The Traces of the Bhagavad Gita in the Perennial Philosophy—A Critical Study of the Gita’s Reception Among the Perennialists

Mohammad Syifa Amin Widigdo

doi:10.3390/rel11050229

Abstract

This article studies the reception of the Bhagavad Gita within circles of Perennial Philosophy scholars and examines how the Gita is interpreted to the extent that it influenced their thoughts. Within the Hindu tradition, the Gita is often read from a dualist and/or non-dualist perspective in the context of observing religious teachings and practices. In the hands of Perennial Philosophy scholars, the Gita is read from a different angle. Through a critical examination of the original works of the Perennialists, this article shows that the majority of the Perennial traditionalists read the Gita from a dualist background but that, eventually, they were convinced that the Gita’s paradigm is essentially non-dualist. In turn, this non-dualist paradigm of the Gita influences and transforms their ontological thought, from the dualist to the non-dualist view of the reality. Meanwhile, the non-traditionalist group of Perennial Philosophy scholars are not interested in this ontological discussion. They are more concerned with the question of how the Gita provides certain ways of attaining human liberation and salvation. Interestingly, both traditionalist and non-traditionalist camps are influenced by the Gita, at the same time, inserting an external understanding and interpretation into the Gita.

Highlights

The Baghavad Gita, as “the sacred book of the east”1, has been revered within Hindu tradition and received, read, and interpreted by philosophers, clerics, and scholars beyond the Hindu community and religion
Schuon and Nasr are previously dualist in the sense that they always perceive a thing from the binary perspective, the Real to the Illusory, the Absolute to the relative, or the esoteric to the exoteric
This dualist tenet, seems to be changed and modified later by virtue of their encounter with the Gita. They start to think that Atman and Maya are not separated but interrelated

Summary

Introduction

The Baghavad Gita, as “the sacred book of the east” , has been revered within Hindu tradition and received, read, and interpreted by philosophers, clerics, and scholars beyond the Hindu community and religion. Some scholars would employ a dualistic perspective of Gita’s interpretation to achieve these religious objectives From this perspective, Krishna is traditionally viewed as the avatar of Vishnu Some other Hindu scholars hold the opposite view They use a non-dualistic perspective, arguing that the Reality is beyond both the formless Vishnu and Krishna’s countless forms Perennial scholars and philosophers are those who focus their study primarily on the divine Reality (Huxley 1945) and on the Perennial wisdom among religions (i.e., sophia perennis and religio perennis).. Perennial scholars and philosophers are those who focus their study primarily on the divine Reality (Huxley 1945) and on the Perennial wisdom among religions (i.e., sophia perennis and religio perennis).2 These scholars present the Gita from an ambiguous but interesting perspective, reflecting a dualist and non-dualist interpretation of the Gita. Those who do not belong to the first group but have the same interests as them, and are even spiritually or intellectually influenced by them, such as Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) and Huston Smith (1919–2016)

The Perennial Philosophy

The Perennial-Traditionalists and the Gita

The Gita Verses in Traditionalists’ Works

Atman and Maya

The Perennial-Non-Traditionalists’ Approach Toward the Gita

Conclusions