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From: mvramakrishn@watdaisy.UUCP (Rama)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: "Adi Sankara": life of the Hindu philospher
Message-ID: <7665@watdaisy.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 14-Mar-86 00:05:20 EST
Article-I.D.: watdaisy.7665
Posted: Fri Mar 14 00:05:20 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Mar-86 07:48:56 EST
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Xref: watmath net.nlang.india:1157 net.philosophy:4433

> Adi Shankaracharya [Sanskrit] 1983 GV Iyer. At the Museum of Modern Arts
> and 11 other locations: part of the Film Program connected with the
> Festival of India.
> ... 
> which I guess illustrates Sankara's basic monist idea of the identity of
> the self with the Brahman, the Ultimate, That.) While the film is
> visually not as impressive as it is to listen to, and somewhat long
> (130 minutes), I found it very interesting.
> ...
> imagine, because his impact on orthodox Hinduism was immeasurable. His
> concept of Advaita revitalized a Brahmanical tradition that was
> seriously in decay and defensive in the face of such unorthodox faiths
> as Jainism, Buddhism and Tantrism. Although it was really the intense
> personal identification with an accessible God (the Bhakti movement)
> that finally led to the comeback of Hinduism in India, Sankara's ideas,
> while appealing to an elite few, helped Hinduism regain the 
> philosophical high ground that it had gradually lost.
> ...
> interpretation of the great Vedic and Upanishadic writings, which had
> long been neglected. Sankara proves more than equal to the task; soon
> he formulates his Advaita ideas; he also becomes an accomplished
> poet. His "Bhajagovindam" (Hymn to the Lord) with its clear and simple
> lyrics, still resounds in Hindu homes. He travels, engaging in
> ...
> how reality becomes visible only at the moment that one merges with
> the transcendent One, the Truth, the Brahman. He establishes monasteries
> at the four corners of India to spread his ideas. His ideas take firm
> root and have been a cornerstone of Hindu philosophy ever since. 
> ... 
	----------------------------------------
	First of all I wish to thank the author for a nice review.

    I have a question,
	Was Shankara the originator of Advaita ? If so,
    How do you account for Vishwa roopa darshana in Bhagavad gita?
    (Krishna shows to Arjuna that, He is the unification of every soul
     in the universe ...)

    I have also read advaita phylosophy of Shivarama Dixit(well a little bit).
    Could some body enlighten me about the period he lived.

    How about the writings of Yogi Vemana of Andhra.
    His writings also have the advaita ideas.

  I have no doubt that Shankara was responsible for revitalising Hinduism,
   but I think he only propagated the right ideas from vedas/upanishads.

> Brahmins as a class apart is ironic considering Sankara's non-dualist
> theme and also the incident where he meets an untouchable. (The
> untouchable wants to know which part of him is polluted, his body or his
> Atman, the inner self. Sankara realizes that he had erred in accepting
> the orthodox caste structure, which he now sees as unjustifiable.) The

	Many great people wanted to eradicate this problem,
   but finally ended up in creating yet another caste/religion.
   ( An example is Basavanna in karnataka, the new religion being
	Veerashaiva).
-------------
Ramakrishna, M.V.
mvramakrishn@waterloo.csnet
watmath!watdaisy!mvramakrishn