Swami Vivekananda vs Adi Shankaracharya: Vivekananda slams Adi Shankara for propagating casteist nonsense

by Guest Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:28 pm

Thus the talk went on, and gradually drifted to the topic of Shankarâchârya. The disciple was a great adherent of Shankara, almost to the point of fanaticism. He used to look upon Shankara's Advaita philosophy as the crest of all philosophies and could not bear any criticism of him. Swamiji was aware of this, and, as was his wont, wanted to break this one-sidedness of the disciple.

Swami Vivekananda: Shankara's intellect was sharp like the razor. He was a good arguer and a scholar, no doubt of that, but he had no great liberality; his heart too seems to have been like that. Besides, he used to take great pride in his Brahmanism — much like a southern Brahmin of the priest class, you may say. How he has defended in his commentary on the Vedanta-Sutras that the non-Brahmin castes will not attain to a supreme knowledge of Brahman! And what specious arguments! Referring to Vidura* he has said that he became a knower of Brahman by reason of his Brahmin body in the previous incarnation. Well, if nowadays any Shudra attains to a knowledge of Brahman, shall we have to side with your Shankara and maintain that because he had been a Brahmin in his previous birth, therefore he has attained to this knowledge? Goodness! What is the use of dragging in Brahminism with so much ado? The Vedas have entitled any one belonging to the three upper castes to study the Vedas and the realisation of Brahman, haven't they? So Shankara had no need whatsoever of displaying this curious bit of pedantry on this subject, contrary to the Vedas. And such was his heart that he burnt to death lots of Buddhist monks — by defeating them in argument! And the Buddhists, too, were foolish enough to burn themselves to death, simply because they were worsted in argument! What can you call such an action on Shankara's part except fanaticism? But look at Buddha's heart! — Ever ready to give his own life to save the life of even a kid — what to speak of " — For the welfare of the many, for the happiness of the many"! See, what a large-heartedness — what a compassion!

http://cwsv.belurmath.org/volume_7/vol_7_frame.htm
(click on 'Conversations and Dialogues' on the left, then click on 'From the Diary of a Disciple' on the left, then click on 'II' on the left)

*Note: Vidura had been born of a sudra mother.

by Guest Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:56 pm

Vivekananda is right when he says that according to Shankara, sudras are not entitled to receive the highest philosophical wisdom since they are not permitted to receive knowledge about the Vedas either through reading or by listening. Vivekananda is wrong when he says that Adi Shankara claimed only the brahmins are entitled to receive the highest philosophical wisdom. According to Shankara anyone who has undergone the upanayana (sacred thread) ceremony is permitted to receive Vedic knowledge, and any upper caste hindu is permitted to undergo this ceremony; only sudras are not permitted.

Notice the cavalier way in which Vivekananda says "The Vedas have entitled any one belonging to the three upper castes to study the Vedas and the realisation of Brahman, haven't they?" Apparently the fact that the Vedas only permit the three upper castes to study the Vedas is all right for Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda vs Adi Shankaracharya: Vivekananda slams Adi Shankara for propagating casteist nonsense

Swami Vivekananda vs Adi Shankaracharya: Vivekananda slams Adi Shankara for propagating casteist nonsense

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