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Spiritual Transformations of the 2 nd Century BCE

Spiritual Transformations of the 2 nd Century BCE. Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D. REL 231 Religions of India and Tibet Berea College Fall 2003. THE MAURYAN EMPIRE (321-185 BCE). Unified under Mauryan Empire Host to multiple intellectual movements and religious traditions, including:

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Spiritual Transformations of the 2 nd Century BCE

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  1. Spiritual Transformations of the 2nd Century BCE Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D. REL 231 Religions of India and Tibet Berea College Fall 2003

  2. THE MAURYAN EMPIRE (321-185 BCE)

  3. Unified under Mauryan Empire Host to multiple intellectual movements and religious traditions, including: Vedic orthodoxy Upanishadic schools (Samkhya, Yoga) Non-Vedic heterodoxy (Jaina, Theravāda) “Popular religion” (cults of deities such as Narayana, Vasudeva, Krishna) Development of 2 textual categories: Şruti (“that which is heard”) – revealed scripture, e.g., Vedas Smriti (“that which is remembered”) – wisdom of sages, e.g., epics Emergence of 3 distinct spiritual paths within Vedic tradition: Karmamarga (“path of action”) – dharma-oriented, rooted in Vedas Jñanamarga (“path of knowledge”) – asceticism-oriented, rooted in Upanişads Bhaktimarga (“path of devotion”) – worship-oriented, rooted in epics Characteristics of the period: Philosophically mystical Religiously eclectic Socially conservative INDIA IN THE 2ND CENTURY BCE

  4. THE BHAGAVAD GĪTĀ • “Song of the Lord” • Small portion of Mahābhārata: • Longest poem in world • Describes war of succession to leadership of kşatriya Bhārata clan, c. 1000 BCE • Attained final written form between 600 and 100 BCE • Technically smriti, but popularly regarded as şruti • Concerns conflict between two families within Bhārata clan: • Kauravas (majority) • Pandavas (minority, including Prince Arjuna)

  5. THEMES IN THE GĪTĀ • Reinterprets older concepts: • Brahman • Dharma • Karma • Introduces avatāra (“incarnation”) concept – manifestation of ultimate reality (e.g., deity) in temporal form (e.g., human being) • Develops 3 paradoxes: • “nondualistic theism” • “deterministic freedom” • “universalistic sectarianism”

  6. “NONDUALISTIC THEISM” • How can Krishna be both Brahman andavatāra? • In Upanişads: • Brahman = impersonal absolute force, all-in-all • Ātman = collective identity of self in relation to whole • Advaita = nonduality as ultimate nature of reality • In Gītā: • Krishna = personal deity • Arjuna = individual self • Dvaita = duality of deity/devotee, self/other, dharma/karma, etc.

  7. “DETERMINISTIC FREEDOM” • How can Arjuna both choose to act and acknowledge the law of karma? • Human freedom is constrained by 3 factors: • Nature (prakriti) – basic material circumstances • Karma – consequences of previous actions that condition future actions • Deity – Krishna himself determines history • Above all, human freedom is constrained by attachment to egoistic independence

  8. “UNIVERSALISTIC SECTARIANISM” • How can one discern right action by cultivating karmaandjñanaandbhakti? • Karma overcomes unrighteousness (adharma) that seeks to avoid action • Jñana overcomes ignorance (avidya) about the nature of action • Bhakti overcomes attachment (upadana) to the results of action • All paths (margas) are valid contextually – i.e., in the context of a particular level of developed understanding • Paradox is the consequence of this “progressive” theory of truth

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