India Behind The Lens (News Centre)

Imagine early 9th Century AD, a young Shankara debating with intellectual stalwarts of major streams of philosophy - Charvaks (Buddhists), Mimamsa-vadis and Jains. These stalwarts “guard” the symbolic doors of knowledge at the Sarva-Jnana-Pitha (Centre of all Knowledge) - A temple in ancient Kashmir (Now known as Sharada Math, in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir).
 
 This was the ultimate intellectual frontier. Buddhism had wilted under Shankara’s intellectual fire (his Advait philosophy of the Upanishads/Vedas).
 
Simultaneously the Mimamsa-vadis had accepted his leadership when he defeated their leader Mandan Mishra and his wife in debates that lasted a year.
 
In that century Buddhism was routed from the very country of its origin; only through debates.

The Buddhists had denied God despite Buddha claiming “nature follows a Moral Law”. Thus after his Mahasamadhi acquisition of Siddhis and Ritualism became the norm. However, degenerate Buddhism thrived unchallenged.

Popular Mimamsa-vadis espoused Vedic rituals to appease demi-gods, denying Higher Brahman/God.

Jains espoused atheism too; however, their noble yet extreme abstinence from violence limited their social impact.

The Samkhaya expounded a theist duality despite their brilliant analysis of the psychological and material basis of Creation.

The problem becomes complex because experience in meditation has been the highest and same for mystics from all schools. However, as one experiences multitudinous space-time dimensions, diversity in Creation leads to a confused understanding for those lacking intellectual discipline.

Contentious issues, among others, were the interpretation of “NOTHINGNESS” or “shoonya”, something experienced as the final experience in meditation, and of Dharma or duty emanating from the understanding of Creation.

The Buddhists, also called Shoonyavadi, believe that the world is misery but thankfully nothing exists beyond a particular point, thus it was immediately desirable to go beyond worldly suffering by merging in that shoonya!

Shankara however contended that Intelligence cannot come out of nothing. If something is nothing then it always remains nothing! Thus, the Shoonyavadi’s interpretation of Reality was absurd!

He described Shoonya as Sat-Chid-Ananda (Existence– Knowledge – Bliss), something alive yet without a desire to Create, Nirgun Brahman! It is the witness Consciousness.
He extended the logic stating that the Creation we experience is the dream body of the same Consciousness, Saguna Brahman, thereby making the entire Creation Sacred and not something to exit from “immediately” as claimed by Buddhists and Jains. (This negativity towards Creation by the latter had led to the complete breakdown of the intellectual and martial classes of India, paving way for later invasions!)

He explained that Mind was a lower Tattva/Element that could be dissolved in Blissful Consciousness, therefore Creation could be enjoyed by those not deluded by it; he asserted that logically it is impossible to differentiate between Creation and Shoonya; therefore one could continue to pursue one’s vocation fearlessly.

He brilliantly reconciled the differences between Advait, Buddhism, Samkhya, Jainism and Mimamsa. The nation acknowledged the presence of Secular Brahman, finding it fit to be idealized. His was a grand inclusive philosophy that propounded tolerant Monotheism, withstood logic and rose above the limitation of cultures and languages and has sustained the nation through the dark ages, into modernity.

It is a philosophy that elevates the Secular Spiritual nobility of Nature and all within it. It makes life a celebration!

He accepted that yoga, meditation, science, logic and devotion were paths that could be directed to the same spiritual goal successfully. He justified Lord Krishna’s statement that “I am available to devotees in whichever form they seek me”.

In the Secular tradition of the sub-continent Shankara accepted Buddha as one of the 10 major Avatars (God’s Incarnations), saluting the great soul who revived the tradition of meditation single handedly!

Shankara’s legacy lives on.

In these great times of revival of Secular Hindu and Buddhist meditation techniques, the interpretation of the experience of meditation needs to be addressed in the context of their respective philosophy, history and legacy. Hinduism is the only tradition that codifies meditation, logic, theosophical studies and the science of Mantras.

Buddhism’s current revival comes to us from Tibet, Japan or Burma yet these countries missed out the intellectual challenges of the Indian Renaissance.

The revival of spirituality has great potential for peace and development in the centuries ahead. One would not want it to fall prey to the intellectual deficiencies that caused Buddhism’s downfall in a previous era.

We should understand the truth we wish to experience/know and the legacy we shall leave behind!

Note - Occidental religions marginalized diverse approaches to Spirituality centuries ago hence the rebellion and fanaticism within. Sadly they propagate that divinity can be experienced “only” through total devotion to a particular name.