Anantanand Rambachan 
A Hindu Theology of Liberation [EPUB ebook] 
Not-Two Is Not One

Finalist for the 2016 Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, in the Constructive-Reflective category presented by the American Academy of Religion



This engaging and accessible work provides an introduction to the Hindu tradition of Advaita Vedānta and brings it into discussion with contemporary concerns. Advaita, the non-dual school of Indian philosophy and spirituality associated with Śaṅkara, is often seen as ‘other-worldly, ‘ regarding the world as an illusion. Anantanand Rambachan has played a central role in presenting a more authentic Advaita, one that reveals how Advaita is positive about the here and now. The first part of the book presents the hermeneutics and spirituality of Advaita, using textual sources, classical commentary, and modern scholarship. The book’s second section considers the implications of Advaita for ethical and social challenges: patriarchy, homophobia, ecological crisis, child abuse, and inequality. Rambachan establishes how Advaita’s non-dual understanding of reality provides the ground for social activism and the values that advocate for justice, dignity, and the equality of human beings.

Зміст

Abbreviations



Introduction



What Is Advaita?

Is Advaita a Theological Tradition?

The Need for an Advaita Theology of Liberation

Not-Two Is Not One

Structure of Text




Part One



1.The Quest for Fullness



Human Problem as Suffering

The Universal Desire for Happiness

Suffering as Mortality Anxiety

Suffering and the Transient Nature of Experiences

Suffering as the Experience of Inadequacy

Inadequacy and the Multiplication of Desires

The Persistence of Inadequacy

Overcoming the Problem of Inadequacy: The Limits of Action

Despair as Opportunity

The Uncreated Infinite

The Human Problem as Ignorance (Avidyā)



2. The Validity of Non-Duality



Vedas: The Source of Liberating Knowledge

The Threefold Criteria for Valid Knowledge

The Subject Matter of the Vedas

The Action and Knowledge Sections of the Vedas

Relationship between the Means of Knowledge and Object

The Liberating Power of Words

The Value of a Teacher

The Necessity of Faith (Śraddhā)

A Teaching Tradition



3. The Full Self



The Method of Distinguishing Knower and Known

The Singularity of the Self

The Immortality of the Self

The Self as Free from the Limits of Time

The Unity of the Self

The Self as Free from Space Limits

The Relationship Between Cause and Effect

Overcoming the Brahman-World Dualism

The Purpose of Creation in Advaita



4. The Liberated Life



Suffering and Ignorance

Knowledge and Liberation

The Meaning of Saṁsāra

Ignorance and Its Consequences

Untying the Knots of the Heart (Ignorance-Greed-Greedful Actions)

The Social Implications of Liberation

Identity with All Beings as Love

Compassion

Generosity

Interdependent Existence

Control-Give-Have Compassion




Part Two



5. Liberation from Patriarchy



Paradoxical Attitudes toward Women

The Significance of Women in Relation to Men

Dowry and the Devaluation of Women

Religious Rituals and the Preference for Sons

Karma and Violence to Women

The Intrinsic Value of Women

The Necessity to Connect Religious Teaching and Social Reality

Ahiṁsā: Its Significance for Women

Ahiṁsā and Justice for Women

Justice as the Fulfillment of Mutual Obligations

Feminine Images of God and the Empowerment of Women

Scriptural Resources for Overcoming Patriarchy

Ignorance and Patriarchy



6. Liberation from Homophobia



The Reality of Homophobia

Recognizing Third Sex Persons

The Case of Arjuna in Mahābhārata

Third Sex Persons in the Law Codes

Divine Immanence and the Value of the Person

Sex and Liberation (Mokṣa)

Procreation, Marriage, and Third Sex

Recovering Indigenous Theological Resources



7. Liberation from Anthropocentrism



Brahman as Ontological Ground of Nature

Dualistic and Non-dualistic Views of Nature

The Devaluation of Nature in Advaita

Affirming the Value of Nature in Advaita

Liberation and the Significance of Nature

Nature and the Yajña Mode of Being

Nature and the Moral Order of the Universe

Liberation from Greed and Stewardship



8. Liberation from Childism



The Suffering of the Child

The Religious Value of the Child

Birth Replicates Cosmic Creation

Brahman Is Present Equally in All Beings

Value for Brahman Expressed in Compassion

Ahiṁsā (Non-Injury) and the Value of the Child

Honoring the Divinity in the Child

The Girl Child in the Hindu Perspective: Ideal and Reality

Religious Value and the Provision of Needs

The Obligation to Life

The Obligation to a Healthy Life

The Obligation to Education

The Obligation to Leisure and Happiness

The Obligation to Non-Injury and Freedom from Exploitation



9. Liberation from Caste



A Personal Encounter

The Reality of Caste Oppression

Caste Privileges and the Negativized Others

Change, Conversion, and Leadership

Dalits and Hindu Identity

Self-Value and the Devaluation of Others

Affirming Equal Worth and Justice for All

The Story of Śaṅkara and the Untouchable

The Exegesis of Bhagavadgītā

Caste and the Authority of Scripture

Dharma, Caste, and Liberation



Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Про автора

Anantanand Rambachan is Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College and the author of
The Advaita Worldview: God, World, and Humanity, also published by SUNY Press.