[MD] Bharata Dharma

[MarshaV]

Akshay,

I was once a very serious and curious student.  Although I do not 
know Sanskrit, I read text with commentary upon commentary upon 
commentary upon commentary.  I was terribly frustrated.  At that 
point I went to Western Philosophy, which I found to be utter 
nonsense for intellectuals.  It didn't offer me the understanding to 
match my interest, and by that time I was very well aware of maya.  I 
found ZAMM, and later LILA very insightful, and I was much relieved 
and intrigued.  The starting point was comprehendible.

Thank you for suggesting Swami Vivekananda's works.  I still have a 
curiosity, so I may do some further reading.

Marsha



At 11:14 AM 11/8/2007, you wrote:
>I can't say that that's the best explanation. But, for a Western account of
>Indian tradition (especially considering that the author, Sir John
>Woodroffe, in his time would have naturally faced implicit opposition from
>his colleagues and seniors for his discoveries), I think that that would be
>among the best. I must commend Woodroffe's efforts considering his context.
>However, in terms of accuracy, I wouldn't quite recommend him (because
>you're making a sort of compromise by settling on his work), unless of
>course you don't trust a non-Western author. I'd also like to add that there
>are a lot of "swamis" who've settled in the US to "spread the dharma", but
>you need to be wary of them. I'm not saying they're out to trick you or
>something (buy their herbal medicine products etc.), but their diction can
>sometimes be unjustified (because they are after all still only translating
>texts) and that can make you think that Aryadharma is not worth your
>time/efforts (refer to the examples I've listed below). I recommend reading
>Swami Vivekananda's works for a good introduction.
>
>The best explanation in my opinion would be reading the original texts (like
>the Mahabharata) in Sanskrit, because most (if not all) translations always
>make mistakes. The reader's frankness and curiosity is also naturally
>important.
>
>Let me give an example of how a simple text like the Bhagavad Gita can be
>mistranslated by a scholar like Sri Aurobindo who is highly respected in
>India and especially in the West. In his translation, he translates the
>Sanskrit words "iccha" and "kama" as plain "desire", which is simply not
>correct. The word "iccha" is simply a normal word, implying
>wishing/hoping/aspiring or simply expressing tendency; however, the word
>"kama" signifies passion (i.e., aspiring for sensual pleasures). So you'll
>see in his translation that Krsna on one hand tells you to "free your soul
>from desire" and then "I desire that you attain to highest wisdom". That's
>clearly a mistranslation, although perhaps an insignificant one.
>
>Here's another example, this time a massive mistake on the part of
>translators. In most Hindu texts, the deity (like Krsna) advises us not to
>commit "paap", which is translated as "sin" into English. However, this is
>simply not correct. The word "paap" comes from Sanskrit root "pat" (=to
>fall). Hence, "paap" is that which lowers your soul, not "sin", because
>"sin" can be interpreted as something forbidden by authoritarian imposition.
>
>Akshay
>
>On 08/11/2007, MarshaV <marshalz at charter.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Akshay,
> >
> > I have found this website, and have read Chapter One: Indian Religion
> > As Bharata Dharma.  It was written by Arthur Avalon (Sir John
> > Woodroffe) in 1918.  Is it the best explanation?  I once before tried
> > very hard to understand this philosophy, but had great difficulty
> > with the language and concepts.
> >
> > http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/sas/sas01.htm
> >
> > Any thoughts?
> >
> > Marsha
> >
> >
> >
> >
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