I have almost reached the end of the book 'Vedanta Treatise'. The book has become fascinating in the last section because it has started talking about the metaphysical aspects of the philosophy. I will just write my interpretation of the philosophy, parts read in the last week.
God and RealityThe Brahman (or God, or Supreme Entity or the Self) is incomprehensible. The senses operate within the domain of the Brahman. Brahman is the subject of perception. It can not be made the object of perception. Space, time and causation are characteristics of the Brahman. They too operate within the domain of Brahman. To make it clearer, these three are just manifestations of Brahman and applying them to the Brahman would mean making Brahman the subject. This would mean exiting the domain of Brahman. But these three manifestations will cease to exist outside the Brahman which is a paradox. I always had doubts about the reality we perceive and this has just given a structure to those doubts.
ReincarnationThis section started by talking about death. It said that the Brahman is all-pervading and the body does not disappear after death. The brain is still there. So what disappears is the Mind-Intellect. Or this conditioned consciousness. It goes on to say that if nothing can be destroyed (as per our science) this conditioned consciousness returns as another birth. If it is a self realised person where this conditioned consciousness( or vasanas) do not exist, there is no rebirth and only complete oneness with brahman. It does say that it is just a theory and can not be proved. It can neither be logically deduced without anyone being able to dispute it. And hence it is a theory, an opinion which can become a belief if you accept it.
I have always felt metaphysics is more about what seems more plausible to a person. Vedanta has a lot of concepts which are just amazing, but few which would rather be shelved at the moment. Reincarnation is one such concept. My experience says that life is definitely much beyond the chemical reactions. But accepting the God as being Reality, we put everything inside the boundry of the God (if there is such a boundry). This includes knowlege and perception. Our world is a sum total of object-qualities and subject-thoughts and the underlying reality - the Brahman. Death and reincarnation lie beyond our world and hence we make these half baked theories. But living is within our world boundaries and there are various techniques to live well. We should atleast try to live a good life and leave the metaphysics for later, if such a time ever comes.
God and RealityThe Brahman (or God, or Supreme Entity or the Self) is incomprehensible. The senses operate within the domain of the Brahman. Brahman is the subject of perception. It can not be made the object of perception. Space, time and causation are characteristics of the Brahman. They too operate within the domain of Brahman. To make it clearer, these three are just manifestations of Brahman and applying them to the Brahman would mean making Brahman the subject. This would mean exiting the domain of Brahman. But these three manifestations will cease to exist outside the Brahman which is a paradox. I always had doubts about the reality we perceive and this has just given a structure to those doubts.
ReincarnationThis section started by talking about death. It said that the Brahman is all-pervading and the body does not disappear after death. The brain is still there. So what disappears is the Mind-Intellect. Or this conditioned consciousness. It goes on to say that if nothing can be destroyed (as per our science) this conditioned consciousness returns as another birth. If it is a self realised person where this conditioned consciousness( or vasanas) do not exist, there is no rebirth and only complete oneness with brahman. It does say that it is just a theory and can not be proved. It can neither be logically deduced without anyone being able to dispute it. And hence it is a theory, an opinion which can become a belief if you accept it.
I have always felt metaphysics is more about what seems more plausible to a person. Vedanta has a lot of concepts which are just amazing, but few which would rather be shelved at the moment. Reincarnation is one such concept. My experience says that life is definitely much beyond the chemical reactions. But accepting the God as being Reality, we put everything inside the boundry of the God (if there is such a boundry). This includes knowlege and perception. Our world is a sum total of object-qualities and subject-thoughts and the underlying reality - the Brahman. Death and reincarnation lie beyond our world and hence we make these half baked theories. But living is within our world boundaries and there are various techniques to live well. We should atleast try to live a good life and leave the metaphysics for later, if such a time ever comes.
