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The Place of Reason in the Quest for Moksha – Problems in Vivekananda's Conceptualization of Jñānaroga

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2008

Anantanand Rambachan
Anantanand Rambachan
Affiliation:
Department of Religion, St Olaf College, USA
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Extract

Most contemporary general studies on Hinduism affirm the view that this tradition proposes several distinct and independent ways (mārgas) for the attainment of ultimate spiritual freedom (moksha). The methods most often mentioned are karmayoga (the way of detached selfless work), bhaktiyoga (the way of love and worship towards a personal God), and jñānayoga (the way of reason). These studies, however, make little or no attempt to critically assess the assumptions of this thesis or to demonstrate in any convincing detail the relationship between the particularities of a specific method and the attainment of moksha. In spite of the way in which this claim has entered into modern writings on Hinduism, discussion still tends, on the whole, to be vague and generalized.

Type
Articles
Information
Religious Studies , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , June 1987 , pp. 279 - 288
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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References

page 279 note 1 Smart, Ninian, ‘Swami Vivekananda as a Philosopher’, in Ghanananda, Swami and Pander, Geoffrey (eds), Swami Vivekananda in East and West (London: The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, 1968), p. 82.Google Scholar

page 280 note 1 The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (hereafter abbreviated CW), 8 vols., Mayavati Memorial Edition (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1964–1971). See CW I, p. 98;Google Scholar CW 3, p. 11; CW 7, p. 198.

page 280 note 2 CW 8, p. 3.

page 280 note 3 Ibid. p. 11; also p. 10; CW 3, p. 17.

page 280 note 4 See, for example, CW 1, p. 98.

page 280 note 5 See CW 5, p. 300.

page 280 note 6 See CW6, p.464;CW 8, P.4.

page 280 note 7 See CW 5, p.272 CW 8, p.8.

page 281 note 1 For a discussion of the overall views of Shankara and Vivekananda on the nature and authority of the Sruti see Rambachan, A. A., ‘The Attainment of Moksha According to Shankara and Vivekananda With Special Reference to the Significance of Scripture (Sruti) and Experience (Anubhava)’; (Ph.D. thesis, Leeds University, 1984).Google Scholar For a specific discussion on Vivekananda see ch. 7.

page 281 note 2 See CW I, pp. 150, 181.

page 281 note 3 Ibid. p. 232.

page 282 note 1 See CW 8, p. 20.

page 282 note 2 CW 2, p. 162.

page 282 note 3 See CW I, pp. 150, 183, 197, 262–3; CW2, p. 61.

page 282 note 4 CW 1, p. 232.

page 283 note 1 CW 2, p. 306, also p. 307; CW 5, p. 283; CW 7, pp. 60, 91–2.

page 283 note 2 See ‘Reason and Religion’ in CW I, pp. 366–82. For arguments along the same line see also CW 2, pp. 329–36; CW 3, pp. 423–4; CW 8, p. 184.

page 283 note 3 CW 1, p. 367. Vivekananda also suggests that reason is the only guide able to decide among the conflicting claims of religion.

page 283 note 4 Ibid. pp. 369–70.

page 284 note 1 Ibid. p. 371.

page 284 note 2 Ibid. p. 372.

page 284 note 3 For purposes of clarification, it should be said that Advaita does not conceive brahman to be identical with the universe in the sense of having undergone a real transformation to become the universe. The universe is only an appearance in brahman, brought about by māyā. Māyā is identical with brahman and cannot be defined as either real or unreal. Brahman's nature is never lost and It is not limited by the appearance of the universe.

page 284 note 4 See CW I, p. 99; CW3, p. 73.

page 284 note 5 See Kopf, David, The Brahmo Samaj and the Shaping of the Modern Indian Mind (Princeton University Press, 1979), Pp. 42–96.Google Scholar

page 285 note 1 See, for example, CW I, pp. 14–15.

page 285 note 2 Ibid.

page 286 note 1 For a good example of this see ‘The Cosmos’ in CW 2, pp. 203–25Google Scholar. The Upanishads themselves, of course, frequently draw this analogy.

page 287 note 1 CW 2, pp. 254–5.