Karma in Advaita

[Martin]

I am able to see it for myself. You can, too. There is no mysticism here such as entering other dimensions, states, etc. As Shankara said, it is purely intellectual - no more, no less.



The authoritative and oldest available text on Sankhya is the Sankhya Karika of Ishvara Krishna (~3rd Century CE). It consists of 72 karikas. If you are serious about Sankhya, you should read this book. It is based on the older text Shashti-tantra (now lost).

Sankhya is atheistic. Ishwara plays no role in this system. However, later, the Mahabharata/Gita wrote about a theistic version of Sankhya (by mixing it up with Yoga), which is different from the Karika version.

I had written a short blog on Sankhya history sometime ago -
Sankhya history

Thanks, I'll have a look at the Samkhya Karika.

 

[Martin]

Presently, what is known as interaction of four fundamental forces of nature. The theories may see corrections in future.
I have never read Deepak Chopra, and by what has been quoted from him, to me, seems to be foolishness. I have also never read any Western atheist (Dawkins, et. all)*; or any Western philosopher (Aquinas, Kant, Descartes, Sartre, etc.). All that I write is either from science or from Hindu and Buddhist scriptures. I take Buddha and Sankara as my gurus, but differ from both of them.
* I have read a small book of essays from Bertrand Russel more than half-a-century ago, which had a huge impact on me.

Sorry but I don't understand how consciousness relates to the four fundamental forces. Are you saying these forces interact in a conscious way, or that the universe is intelligent in some sense?

 

[Aupmanyav]

@Martin said: "Sorry but I don't understand how consciousness relates to the four fundamental forces. Are you saying these forces interact in a conscious way, or that the universe is intelligent in some sense?"
Aup.: What I am trying to say is that they are NOT RELATED. Many people relate human consciousness to a non-existant universal consciousness. The forces interact according to their inherent properties. They do not need a thinking apparatus to act.
Does the ball need to think? Hindu or Buddhist 'karma' also work in this way, by its own inherent rules.

 

[Martin]

@Martin said: "Sorry but I don't understand how consciousness relates to the four fundamental forces. Are you saying these forces interact in a conscious way, or that the universe is intelligent in some sense?"
Aup.: What I am trying to say is that they are NOT RELATED. Many people relate human consciousness to a non-existant universal consciousness. The forces interact according to their inherent properties. They do not need a thinking apparatus to act.
Does the ball need to think? Buddhist 'karma' also work in this way.

OK. You were talking about a universal consciousness earlier, which is why I asked you about it.
I agree with you actually, I don't think the universe is conscious or intelligent, it's just nature.