Who would win the debate between Sri Sankara and Sri Madhvacharya? - Hindus Only

[Madhuri]

I think in India Dvaita outnumbers Advaita by a lot, but in the West Advaita is the most popular Vedantic philosophy.

Oh wow, I would never have though that.
Does that mean Vishnu is the most commonly worshipped God in India?
I'd be interested to know whatever you know about this.

 

[Chakra]

Oh wow, I would never have though that.

Of course, I don't have actual statistics on this, but this is what I think.

Does that mean Vishnu is the most commonly worshipped God in India?

If you include Vishnu and all his incarnations, then he is most likely the most commonly worshiped God in India. Vaishnavites themselves compose about 60% of the 1 billion adherents of Hinduism.

Dvaita is not the only Vaishnava philosophy, as you know. Sri Vaishnavism is most likely the most common form of Vaishnavism in the south.

 

[Vinayaka]

Personally, I think that non-philosophical Hindus outnumber the philosophical ones a lot. Most individuals wouldn't be able to tell you what advaita or dvaita were. They're 'village' Hindua as SF and others are fond of saying.

If I approached a devotee (an Indian devotee) at the temple I regularly attend, and asked, 'What are you, and advaitin, of a dvaitin?" I think they'd go..."What???" They're just there to see and worship God.

 

[Chakra]

Personally, I think that non-philosophical Hindus outnumber the philosophical one a lot. Most individuals wouldn't be able to tell you what advaita or dvaita were. They're 'villafe' Hindua as SF and others are fond of saying.

If I approached a devotee (an Indian devotee) at the temple I regularly attend, and asked, 'What are you, and advaitin, of a dvaitin?" I think they'd go..."What???" They're just there to see and worship God.

That is likely the case.

Vedantins are not as argumentative as you may think, Vinayaka-ji . We too like to glorify God and sing his praises. It is just that we need to make sure what we do is in tune with the Vedas or else a lot of problems can occur.

Hinduism by nature is a very philosophical religion, and I am very proud of that.

 

[Vinayaka]

You don't see the irony, or do you?

 

[Chakra]

You don't see the irony, or do you?

What is it?

 

[Vinayaka]

What is it?

I jest ... (arguing about arguing versus not arguing)

Just FYI actually at the core I'm advaitin as well. At the end of Saiva Siddhanta is Advaita. there is no conflict at that level.

Also ... I didn't even know you were advaitin until now. That's how little I really follow these discussions.

 

[Chakra]

I jest ... (arguing about arguing versus not arguing)

I see.

Just FYI actually at the core I'm advaitin as well. At the end of Saiva Siddhanta is Advaita. there is no conflict at that level.

That is no problem. Every Hindu believes in a philosophy one way or another.
Also, I'm guessing you mean Advaita in the general sense of non-dualism, not Shankara's Advaita Vedanta.

Also ... I didn't even know you were advaitin until now. That's how little I really follow these discussions.

I am not an Advaitin anymore.

 

[Madhuri]

Dvaita is not the only Vaishnava philosophy, as you know. Sri Vaishnavism is most likely the most common form of Vaishnavism in the south.

My understanding has been that the Vaishnava state of Kerala has an Advaita view. I don't know this for a fact but a friend of mine from there told me this.

 

[Chakra]

My understanding has been that the Vaishnava state of Kerala has an Advaita view. I don't know this for a fact but a friend of mine from there told me this.

It probably is. Shankara was born in Kerala.

Also, I did not know that Kerala was a "Vaishnava" state. In the south the most common Hindu sects are non-Vaishnava.

 

[Madhuri]

Personally, I think that non-philosophical Hindus outnumber the philosophical ones a lot. Most individuals wouldn't be able to tell you what advaita or dvaita were. They're 'village' Hindua as SF and others are fond of saying.

If I approached a devotee (an Indian devotee) at the temple I regularly attend, and asked, 'What are you, and advaitin, of a dvaitin?" I think they'd go..."What???" They're just there to see and worship God.

This is my exact experience! Apart from the friend from Kerala, none of my other Indian Hindu friends seem to know anything about Dvaita/Advaita and furthermore, many arren't even aware of the different schools of Hinduism. I've had a few tell me that in India they don't think about this type of Hindu or that type...everyone is just Hindu.

 

[Madhuri]

It probably is. Shankara was born in Kerala.

Also, I did not know that Kerala was a "Vaishnava" state. In the south the most common Hindu sects are non-Vaishnava.

Apparently Krishna is the most worshiped deity in Kerala- so I've been told.
And very prominent figures in their culture are Mahabali and Parasurama, both who I think are largely associated with Vaishnavism...although I wouldn't know if they play roles in Shaivism.

 

[Chakra]

Apparently Krishna is the most worshiped deity in Kerala- so I've been told.

I guess. It is hard to tell between Lord Krishna and Appayya on who is the most worshiped in Kerala. Even then, it wouldn't make Kerala a "Vaishnava" state.

And very prominent figures in their culture are Mahabali and Parasurama, both who I think are largely associated with Vaishnavism...although I wouldn't know if they play roles in Shaivism.

Well, technically everything is largely associated with Vaishnavism.

 

[Poeticus]

V-dada and I have had this conversation before. We established that a majority of Hindus are indirectly Smarta---in the sense that a majority of them do not follow a certain sampradaya nor Vedantic philosophy. Instead, it's a mishmash of a lot of things as well as obeisances to a lot of gods and goddesses. On the streets, this is quite visible. In the West and online, on the other hand, Vedantic Advaitists have the loudest voices.

 

[Chakra]

I completely agree with you.

 

[Madhuri]

So to Advaita followers in the West truly outnumber Gaudiya Vaishnavas? It's hard to tell because the Hare Krishna make themselves known.

 

[Vinayaka]

I've met quite a few Keralite Hindus, as there used to be a Malayalam group that sponsored a regular puja at our temple. For those few people, Ayyappan was huge, and there was the Christian influence throughout, generally in the form of mixed marriages.

 

[Madhuri]

Are Shaktas generally Advaita btw?

 

[Vinayaka]

So to Advaita followers in the West truly outnumber Gaudiya Vaishnavas? It's hard to tell because the Hare Krishna make themselves known.

If you count the neo-Advaitin (as they're labelled) definitely.

 

[Chakra]

So to Advaita followers in the West truly outnumber Gaudiya Vaishnavas? It's hard to tell because the Hare Krishna make themselves known.

It is indeed hard to tell. Advaita is a philosophy, so you can't really tell people about it in a practical way, whereas Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a religion, where you can have festivals, kirtanas etc.

Are Shaktas generally Advaita btw?

Most of them are non-dualists. Many of them also call themselves followers of Shankaracharya, which is kind of weird imho.