Re: the world is an illusion, but its real enough
Namaste,
As a westerner and a Newcomer to Sanatana Dharma Philosophy, I'm guilty as charged as mistaking Advaita Vedanta as Presented by Eastern Dharma Was similiar to western solipsism, In fact, I was quite foolish for thinking they are anything alike in context, and this is the problem in the west. I learned More and can See how both Vedenta philosophies can be true.
I dont think Advaita Vedanta is any way solipstic as "Neo" Westerners Make it out to be, just grabbing teachings from different religious traditions and mixing it into their own spiritual pot to one up their own personal philosophys..
Just like in Hinduism people argue over Saguna vs Nirguna Brahman, The World Being Real or Illusory, Etc, the Western World rationalizes between The extreme ends of Aristotlean Realism and Platonic Idealism with hardly a middle ground.
Speaking Purely from My POV the problem is with the levels of realizations, when people say "All is God" "Everything is God" "You are god" Or "There is Only Brahman". etc without explaining how they came to this realization and why they believe it, It is perceived to be a gross over simplification on the nature of reality. In order to properly make such statements IMO is to speak in a language the recipients mind will be receptive too, start small, explain the inter-mechanical relationships, the functions of reality and how they work along side each other to generate the perceived entity. Are you going to teach calculus to someone who is just starting the elementary basics of mathematics?
To me It is all "real" no matter how a person defines "real". I can however accept it being "illusory" from the most microcosmic standpoint of the base existence, But it is still all real to me.
I'm not a big fan of the solipstic way of thinking at all, and that is mainly because the west presented their theory in a format my mind could not accept based on personal spiritual experience and understanding, Hindu Vedanta I can far more relate to and accept as being true all across the spectrum.
Real or unreal "Stuff" exists, how can anyone deny?
Thank you for the post.
Last edited by Spirit Seeker; 06 December 2013 at 10:15 PM.
For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, none will suffice. ~Joseph Dunninger
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