26. Francis Clooney on Vedanta

Thanks for this episode!
The debate about the need for ritual in attaining a higher reality reminds of the later (shariatic so to speak) Sufis' insistence on ritual performance of Islamic laws and its importance instead of transgressing them in the quest of union. Shah Wali Allah for instance builds some of his works around this idea of the inherent necessity of comforming to Sunna rituals. Is this a mere coincidence between two major religious traditions or could there have been a reception by these later Sufis? 
 

"When two spiritual cultures meet, a hermeneutic challenge is born. The fate of each one of those cultures depends upon how one interprets the other's symbolic language. As in an individual's dream, so in a collective dream of our life in this world, there are signs to be interpreted and integrated into our consciousness. It appears that from the nineteenth century onwards the hermeneutic challenge before the Hindus and Muslims of India consisted of two options - one literal, closed and mutually destructive, and the other, symbolic, open-ended and mutually constructive. Through India's long history, the latter option has enjoyed wide currency, allowing the traditions of the country to flourish." (The Life & Teachings of a Sufi Master - Prof Syed Hasan Askari 1932-2008)

Thanks for this very interesting interview.

Concerning Mīmāṃsā and Vedānta as theologies, I agree if the point is to show that Mīmāṃsā (though atheist!) accepts an Absolute (the Vedas) and I am sure that for F. Clooney being a theology is a positive assesment. Nevertheless, I wonder if such a claim could not be misunderstood or misused by people (like Nicholas Tampio, here) trying to develop a normative idea of what philosophy is and should be. What do you think?

i found the comparison of Shankara with Buddhist thinkers was quite interesting, and it reminded me of Aurobindo's criticisms of both Shankara and Buddhism in the "Life Divine" and elsewhere- not necessarily that they skirted ritual orthodoxy, but that they overemphasized the ideal of the ascetic world renouncer, and in effect degraded the status and attention toward the more worldly aspects of life, which I suppose rituals would be part of. I also wanted to make a formal plug for including Aurobindo in the Indian Hopwag series. He is early 20th century, and on par with Gandhi as a figure in Indian independence and, in my view, much more interesting philosophically. I would think Jonardon would know of him, but other scholars specializing in Aurobindo's work are: Stephen Phillips (Hawaii), Robert McDermott and Debashish Banerjee (CIIS). love the podcast. cheers.

Wow George Clooney  is a somehow  always good for a surprise ! I did not know he is also in Indian religion and philosophy, because he is anyway a bad actor. He also doesn't look so smug anymore ! I like it