positive, while still solid scholarship. Such a combination, especially done well, is rare." — Andrew O. Fort, author of Jivanmukti in Transformation: Embodied Liberation in Advaita and Neo-Vedanta "This book embraces a fresh alternative to mainstream Advaita illusionism. Because of its novel understanding of the place and value of non-dualistic spirituality for contemporary societal needs, its plentiful illustrative examples, its practical spiritual guidance, its clear style, and overall brevity, it should be appreciated by both the novice and the trained scholar." — Bradley J. Malkovsky, editor of New Perspectives on Advaita Vedanta Anantanand Rambachan is Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College and is the author of several books, including The Limits of Scripture: Vivekananda's Reinterpretation of the Vedas. Table of Contents Abbreviations  Introduction  1.The Human Problem The Limits of Knowledge The Limits of Wealth The Limits of Pleasure The Reflective Life 2. The Requirements of Discipleship The Necessity of Virtue Viveka Vairāgya  Śamādisatkasampatti  Mumuksutva Sādhana Catustaya and the Immediacy of Knowledge Eligibility for Discipleship and the Caste System 3. The Nature of the Ātman Overcoming the Human Problem Who Am I? The Ātman and the Body The Ātman and the Mind The Ātman as Awareness The Ātman as Timeless The Ātman as Ānanda The Ātman as Non-dual 4. The Source of Valid Knowledge The Significance of a Valid Means of Knowledge The Limits of Perception and Inference The Vedas as the Means of Knowledge for Brahman Knowledge and the Attainment of Brahman The Self-Revealing Nature of Brahman Ignorance as Incomplete Knowledge of Brahman Knowledge and Experience The Dilemma of Knowing the Knower Non-dual Experience and Non-dual Knowledge The Teacher and the Text Brahman as Ultimate Mystery 5. Brahman as the World Denying the Reality and Value of the World The Origin of the World from Brahman Brahman as Intelligent and Material Cause The Universe as Non-different from Brahman The Doctrine of Māyā Asymmetrical Relationship between Brahman and World  Is the World an Illusion? World as Celebrative Expression of Brahman  Seeing the One and the Many 6. Brahman as God  Brahman as Nirgunand Saguna  Are Hierarchies in Brahman Necessary?  The Problem of Change and Activity in Brahman  The Problem of Substance and Attributes  The Problem of Purpose The Value of the Creation of Brahman   7. Liberation The Nature of Ignorance  Liberation as Identical with the Nature of Brahman  Embodied or Living Liberation Liberation as Freedom from Desire Liberation as the Attainment of Fullness of Self  Liberation as Freedom from Mortality Liberation as Freedom from the Cycles of Rebirth  Liberation as Freedom from Karma Liberation as Freedom in Action Liberation as Identification with All Beings Liberation as Knowing Brahman to be Self and God Notes Index

 

 

 

 

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