any Kashmir Shaivites here?

[DanielR]

Hi,

I remember when I started posting here I registered because I wanted to learn more about Kashmir Shaivism, I remember user 'Shuddasattva' being a Kashmir Shaivite, but he doesn't post here anymore I think.

Now recently my interest has shifted from Advaita to KS again.

Just wanted to see if this branch has any followers here .

 

[Philomath]

<--- Is a Wannabe Kashmir Shaivite lol

 

[DanielR]

awesome , I reckon Advaita is more popular in the west especially because it's not so theistic, just an observation from my side.

Just recently my passion for Shiva and KS has reemerged, maybe because of me reading the Yoga Vasistha at the moment.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Sorry, I am from Kashmir, and we are generally Shaivites, but I am not a Kashmir Shaivite.

 

[Poeticus]

I reckon Advaita is more popular in the west especially because it's not so theistic, just an observation from my side.

Hehe. I find that ironic, because Advaita-m is one of the most theistic Hindu schools of thought.

 

[Philomath]

Hehe. I find that ironic, because Advaita-m is one of the most theistic Hindu schools of thought.

Isn't God impersonal in Advaita though?

 

[Poeticus]

Isn't God impersonal in Advaita though?

Whether [your] "God" is impersonal or personal [which really shouldn't be a big deal in the Dharmic realms, unless one is still indirectly influenced by the "Personal God" paradigm of the West] doesn't really matter.

Instead, consult the Advaitic scriptures and you will notice that most of the "founding fathers" of Advaita-m spent all their lives debating with the n&#257;stika-s, especially Shankaracharya, in an attempt to uphold the divinity and authority of the Veda-s. These dudes were as theistic as you could possibly get.

There is one "name" that gets repeated more often than other "names"...and that is...Vishnu.

 

[Philomath]

Whether [your] "God" is impersonal or personal [which really shouldn't be a big deal in the Dharmic realms, unless one is still indirectly influenced by the "Personal God" paradigm of the West] doesn't really matter.

Instead, consult the Advaitic scriptures and you will notice that most of the "founding fathers" of Advaita-m spent all their lives debating with the n&#257;stika-s, especially Shankaracharya, in an attempt to uphold the divinity and authority of the Veda-s. These dudes were as theistic as you could possibly get.

There is one "name" that gets repeated more often than other "names"...and that is...Vishnu.

Which Advaitic scriptures specifically?

 

[Poeticus]

Which Advaitic scriptures specifically?

Every single one of them; have a happy reading!

 

[DanielR]

I'm sorry, I know that there is a concept 'Ishvara' in Advaita, but ultimately it's all mithya no? I don't think you have to believe in Ishvara to be an Advaitin.

But in Kashmir Shaivism it's a bit different imho because Shiva is the highest principle.

 

[Philomath]

Every single one of them; have a happy reading!

That's a lot of reading lol

 

[Poeticus]

I'm sorry, I know that there is a concept 'Ishvara' in Advaita, but ultimately it's all mithya no? I don't think you have to believe in Ishvara to be an Advaitin.

Advaita-m in its most traditional sense, in its original identity, not its watered-down version, is repeatedly theistic. There is no ifs and buts about it. That's just how it is. Putting all the philosophical notions to the side, for they can get quite digressing, Advaita-m is theistic.

...if it wasn't...then you wouldn't have had all these Vedantic scriptures written by these "founding fathers" mentioning a certain Deva as Supreme.

If Advaita-m is not theistic...then it is borderline nihilism. But, I doubt that since the "founding fathers" of Vedanta were rigidly orthodox in their outlooks pertaining to "God". You have to understand...this was at a time when "India" was "atheistic/agnostic" in its religo-spiritual outlooks. Then came a young male by the name of Shankaracharya who took the "atheism/agnosticism" of Bauddha Dharma head on with organized debates in order to establish the "superiority" of theism.

That's a lot of reading lol

Hehe. Yessir.

 

[DanielR]

Sorry, and thanks for clarifying, didn't mean to discredit Advaita

 

[DanielR]

<--- Is a Wannabe Kashmir Shaivite lol

Is there any particular Upaya you practice??

 

[Poeticus]

Sorry, and thanks for clarifying, didn't mean to discredit Advaita

There is nothing to be sorry about, and I don't think you were trying to discredit Advaita-m.

...oh, and before I am misapplied...I am not a Vedantist.​

 

[Philomath]

There is nothing to be sorry about, and I don't think you were trying to discredit Advaita-m.

...oh, and before I am misapplied...I am not a Vedantist.​

So what do you consider the "World is Mithya" type of Advaita?

 

[Philomath]

Is there any particular Upaya you practice??

Anavopaya which is the best I can do at this current time.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I'm sorry, I know that there is a concept 'Ishvara' in Advaita, but ultimately it's all mithya no? I don't think you have to believe in Ishvara to be an Advaitin.

But in Kashmir Shaivism it's a bit different imho because Shiva is the highest principle.

As per Adi Sankaracharya, there are two (he said three) realities. Absolute and Pragmatic (Paramarthika and Vyavaharika). Only Brahman/Shiva/Vishnu (call it what you will) exist at the absolute level, which changes to Ishwara at the pragmatic level. Mithya at the absolute level but very much real at the pragmatic level. Of course, nothing to be sorry about, one comes to know slowly.

 

[Poeticus]

So what do you consider the "World is Mithya" type of Advaita?

Well, that's a loaded question because the definition or application of "mithya" would differ from one Vedantic school to another. As far as I know, there is no definitive, monolithic, purely collective definition of it. I could be wrong, however.

 

[DanielR]

Thanks