Why Are The Faithful Quick To Take Offence
AT the drop of a hat, we are already A to take offence: How dare you call my religious texts as misogynist? Unsurprisingly, when Kamal Haasan made a critical comment on the Mahabharata, there was backlash from a Hindu group that immediately filed a PIL, as it "offended" their sentiments. But why should one's opinion or understanding of a scriptural text or tale from an epic be homogenous? Are these not open to interpretation? In western philosophy, there is a methodology that defines how a wisdom text is best read. Hermeneutic circle represents 'circularity of interpretation'. A text is studied in parts and then the parts come together in the context of the whole. Another words, different parts of the texts are read many times over to grasp the real meaning of the whole. One of the main proponents of hermeneutic circle, Friedrich Schleiermacher, adopted the notion: "That the same way that the whole is, of course, understood in reference to the individual, so too, the individual can only be understood in reference to the whole." Thus a hermeneutic circle includes in its circumference not just the meaning of the text, but also its social context and juxtaposes it against the background of the individual interpreting it. Hence, there can be not just many interpretations of a text but also diverse opinions on it; particularly in Hinduism, where the Upanishads make a distinction between higher and lower knowledge. Interestingly. in Sanatana Dharma, its foundational texts, the Vedas, are termed as lower knowledge in the Upanishads! In the Mandala Upanishad, Angoras tells Shanika that lower knowledge comprises, "Rig Veda, Same Veda, Your Veda, Atchara Veda, phonetics, the code of rituals, grammar, etymology, prosody and astronomy. The higher knowledge is that by which the Imperishable is reached." Swami Shivananda, in his Englishrenderingof the Upanishad says, "Here, shruti means to relegate all knowledge that is merely intellectual and deals onlywiththe relative aspects of life into the category of the lower knowledge, and holds up realisation of the immutable Atman as the highest knowledge." Realisation of Atman isan internal process and requires withdrawal of senses from the outside world. Then the question arises, should a spiritual practitioner take umbrage at some one else's opinion-that would be looked upon by Vedantic, Upanishadic wisdom as lower knowledge, considering that it is only in the external realm, that of buddhi, intellect. The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, are representative o Upanishadic wisdom in an anecdotal. And each one of us can read atake away from them reatment of women. Various interpretations and opinions can coexist in a circulrfor they are nothing but rambling the mind that is governed by adage. A follower of Sanatana Dhacould rise above these externalities able to gain para Vaidya, know that helps one transcend the mu and attain Atma Jnana.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Sonal Srivastava views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Sonal Srivastava and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Why Are The Faithful Quick To Take Offence
AT the drop of a hat, we are already A to take offence: How dare you call my religious texts as misogynist? Unsurprisingly, when Kamal Haasan made a critical comment on the Mahabharata, there was backlash from a Hindu group that immediately filed a PIL, as it "offended" their sentiments. But why should one's opinion or understanding of a scriptural text or tale from an epic be homogenous? Are these not open to interpretation? In western philosophy, there is a methodology that defines how a wisdom text is best read. Hermeneutic circle represents 'circularity of interpretation'. A text is studied in parts and then the parts come together in the context of the whole. Another words, different parts of the texts are read many times over to grasp the real meaning of the whole. One of the main proponents of hermeneutic circle, Friedrich Schleiermacher, adopted the notion: "That the same way that the whole is, of course, understood in reference to the individual, so too, the individual can only be understood in reference to the whole." Thus a hermeneutic circle includes in its circumference not just the meaning of the text, but also its social context and juxtaposes it against the background of the individual interpreting it. Hence, there can be not just many interpretations of a text but also diverse opinions on it; particularly in Hinduism, where the Upanishads make a distinction between higher and lower knowledge. Interestingly. in Sanatana Dharma, its foundational texts, the Vedas, are termed as lower knowledge in the Upanishads! In the Mandala Upanishad, Angoras tells Shanika that lower knowledge comprises, "Rig Veda, Same Veda, Your Veda, Atchara Veda, phonetics, the code of rituals, grammar, etymology, prosody and astronomy. The higher knowledge is that by which the Imperishable is reached." Swami Shivananda, in his Englishrenderingof the Upanishad says, "Here, shruti means to relegate all knowledge that is merely intellectual and deals onlywiththe relative aspects of life into the category of the lower knowledge, and holds up realisation of the immutable Atman as the highest knowledge." Realisation of Atman isan internal process and requires withdrawal of senses from the outside world. Then the question arises, should a spiritual practitioner take umbrage at some one else's opinion-that would be looked upon by Vedantic, Upanishadic wisdom as lower knowledge, considering that it is only in the external realm, that of buddhi, intellect. The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, are representative o Upanishadic wisdom in an anecdotal. And each one of us can read atake away from them reatment of women. Various interpretations and opinions can coexist in a circulrfor they are nothing but rambling the mind that is governed by adage. A follower of Sanatana Dhacould rise above these externalities able to gain para Vaidya, know that helps one transcend the mu and attain Atma Jnana.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Sonal Srivastava views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Sonal Srivastava and Speaking Tree,Times of India