Interfaith dialog and mutual respect - an example

[dwai]

Thought I'd post this as an example of how grownups share and exchange thoughts and ideas

This is special because of the venue -- The Vedanta Society NY, which is a bastion of Advaita Vedanta. I've had the occasion to attend Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures in person (besides the many youtube videos that are there for people to view) - never once have I heard or seen behavior remotely close to the neurotic and parochial approach that is often on display in public fora. 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2018 by dwai

[3bob]

there are major differences between what the  founders of various religions espouse compared to that of Hinduism!  For instance:

 

: "Hinduism: One Truth - Many Paths

Hinduism is the oldest and most misunderstood religion. It is older than the Western religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and the Eastern religions of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, which are its offspring. Hinduism originated in India and has slightly more than a billion adherents throughout the world.

Hinduism is unique, because unlike the other major religions, it has no single founder, no single scripture, no single deity, no single prophet, no strict priesthood, and no single way to reach salvation. Because Hinduism has numerous sages as spokespersons, scores of religious books for open discussion and various paths available for enlightenment, it is liberal, tolerant of differences, accepting of other faiths, inclusive and secular in orientation.

What gives unity to Hinduism is the belief that it is based upon eternal principles, which are explicitly stated in the Hindu sacred texts of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita and the Yoga Sutra. The quintessence of Hinduism is affirmed in the ancient text of the Rig Veda as follows: "There is one reality, the wise call it by many names; there is one truth, reached by many paths." This statement becomes the starting point of Hinduism and the Hindu way of life." 

 

  So I'd say if the founders of other and various religions  nix or negate this highlighted text per their doctrine then most discussions are reduced to un-resolvable and irreconcilable exercises along such lines...a line which should be a general and basic starting point, alas such is not so leaving the definition of "grown up" in question or least needing a lot more context and content.

[s1va]

On 10/15/2018 at 7:11 PM, 3bob said:

So I'd say if the founders of other and various religions  nix or negate this highlighted text per their doctrine then most discussions are reduced to un-resolvable and irreconcilable exercises along such lines...a line which should be a general and basic starting point, alas such is not so leaving the definition of "grown up" in question or least needing a lot more context and content.

 

Yes, I agree entirely with the above.  Some basic or fundamental tenets themselves as you pointed out are irreconcilable.  Engaging in such actions can result in unresolvable exercises just resulting in confusion.

[doc benway]

On 10/15/2018 at 11:42 AM, dwai said:

Thought I'd post this as an example of how grownups share and exchange thoughts and ideas

This is special because of the venue -- The Vedanta Society NY, which is a bastion of Advaita Vedanta. I've had the occasion to attend Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures in person (besides the many youtube videos that are there for people to view) - never once have I heard or seen behavior remotely close to the neurotic and parochial approach that is often on display in public fora. 

 

 

I think this has a lot to do with the effect of anonymity on human interaction.

 

Beyond anonymity there also appear to profound effects on human interaction and communication related to technology in a more pervasive sense.

 

Finally, I believe that many of the people exhibiting such behavior in public fora are drawn to philosophical and spiritual subjects at an intellectual level rather than an experiential one. I suspect these individuals are more prone to reactive behavior than committed practitioners. 

 

 

[dwai]

1 hour ago, steve said:

 

I think this has a lot to do with the effect of anonymity on human interaction.

 

Beyond anonymity there also appear to profound effects on human interaction and communication related to technology in a more pervasive sense.

Agreed 

1 hour ago, steve said:

 

Finally, I believe that many of the people exhibiting such behavior in public fora are drawn to philosophical and spiritual subjects at an intellectual level rather than an experiential one. I suspect these individuals are more prone to reactive behavior than committed practitioners. 

 

 

Also agreed. Also could be a result of a strong desire to “spread the joy” of the “best way”