Faith and Transcendence in Hindu Traditions
Madhuri M. Yadlapati
University of Illinois Press April 20, 2017 DOI: 10.5406/illinois/9780252037948.003.0005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that ambiguity and self-correction run through diverse strands of Hindu thought and practice, including Upanishadic doubt, bhakti's relation to dharma, maya's questioning of reality, and Shiva's paradoxical theism. Proposes that beyond worldly dharma, the spiritual journey requires self-correction as part of religious transcendence. |
Abstract
This chapter explores several notes of ambiguity or self-correction in Hindu faith: the relationship between mystical certitude and discursive doubt in the Upanishads; bhakti (devotional faith) and the limitations of dharma in the epics; the questioning of assumptions about reality spurred by the doctrine of maya; and the paradoxical character of Hindu theism as reflected in the figure of Shiva. This fourfold examination illustrates ambiguities in a few of the very different strands of Hindu thought and practice. Behind all four thematic strands is a sense that beyond the worldly values of dharma teachings, the spiritual journey requires self-correction as part of the transformative experience of religious transcendence.