Vedanta

Vedanta is a school of Hindu religion and philosophy and a Sanskrit term meaning “the end of the Veda.” Its three main texts are: The Upanishads, known as Upadesha prasthana (injunctive texts), and the Śruti prasthāna (the starting point of … Continue reading →

Ramanuja – Hindu sage likened to St. Thomas Aquinas

Ramanuja (1017-1137 CE) was a leading Hindu philosopher born in the Brahmin caste. Legend has it that he learned the Vedas when he was a baby, only eight days old.¹ Ramanuja was influential to the Bhakti movement, which favors devotion over … Continue reading →

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) – Great unifier or opinionated reductionist?

Embed from Getty Images Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) was an Indian scholar of religion and philosophy who taught at the University of Calcutta and Oxford. He became the first Vice President (1952) and the second President of India (1962). More interesting … Continue reading →

Sankara – A Hindu who was no big fan of the Buddha

Sankara, Shankara or Adi Shankara (c. 700 – 750 CE) was a Hindu philosopher, mystic and theologian born in Kerala, India. A towering figure in Indian philosophical history, Sankara advocated Advaita Vedanta. His commentaries on scripture like the Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma-sutras outline … Continue reading →

Max Müller – Another free thinker held back by creeps

Max Müller (1823-1900) was a German born Indologist who is often credited with creating the disciplines of Indian Studies and Comparative Religion. His Sacred Books of the East is downloadable and can probably still be found in most major libraries, in the archives if not … Continue reading →

Upanisads

The Upanisads (Skt. “sit near the teacher”) are Hindu religious texts (circa 1000-600 BCE) known as part of the Vedanta (Skt. “the end of the Veda“). As hindu-blog points out, the Upanisads are based on a longstanding oral tradition of … Continue reading →

Vedas

The Veda (or Vedas) are the first group of ancient Hindu sacred books. Max Müller and most subsequent scholars date them to the 13th century BCE. Ten in all, the Veda form a mandala (circle) of knowledge and are believed … Continue reading →

Atman

Atman (probably from Skt. an “to breathe”) is a concept found in Hinduism, particularly in the school of Advaita Vedanta, that may be roughly understood as the “soul.”¹ In the Upanisads, the Atman is eternal, all-knowing and cannot be destroyed. … Continue reading →

Eightfold Path

In Buddhism the Eightfold Path is the path said to lead away from suffering (dukkha), constituting the fourth of the Four Noble Truths. The eightfold path is: Right views Right intention Right speech Right action Right livelihood Right effort Right … Continue reading →

Garhashtya

Garhashtya is the second Hindu asrama¹ (Vedic stage of life) in which the male generally enters into the marriage bond as a sacred duty and exercise in sexual self-control. In this stage the man becomes a householder, replete with children … Continue reading →