Essence of Vedanta by Brian Hodgkinsone

240 Pages·2010·22.68 MB·English

The Essence of
V E D A N TA
BRIAN HODGKINSON
THE ANCIENT WISDOM
OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
Have no doubt about the fact that you are not other
than the consciousness which is the self illuminating the
modifications of the mind.
(Vakyavritti of Sri Sankaracharya, v. 21, p. 13)
The Essence ofVedanta examines issues of existential philosophy
from the viewpoint of the Veda, the most ancient and sacred of
Indian scriptures, and also outlines the work of Sankara, the early
medieval master of Vedanta's dominant form, Advaita. The
foundation of all Vedic teaching lies in the universal truth that
human nature reflects God (Brahman), who exists in every living
thing. An individual needs no salvation therefore, because he or
she is never lost, but merely living in ignorance of his or her true
nature.
Brian Hodgkinson offers readers insight into, and discussion of, the
fundamental questions of the Vedic system concerning self-
realization, such as knowledge versus ignorance, the self,
consciousness, free will, nature, time, the mind, language, law and
society. His fascinating appraisal reveals the profound nature of the
Veda and its practices. With its tolerance of other faiths, and
ultimately uplifting spiritual message, it is a discipline that chimes
with our 21 st century needs and preoccupations.
Other titles in the series:
The Essence of Buddhism
The Essence of Kabbalah
The Essence of Rumi
The Essence ofJesus
The Essence ofTao
The Essence of the Gnostics
The Essence ofSufism
ISBN 1-84193-445-3
9 781841 934457 > £699
The Essence of
V E D A N TA
BRIAN HODGKINSON
EAGLE EDITIONS
This edition printed in 2006
Published by Eagle Editions Limited
11 Heathfield
Royston
Hertfordshire SG8 5BW
Copyright © 2006 Arcturus Publishing Limited
26/27 Bickels Yard, 151-153 Bermondsey Street,
London SE1 3HA
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro-
duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or
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otherwise, without written permission in accordance with the
provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person
or persons who do any unauthorized act in relation to this publi-
cation may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for
damages.
ISBN-13: 978-1-84193-445-7
ISBN-10: 1-84193-445-3
Printed in UK
Cover illustration: Sunset on the Yamuna River, Agra, India
(courtesy Corbis).
To my wife, Catherine

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Origins 9
Chapter 2: Knowledge and Ignorance 17
Chapter 3: The Self 39
Chapter 4: Consciousness 69
Chapter 5: Liberation 85
Chapter 6: Nature 111
Chapter 7: Time 131
Chapter 8: Mind 147
Chapter 9: Theism and Dualism 165
Chapter 10: Language 179
Chapter 11: Law and Society 195
Afterword 214
Glossary of Sanskrit Terms 216
Bibliography 220
Index 224

Acknowledgments
Many people over many years have contributed to the making of
this book, but I wish to thank, especially, Michael Shepherd for
several valuable comments, Dr Stephen Thompson for the benefit
of his extensive knowledge of Sanskrit, Tessa Rose of Arcturus for
her constant support, Matthew Cory for some stimulating editing,
my son David and daughter-in-law Catherine for advice in several
areas, and my wife for her unfailing patience. None of the above
are responsible for its shortcomings.
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders of
material quoted in this book and seek their permission for its
inclusion. We thank the following for their kindness in granting
permissions: Advaita Ashrama; Cambridge University Press;
Munshiram Manoharlal; Oxford University Press, India; Oxford
University Press, New York; Shanti Sadan; Sri Ramanasramam;
The Study Society; Watkins Books.
Any oversights are sincerely regretted, and if drawn to the atten-
tion of the publisher will be rectified at the earliest opportunity.