Abstract
A recurring theme in the Advaita Vedānta traditions is the necessity of empirical purification through means such as the cultivation of virtues, the study of the Vedas, and so on, even though the transcendental self has never been subject to any form of bondage. The traditions seek to mitigate this paradox by employing the vocabulary of a shift across the ‘levels’ of truth—while the worldly self is, empirically speaking, moving towards the goal of realization, from the transcendental perspective, the self never loses its eternal nature. We will explore how Svāmī Rāma Tīrtha (1873–1906) addressed this theme of the recovery of one’s essential self in his lectures to some American audiences between 1902 and 1904. Drawing on some of the vocabularies of Swami Vivekananda, who had presented a ‘Practical Vedānta’ to Western audiences in the late 1890s, Rāma Tīrtha developed an Advaitic form of self-realization that is practically engaged with the world and, according to him, is the spiritual quest of humanity across all boundaries.
Highlights
The classical Advaita Vedānta traditions of exegesis and experience are structured by a fundamental paradox which is embedded in the conceptual project of asserting that the temporal ego, the ‘I’, is metaphysically not-different from the timeless reality, Brahman
Swami Vivekananda, who had presented a ‘Practical Vedānta’ to Western audiences in the late 1890s, Rāma Tırtha developed an Advaitic form of self-realization that is practically engaged with the world and is the spiritual quest of humanity across all boundaries
Through sheer hard work in the midst of ill-health and financial difficulties, he passed the degree examination in 1893 with a scholarship, and an M.A. in mathematics in 1895. His passionate devotion to Kr.s.n.a, during his early years, the influence of an abbot of a monastery in the lineage of Śaṁkara, and his meeting with Swami Vivekananda culminated in his renunciation of all social ties in 1901 ([1], p. 8).Travelling first to Japan and to America (1902–1904), he preached a distinctive form of Advaita into which was interwoven Sufi themes of union with the beloved and Vais.n.ava bhakti imageries
Summary
The classical Advaita Vedānta traditions of exegesis and experience are structured by a fundamental paradox which is embedded in the conceptual project of asserting that the temporal ego, the ‘I’, is metaphysically not-different from the timeless reality, Brahman. The dialectic of undertaking a spiritual purification to regain the self which is, transcendentally speaking, always free shapes four central themes that appear in several of Rāma’s addresses: we must realise the inner self through which we enjoy an intrinsic kingship over the world; the worldly success of Europeans and Americans is to be explained in terms of their unselfconscious adoption of the principles of Advaita; the truths of Advaita are not authoritarian dicta but are verifiable through spiritual experimentation in one’s own lives; and Advaita provides ‘practical’ teachings with which we can negotiate our worldly careers even as we seek the eternal These are some of the characteristic notes of what has been labelled as ‘neo-Vedānta’, which refers to diverse reconfigurations of classical Vedantic materials which were articulated by Hindu such figures as. For Rāma, the conflicting religious groups, in the Punjab, and in the world, were to be visualized not as forming isolated blocs but as approximating, to varying degrees, the truth of his ‘Practical Vedānta’, which, as we will see, was broadly modelled on the templates laid down by Swami Vivekananda
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
