Articles liés à Mandukyakarika: The Metaphysical Path of Vedanta

Mandukyakarika: The Metaphysical Path of Vedanta - Couverture souple

Gauḍapāda

 
9781931406048: Mandukyakarika: The Metaphysical Path of Vedanta

Synopsis

The Mandukya Upanishad is part of the Atharva Veda and belongs to a relatively remote period. Though short, it sums up the entire metaphysical vision of the doctrine of the Upanishads.

The Upanishad, which is of great initiatory interest, acquires greater value through the addition of Gaudapada's karikas (Verse commentary), some of which are an integral part of the Upanishad.


Gaudapada divides this work into four parts, naming them:


1. Agama Prakarana, based on the scriptures or Shruti.
2. Vaitathya Prakarana, based on the phenomenal or apparent character of experience.
3. Advaita Prakarana, based on non-duality.
4. Alatashanti Prakarana, based on the extinction of the "burning ember".


Through it Gaudapada unveils for the first time, clearly and concisely, the Asparsha yoga or vada (path, way), the metaphysical yoga or the pathway that leads not to unite with the God-person, but to integral Liberation (Turiya).


Raphael's commentary is intended as an explanation for the Western researcher, who may be unfamiliar with the vast philosophical themes of Hinduism and Buddhism, and is more accessible than Shankara's extensive, deep and incisive com­men­tary­ expounded in the Mandukya Upanishaad with Gaudapada's karikas. From it, numerous Shankara's passages are quoted alond the text.

Les informations fournies dans la section « Synopsis » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

À propos des auteurs

Gaudapada, having touched the highest peaks of realization, saw that the ultimate Reality can neither be born nor die, and with the support of the Principle-Narayana was able to reveal for the first time to human beings the Teaching already present in the Shruti: Ajativada, the doctrine of 'Non-generation', and the Asparshayoga, the yoga of 'No-support or no-relation.' In order to enounce the Ajativada and the Asparshayoga Gaudapada chose to comment the Mandukya Upanishad. This Upanishad deals with the three states of Being (Virat, Hiranyagarbha, Ishvara) and the Fourth state (Turiya) which represents the absolute Reality. Because of its doctrine and philosophy, it is the most meaningful and profound Upanishad of the Advaita Vedanta and represents by itself the very foundation of metaphysical realization. The Mukti Upanishad says: 'If the goal is the attainment of the supreme Truth, the Mandukya Upanishad is altogether sufficient.'

Raphael having attained a synthesis of Knowledge (with which eclecticism or syncretism are not to be confused) aims at 'presenting' the Universal Tradition in its many Eastern and Western expressions. He has spent a substantial number of years writing and publishing books on spiritual experience, and his works include commentaries on the Qabbalah, Hermeticism and Alchemy. He has also commented on and compared the Orphic Tradition with the works of Plato, Parmenides and Plotinus. Furthermore, Raphael is the author of several books on the pathway of non-duality (Advaita), which he has translated from the original Sanskrit, offering commentaries on a number of key Vedantic texts. After more than sixty years of teaching, both oral and written, Raphael has withdrawn into mahasamadhi.

Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.