Re: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
Originally Posted by
deafAncient
Namaste,
I'm troubled by what I'm reading this that book as follows, on page 245:
On Salvation and God’s Will
EASTERN VIEW: Salvation is through strict obedience to God’s
will and the descent of His grace through the enlightened
spiritual preceptor.
WESTERN VIEW: Salvation is through strict obedience to God’s
will, usually through a messiah, prophet or priest.
I thought that Sanaatana Dharma is not salvific in that sense. Please advise from SD perspective.
Dhanyavaad
Let's see if I can assist (even slightly)...I would have said it this way:
EASTERN VIEW: Salvation is through His grace.
WESTERN VIEW: Salvation is through His grace.
The medium though which His grace ( anugraha¹) arrives is of less in importance.
Think of electricity that is used around the world - some have 120v current , others have 220v current. Yet the electricity traveling though the wire is the same and will light your lamp on your desk.
Now does that suggest we discount all the gurus, the muni's, etc. ? No , they are none other then the representatives of the Supreme. In fact some will argue they are the Supreme in the flesh - yet this can cause some consternation for some.
And this obedience - IMHO a better term ( as I see it) is discipline . In the west it is construed as a form of punishment ; in the east it is considered self-control and a form of tapas¹.
iti śivaṁ
words
- anugraha - kindness , showing favor , conferring benefits
- tapas is from tapa - to heat up; with ~heat~ a purification is possible; tapas is that self control that purifies. In jyotish tapas is considered the 9th lunar mansion (dharma). Hence the alignment to dharma and that which upholds.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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