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I really like the works of english composer John Tavener. I just got his 'Veil of the Temple', a long choral work which quotes from diverse traditions - sufism, orthodoxy and hinduism. I mainly listen to classical music these days - Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi etc. On the level of more popular...

I agree there are problems with Sri Aurobindo's ideas. In my view, he fails to answer the question of purpose - ie purpose in the universe. Why is is created thus, why is it created at all. Sri A's answer is 'lila' - a play of the Divine. I find this wholly inadequate on many levels. To take...

To take up your last point - I think Jesus can be seen in the same way Hinduism sees the Avatar. God coming here in a form for the purpose of revelation of Himself and so on. Orthodox Christians, of whom, incidentally, I am not one, would not accept this. As you say, it is only the one...

Hello Prachanda - very interesting post. What you say about rituals for the dead is interesting. In Christianity too, prayers are often said for the dead, and it is believed that this can help the dead person. But there are differences as you point out. However, I should point out that not all...

The Atman is seen as the One - it is the same in all, a kind of transpersonal soul if you like. The Jiva is the individual soul - not ego, but a higher level of individuality that underlies it.

Another small point is that you're not correct about this - both Atman and Jiva are mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, and they do not mean the same thing. EG: Bhagavd Gita Ch7.vs.5: Sanskrit: "apareyam itas tv anyam prakritim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dhratye jagat"...

It is the same in Snatana Dharma - the effects of karma can be lessened or destroyed through various means, mainly spiritual realization. And nothing is fixed - karma is not fatalism or predeterminism - it is in our hands to create our own karma.

In this connection there's also karma yoga as spoken of by Krishna in the Bhagavd Gita. The idea is that action or karma cannot be given up, but if we act from the ordinary egoistic level our actions will generate further karmic reactions, which we will then have to suffer or enjoy, and thus we...

As far as my understanding goes, jen is the principle thing, the underlying virtue which make the others possible. It is variously traslated as 'human-heartetness' 'kindness' 'love' 'benevolence' It is also the goal - it represents a kind of perfect attainment which confucius saw as emodied...

I think this quote can be taken in different ways. On one hand is the Vaishnava interpretation that this means that Sri Krishna is quite literally acting out his Brindaban Lila exactly as described in the Bhagavata Puarana on one or other of innumerable worlds in this, or perhaps other...

Dear Suraj, Two things I'd say here. Firstly, I don't think there is any likelyhood and ceratinly there is no evidence that the Rishis were egaged in anything that we today would regard as scientific research. It seems more likely that the truths they represented in the Vedas were got by them...

That is quite correct. As well as the term 'go', he also rediscovered the true meaning of many other terms used in the Rig Veda. Sri Aurobindo's basic premise is that the Veda is a record of the experiences of the Rishis, expressed in a highly symbolic language, which draws it's symbolism from...

Sri Aurobindo said he had rediscovered a truer interpretation of the Rig Veda. His insights are recorded in his 'Secret of the Veda'. He rejects both traditional and modern interpretations. I'm afraid his thinking is beyond my capacity to summarize here briefly.

Do you understand that physics has now reduced quarks and other sub-atomic particles to waves - that is energy waves? And also that string theory questions even this? It's also hard to see the logic of your argument that ' if god is everything and everyhwere that implies god is nowhere and...

I think that's an accurate summary of how the Brits came to rule India. And there were some attempts to introduce Christianity, but it never gained a very large following. This 'evangelizing' still goes on to-day in India, amid many accusations of mal-practice etc. As far as my knowledge of this...

I hope you won't mind if I turn this question around and ask 'how much did India influence the British?' I have always suspected that during the empire period, there must have been many Brits who became interested if not enthralled with Indian culture, esp. spiritual culture. I think that it...

Thank you Agnideva- I'm only too happy to say anything I can about Sri Aurobindo, or indeed, Yoga in general. You are right that He believed in an ongoing spiritual evolution, both in the individual human being, and in the human race as a whole. He sees the cosmos as a progressive...

[/color][/size][/font] Thanks - ThePhilosophy I mentioned before of the Bhagavad Gita says that mind is, like the body, only a vehicle for the Self, which is the spark of consciousness within. There are different terms for all these things. Gnosis would be the same thing as Jnana...

Dear _Z_, I think we can rise to a higher consciousness - we can know the Divine Consciousness. The Atman in us is said to be one with Brahman - it is Brahman. We have to uncover this knowledge of who it that is within us, or realize That within ourselves. Hinduism and Yoga accepts that we...

In answer to your question 'Are we the conscious(ness) of the Brahman' - I would recommend you read chapter 13 of the Bhagavad Gita 'The Field and its Knower'. Here, Krishna who is considered a form of Brahman (to simplify explanation), says He is the knower in all bodies, in all beings.