I first read the Upanishads in high school sometime around 1972. I retained almost none of what I read. I will have to take your words as what I should remember.
That being said, it all makes sense at the end. I agree that it will take more than prophets and priests to make the needed change, and growth into a better form of leadership.
Fire as a representation of bodily passions is also present in the Vedic tradition; these come from rajas - fire and rajas are very closely related - and take the form of the desires for sense gratification that are so unequivocally condemned in the Gita (eg. III.37). Consider Chaitanya Mahaprabu's Siksastakam, which says that bhakti "bhava maha davagni nirvapanam", extinguishes the forest fire of conditioned life.
David, there are so many terms and concepts here that are very new to me so I would like to know if you have a recommendation for Hinduism that is comprehensive of fundamentally relevant things. As per my reading a David Bentley Hart, Vedantic Hinduism is a soon to be interest of mine, but I’m more looking for a lay of the land. It really is a foreign world to me.
The burning bush is such a beautiful theophanic image. The all-consuming fire that does not consume.
I first read the Upanishads in high school sometime around 1972. I retained almost none of what I read. I will have to take your words as what I should remember.
That being said, it all makes sense at the end. I agree that it will take more than prophets and priests to make the needed change, and growth into a better form of leadership.
Fire as a representation of bodily passions is also present in the Vedic tradition; these come from rajas - fire and rajas are very closely related - and take the form of the desires for sense gratification that are so unequivocally condemned in the Gita (eg. III.37). Consider Chaitanya Mahaprabu's Siksastakam, which says that bhakti "bhava maha davagni nirvapanam", extinguishes the forest fire of conditioned life.
For a more sensory experience, you can find a beatiful musical rendition of the Siksastakam here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9NrTUOvaQw
David, there are so many terms and concepts here that are very new to me so I would like to know if you have a recommendation for Hinduism that is comprehensive of fundamentally relevant things. As per my reading a David Bentley Hart, Vedantic Hinduism is a soon to be interest of mine, but I’m more looking for a lay of the land. It really is a foreign world to me.