Advaita Worldview - God, World and Humanity

Language: EnglishPages: 258About the BookIn the book, Anantanand rambachan offers a fresh and detailed perspective on Advaita Vedanta. Hinduisms most influential and revered religious tradition. Rambachan, who is both 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 such as those between a higher (para) and lower (apara) brahman, Such distinctions. Rambachan argues, are inconsistent with the non-dual of Brahman and are unnecessary when brahmans relationship with the world is correctly understood. Questioning Advaitas traditional emphasis on renunciation and world-denial. Rambachan expands the understanding of suffering (duhkha) and liberation (moksa) and address socioeconomic as well as gender and caste inequalities. Positing that the world is a celebrative expression of Gods fullness, this book advances Advaita as a uninhibited parth to a liberated life committed to compassion, equality, and justice.This is a fine introduction to, and argument for a reinterpretation of, Asdait 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 Q Fort, author of Jivanmukti Transformation: Embodied Liberation in Advaita and Neo- VedaitaThe book embraces a fresh alternative to mainstream Advaita il