[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/lit/ - Literature

View post   
File: 13 KB, 225x225, wengu.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12582766 No.12582766 [Reply] [Original]

Does Taoism conflict with Advaita Vedanta? On one hand, Tao sounds the same as Brahman or maybe Dharma, but on the other hand, Taoism says you need to have a balance of dark and light, whereas in Sanatama Dharma it is believed that only good is desirable, and evil is a perversion that we have to fight against.

>> No.12582799

>>12582766
Advaita actually teaches that the Nirguna (without distinction) Brahman which is the absolute reality is beyond any sort of attribute or characterization like good or evil, and that these only exist in a conditional sense as illusions. I tend to agree that Taoism generally aligns with Advaita, although in less obvious ways than stuff like Sufism, Mahayana Buddhism or Neoplatonism.

>> No.12583161

>>12582766
>Taoism says you need to have a balance of dark and light
Keep in mind these are not "light" and "dark" in a dualistic, "good vs evil" "jedi vs sith" sense. Rather, it's just the necessity of having the interplay between two opposites. A Taoist would never advocate setting fire to an orphanage is a society is going well just because "you need to have some evil, pengyou"

>> No.12583184

>>12583161
Yet, Advaita does not even concern itself with dualisms.

>> No.12583192

>>12583184
Yes it does. Even the duality between "duality" and "non-duality" is a false one.

My friend, if you're trying to "figure out" the true nature of existence(tm) by reading a few metaphysical doctrines, then I will have to say you have a long way to go on your journey towards understanding the cosmos.

Namaste.

>> No.12583598
File: 249 KB, 384x406, 1532202097626.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12583598

>>12583192
It doesn't do it ''internally''. Of course it creates duality to exemplify the illusion of duality.

>> No.12583709

>>12582766
>Taoism says you need to have a balance of dark and light,
You are conflating energies with "good and evil", which Taoism sees as a man-made distinction. You need a balance of energies, not a balance of good and evil actions.

>> No.12584136

>>12583709
>balance of energies
This, which Advaita does not teach.

>> No.12585172

bump

>> No.12585613

Where to start with Shankara?

>> No.12585750

>>12585613
I'd recommend starting with Gambhirananda's two part translation of his commentaries on 8 Upanishads and Gaudapada's Mandukya Karika (included in the two-part book). The Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya are the two largest and earliest Upanishads and he cites them throughout his works but his commentaries on each are very dense ~700 pages texts and so his shorter ones are easier to get into, his writing style takes some time to adjust to like a lot of other very old literature. Once you've read them you should understand enough that you can read any of his other stuff. All his works can be found as free pdfs online. Don't even think about reading him unless you've read at least one book on Hindu philosophy or it will be almost indecipherable.

>> No.12586151

>>12585750
Thank you.