This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Joshua Jonathan (talk | contribs) at 14:39, 6 September 2012 (Added web-links). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 14:39, 6 September 2012 by Joshua Jonathan (talk | contribs) (Added web-links)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| This article may have been previously nominated for deletion: Misplaced Pages:Articles for deletion/Neo-Advaita exists. It is proposed that this article be deleted because of the following concern:
If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming, or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. You may remove this message if you improve the article or otherwise object to deletion for any reason. Although not required, you are encouraged to explain why you object to the deletion, either in your edit summary or on the talk page. If this template is removed, do not replace it. This message has remained in place for seven days, so the article may be deleted without further notice. Find sources: "Neo-Advaita" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTORPRODExpired+%5B%5BWP%3APROD%7CPROD%5D%5D%2C+concern+was%3A+Balant+hoax+not+such+thing+as+neo-advaita+%2C+reference+qouted+never+even+cites+this+wordExpired ], concern was: Balant hoax not such thing as neo-advaita , reference qouted never even cites this word Nominator: Please consider notifying the author/project: {{subst:proposed deletion notify|Neo-Advaita|concern=Balant hoax not such thing as neo-advaita , reference qouted never even cites this word}} ~~~~Timestamp: 20120906071106 07:11, 6 September 2012 (UTC) Administrators: delete |
Neo-Advaita is a term used by critics to designate a modern, western form of Advaita Vedanta in which the traditional prerequisites of knowledge of the scriptures and "renunciation as necessary preparation for the path of jnana-yoga" have been discarded, and the inducement of direct experience are emphasized. It has it's origins in the teachings of Ramana Maharishi, but also the Hindu modernism of Vivekenanda and Radakrishnan. Notable neo-advaita teachers are H. W. L. Poonja and hist student Andrew Cohen.
History
Advaita Vedanta can be dated back prior to the common era. It's greatest proponent was Shankhara.
The intellectual root of neo-Advaita lies in the reform and emancipation-movements from leading Hindus such as Radakrishnan, Vivekenanda and sri Aurobindo. In the 19th century Hinduism took on a new self-consciousness, in reaction to but also under influence of the British rule.
Vivekenanda saw all religions as paths leading to the same goal. This appoach presents ultimate reality in a substantialist way. This essentialist approach resembles the perennial philosophy, but has also been opposed. For example, it contradicts the Buddhist doctrine of sunyata.
The spiritual root of neo-Advaita is Ramana Maharshi, via his student Poonja.
One of the tragedies of Poonjaji's teaching ministry is that he either told, inferred, or allowed hundreds of individuals to believe they were fully enlightened simply because they'd had one, or many, powerful experiences of awakening. These "enlightened" teachers then proceeded to enlighten their own students in a similar way, and thus was born what is known as the "neo-Advaita", or "satsang" movement in western culture.
Criticism
The neo-Advaita movement has been severely critisized.
Traditional Advaita Vedanta...
nvolves decades of study and practice under the guidance of a qualified teacher and has little to do with the "enlightenment" that is proclaimed in much of the present-day neo-Advaita movement.
The enlightenment-experiences induced by these teachers and their satsangs are considered to be superficial:
To assume that such temporary experiences of perceiving emptiness and enlightenment are the end of the path is a grave error.
Notes
- See Timothy Conway, Neo-Advaita or Pseudo-Advaita and Real Advaita-Nonduality and James Swartz, What is Neo-Advaita?
References
- ^ Davis 2010, p. 48.
- Yogani 2011, p. 805.
- ^ Smart 2009, p. 268.
- D'Costa 2000, p. 68.
- Caplan 2009, p. 16-17.
- ^ Caplan 2009, p. 17.
Sources
- Caplan, Mariana (2009), Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path, Sounds True
- Davis, Leesa S. (2010), Advaita Vedānta and Zen Buddhism: Deconstructive Modes of Spiritual Inquiry, Continuum International Publishing Group
- D'Costa, Gavin (2000), Meeting of Religions and the Trinity, Continuum International Publishing Group
- Smart, Ninian (2009), Ninian Smarton World Religions, Volume 2, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
- Yogani (2011), Advanced Yoga Practices Support Forum Posts of Yogani, 2005-2010, AYP Publishing
Further reading
- Fort, Andrew O. (1998), Jīvanmukti in Transformation: Embodied Liberation in Advaita and Neo-Vedanta, SUNY Press
- Lucas, Phillip Charles (2011), "When a Movement Is Not a Movement. Ramana Maharshi and Neo-Advaita in North America", Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions. Vol. 15, No. 2 (November 2011) (pp. 93-114)
External links
- Neo-Advaita demystified
- Neo-Advaita or Pseudo-Advaita and Real Advaita-Nonduality
- Recommended Reading. Books by neo-Advaitin Teachers and Writers