Full Course: An introduction to Vedanta Philosophy from the Vaishnava Perspective
A summary study of the conclusions of the Upanisads, the philosophies of Buddha, Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Govinda Bhasya of Baladeva Vidyabhusana.
This is the first module on the course on Vaishnava Vedanta, including a summary study of the conclusions of the Upanisads, the philosophies of Buddha, Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Govinda Bhasya of Baladeva Vidyabhusana. Here you can download the PDF of the whole module:
This course is divided into four parts. Here you can listen to or watch everything:
Part 1: Applying the six levels of thinking to the study of the sastras
An idea that is prevalent in modern educational psychology to promote higher levels of education and thinking is Bloom's Taxonomy, based on six stages of thinking. It offers a framework for analyzing and evaluating concepts, processes, procedures, and principles, rather than just remembering information.
It teaches the students how to go deeper in their studies and understand and apply what they are learning. This is a technology that can be very useful when we study the sastras, bringing us from the level of just reading information, to the level of being able to understand and apply it. Reaching the higher stages can help us better understand and find practical applications for the spiritual knowledge we are studying. This same scale can be applied to all areas of knowledge.
Part 2: The evolution of spiritual understanding: Lord Buddha and Sankaracarya
A famous story: Once, six blind men started touching an elephant. The first bumped against its belly and concluded that the elephant was just like a wall. The second touched its tusk and concluded that the elephant was just like a spear. The third touched his trunk and concluded that the elephant was similar to a snake. The fourth touched one of his legs and concluded the elephant was just like a tree. The fifth, who touched its ear, concluded the elephant was like a fan, while the last touched its tail and concluded the elephant was just like a rope. The six blind men thus started arguing about who was correct.
Similarly, there are many different philosophical systems in India: The teachings of Lord Buddha, the philosophy of Sankaracarya, and finally the four great Vaishnava acaryas. These different systems represent an evolution of philosophical thinking, in which each acarya has built on top of the philosophy propounded by the previous.
This created a chain that brings us to the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who revealed the science of the eternal relationship of the soul with the Supreme Lord in its totality.
Part 3: The Vaishnava schools: Ramanujacarya and Madvacarya
Sankaracarya spoke the truth, but not the whole truth. He hinted at the true conclusion of the Vedas being the process of devotional service, but most of his followers were not able to catch it. Instead, they emphasized the impersonal aspects of the philosophy and ended up becoming full-blow Mayavadis.
- However, Sankaracarya's work was not in vain. He fulfilled his mission of reducing the influence of Buddhism in India and brought back the study of the Vedas and the acceptance of Brahminical culture. Although not able to understand the real meaning of the scriptures, people again accepted the knowledge of the scriptures as infallible knowledge, and this opened the path for the advent of the four great Vaishnava acaryas, culminating with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Each of the four acaryas was able to establish a new component of the devotional philosophy, creating the conditions for the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who brought the conclusion.
Part 4: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Govinda Bhasya
Both Ramanujacarya and Madhvacarya had to adjust their presentations to what could be understood by their students.
Apart from them, there are also Visnusvami and Nimbarka, the founder-acaryas of the other two Vaishnava sampradayas: the Visnusvami-sampradaya (later the Baladeva-sampradaya) and the Nimbarka-sampradaya
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu built on top of the foundation created by them, giving the ultimate conclusion of the Vedas.
As we studied, in his Sri Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took two principles from each of the four Vaishnava Sampradayas and incorporated them into his own Sampradaya, revealing thus the Vaishnava philosophy in its fullness.
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Part 3: The Vaishnava schools: Ramanujacarya and Madvacarya