10-22-2004, 01:21 PM
I have posted a piece on Exercise of Free will. Man alone among alll the species is endowed with the capability to exercise free will. He will not and should not hesitate to do so for a variety of reasons, but sometimes he forgets the has the capability to do so. it is a dialog between Sri Chandrasekhar bharati (2 sankaracharyas previous at Sringeri excerpted from the book of the same title. I also have the complete parampara in my site) and a disciple. But the dialog is very easy to follow and explains clearly why we should not hesitate to exercise free will (and follow the Dharma and exercise viveka and vairagya in order to make the right choices).
http://vepa.us/dir10/freewill.htm
see also Will durant's piece on Adi Sankara
http://vepa.us/dir10/wdsankara.htm On the distinction between Sankhya and Yoga (and the attempt at synthesis of Sankha and Yoga in the Gita) WD had this to say
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>He could pardon the polytheism of the people, but not the atheism of Sankhya, or the agnosticism of Buddha. Arriving in the north as a delegate of the south, he won such popularity at the assemblies of Benaras that it crowned him with its highest honor, and sent him forth, with a retinue of disciples, to champion Brahmanism in all the debating halls of India. At Banaras, probably, he wrote his famous commentaries on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutras in which he attacked with theological ardor and scholastic subtlety all the heretics of India, and restored Brahmanism to the position of intellectual leadership from which Buddha and Kapila had deposed it.</span> <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Of course it is clear (!) from the context that the Sankhya of Chapter II is not to be confused with the (atheistic ) sankhya karika of Kapila. But my hats off to Will Durant Ji for his attempt to unravel the mysteries of the Indian darshanas.
http://vepa.us/dir10/freewill.htm
see also Will durant's piece on Adi Sankara
http://vepa.us/dir10/wdsankara.htm On the distinction between Sankhya and Yoga (and the attempt at synthesis of Sankha and Yoga in the Gita) WD had this to say
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>He could pardon the polytheism of the people, but not the atheism of Sankhya, or the agnosticism of Buddha. Arriving in the north as a delegate of the south, he won such popularity at the assemblies of Benaras that it crowned him with its highest honor, and sent him forth, with a retinue of disciples, to champion Brahmanism in all the debating halls of India. At Banaras, probably, he wrote his famous commentaries on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutras in which he attacked with theological ardor and scholastic subtlety all the heretics of India, and restored Brahmanism to the position of intellectual leadership from which Buddha and Kapila had deposed it.</span> <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Of course it is clear (!) from the context that the Sankhya of Chapter II is not to be confused with the (atheistic ) sankhya karika of Kapila. But my hats off to Will Durant Ji for his attempt to unravel the mysteries of the Indian darshanas.