| Titel: | The Faith of Ascetics and Lay Smartas: A Study of the Sankaran Tradition of Srngeri |
|---|---|
| Autor: | Sawai, Y |
| Mediengruppe: | --- |
| Herausgeber: | --- |
| Zeitschrift: | --- |
| Jahr: | 1984 |
| Band: | --- |
| Heft: | --- |
| Seiten: | --- |
| Sprache: | englisch |
| Abstract: | The nature of faith in the (')Sankaran Advaita Vedanta tradition of (')Srngeri is explored through a study of various smarta expressions of faith. This religious tradition is conceived as comprehensive of the doctrinal and practical aspects of the faith both of lay smarta house-holders (grhasthas) and of ascetics (samnyasins). The main source for this study is a legendary Sanskrit biography of (')Sankara, Madhava's (')Sankaradigvijaya, probably compiled in the eighteenth century C.E. Faith expresses itself in lay smartas' karman (ritual observances) and bhakti (devotion to such objects of worship as the jagadguru and (')Sr(')i (')Sarada) and in samnyasins' nididhyasana (profound contemplation), gurubhakti (a disciple's reverence for a teacher), and yoga practices.(' (,))Sraddha (trust in the words of teacher and of scripture) underlies and supports the faith of both lay people and ascetics. The smarta tradition of (')Srngeri teaches that the ultimate human goal is the attainment of emancipation (moksa). (')Sankara's philosophical works deal mainly with the emancipation of samnyasins, while the devotional hymns traditionally (though incorrectly) ascribed to (')Sankara are concerned with the salvation of devotees.(' (,))Sankara's philosophy asserts that moksa is unattainable through karman, which should thus be abandoned. Emancipation through jnana (knowledge) is the religious ideal for samnyasins. Having renounced worldly affairs, they accept a life of self-restraint in order to realize brahman. They take (')Sankara and the jagadgurus (his successors as head of the monastery) as their models in the path to emancipation. By contrast, according to the smarta teachings, the jagadguru, an incarnation of (')Sankara, and the all-transcendent Mother Goddess, (')Sr(')i (')Sarada, could bring the bhaktas (devotees) to brahma-vidya (knowledge of brahman). Through their faith, however, most of lay people expect alleviation of all forms of distress. Whereas samnyasins are typically free to concentrate on the attempt to attain emancipation, lay people cannot exclusively pursue their religious commitments. Lay smartas follow smarta teachings sometimes because they promise the beneficent blessings from the jagadguru or a deity and sometimes because they seem to prescribe the only proper way of life as taught by scripture and the jagadguru. |