Thursday, February 11, 2016

VEDANTA - EASTERN SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

 

·         The vedanta being the end of the vedas arises out of the Upanishads.
·         The vedanta is technically classified as Uttara  mimansa , uttara means ‘last’ and mimansa means ‘investigation, examination, discussion’, therefore the last considerations of the Vedas.
·         Vedanta signifies the settled conclusions of the vedas taken as whole

Advaita vedanta
·         Most influential school of all.
·         Brahma is the only reality and the world, as it appears, is illusory
·         An illusionary power of Brahma called Maya (cause the world to arise ignorance of this reality is the cause of all suffering in the world)
·         Only upon true knowledge of Brahma can liberation be attained

i)                    Epistemology: Main sources, Perception, Influences, Scriptural testimony

ii) Metaphysics:
          - Brahma alone is true
          - Maya is a potential energy or a dividing force
          - there is no difference in Brahma and  individual soul
          - Moksha- liberation from the cycle of rebirth can be through knowledge

ii)                  Axiology:  ethical value, religious value, aesthetic value and social value
                                                     
Vishishtadvaita
·         Jivatman is a part of Brahma and hence it is similar and not identical
·         Brahma is asserted to have attributes, including concouis souls and matter
·         Brahma, matter and the individual souls are distinct but mutually inseperable entities
·         Maya is seen as the creative power of God

Epistemology: Perception, Inferences, Scriptural testimony

Metaphysics:
          -Ultimate reality (Brahma or God), Prakriti: Jiva, God, Moksha

Axiology:  ethical value, religious value, aesthetic value and social value

Dvaita
·         It identifies God with Brahma completely and in turn with Vishnu or Krishna
·         Brahma- all individual souls and matter as eternal and mutually separate entities
·         Bhakti as route to liberation
·         No concept of Maya

Dvaitadvaita
·         Based upon an earlier school called Bhedabheda which was taught by Bhaskara

·         Jivatman is at once the same as yet different from Brahma-jiva relation may be regarded as Dvaita from one point of view and advaita from another