Odd Convergences & Divergences: Critical Realist Underlaboring

When reading stories, including sacred narratives, from the Fertile Crescent (Arabic, هِلَالٌ الخَصِيب, Hilāluṇ ʾal•H̱aṣīb; or Hebrew, Hebrew, סַּהַר הַפּוֹרֶה, Ssạhạr hạ•Pôrẹh), the birthplace of some major religions, exaggeration (Arabic, المُبَالَغَةٌ, ʾal•mubālaġaẗuṇ; or Hebrew, הַהַגְזָמָה, hạ•hạḡəzāmāh) is and was not unusual.

In the West, tall tales might be regarded as lying and dishonesty. Clearly, the importance of cultural and historical contextualization cannot be exaggerated.

With a Critique of one of my areas of specialization: Traditionalist School of Esotericism

the Traditionalist School of esotericism on Frithjof Schuon as a spiritual master and a messenger of the perennial philosophy, political Traditionalism as a nōn sequitur, and Thomas Yellowtail as a supporter of the sacred Traditions (Michael Oren Fitzgerald, a metaTradder Schooler and a Bahá’í) 🥋 ☯️ 🕉️ 💜 🌠 🪷 🌸 🧘🏿 🧘🏾 🧘🏽 🧘🏼 🧘🏻 🧘 🧝🏿 🧝🏾 🧝🏽 🧝🏼 🧝🏻 🧝 ✨ 📿 🛕 😇 👼 🦅 🌟 💖 ❤ 🪶 ✊🏽 ✊🏼 🪘 ⚱️ 🧉 🥥 🦌⚖️ 🍂🦬 🦅 🐻 🏹 🦇 🌞 🌲 🏹 🩸 🛶 💦 🛡️ 💧 🌲 🐊 🥝 🍐

Just a question: It is really none of my business, but I am curious. How can a Bahá’í believe that Frithjof Schuon was a “messenger of the perennial philosophy”? The Prophets are the Messengers of the divine philosophy (Arabic, حِكْمَةُ الإِلٰهِيَّة, Ḥik°maẗu ʾal•⫰Ɪlꞌahiyyaẗ; or Hebrew, חָכְמָה הַאֱלֹהִית, Ḥoḵəmāh hạ•ʾĔlôhiyṯ), not Mr. Schuon.

The Hindi and Marathi renderings are identical in all but pronunciation.

Dvaṁdvātmaka Bhēdābhēda Vēdāṁtavāda (Hindi, द्वंद्वात्मक भ्एदाभ्एद व्एदांतवाद [MP3], “dialectical–difference–nondifference–end–of–wit/wisdom/knowledge–‘ism’”)

D°wan°d°wāt°maḱa B°hēdab°hēda Wēdān°tawāda (Urdu, دْوَنْدْوَاتْمَکَ بْھَیدَبْھَیدَ وَیدَانْتَوَادَ, “dialectical–difference–nondifference–end–of–wit/wisdom/knowledge–‘ism’”)

Dvaṁdvātmaka Bhēdābhēda Vēdāṁtavāda (Marathi, द्वंद्वात्मक भेदाभेद वेदांतवाद [MP3], “dialectical–difference–nondifference–end–of–wit/wisdom/knowledge–‘ism’”)

Davan°dātamaḱa B°hēdab°hēda Vēdān°tavāda (Shahmukhi Punjabi, دَوَنْدَاتَمَکَ بْھَیدَبْھَیدَ وَیدَانْتَوَادَ [MP3], “dialectical–difference–nondifference–end–of–wit/wisdom/knowledge–‘ism’”)

Davadātamaka Bhēdabhēda Vēdāntavāda (Gurmukhi Punjabi, ਦਵੰਦਾਤਮਕ ਭੇਦਭੇਦ ਵੇਦਾਂਤਵਾਦ [MP3], “dialectical–difference–nondifference–end–of–wit/wisdom/knowledge–‘ism’”)

Dbandvātmaka Bhēdābhēda Bēdāntabāda (Bengali, দ্বংদ্বাত্মক ভেদাভেদ বেদাংতবাদ [MP3], “dialectical–difference–nondifference–end–of–wit/wisdom/knowledge–‘ism’”)

Biàn•Zhèng•Yuán•xiàn•Shí•Zhǔ•Yì (Mandarin, 辩证元现实主义)

Bin6•Zing3•Jyun4•jin6•Sat6•Zyu2•Ji6 (Cantonese, 辩证元现实主义)

Dvandvātmaka•Bhēdābhēda•Vēdāntavāda™ (Sanskrit, द्वन्द्वात्मकभेदाभेदवेदान्तवाद [MP3], “dialectical–difference–nondifference–end–of–wit/wisdom/knowledge–‘ism’”) or is simply my Sanskrit translation, as a non–Vēdāntist inspired by Vēdānta, for the Bhaskarian critical realist Dialectical metaRealism (ƉɱⱤ).

I also carefully double checked the translation using online data. However, I selected the word Dvandvātmaka, since it is commonly used in Sanskrit translations of dialectical materialism (Sanskrit, द्वन्द्वात्मक भौतिकवाद, dvandvātmaka bhautikavāda).

My purpose is to point out the close affinity between ƉɱⱤ and Bhēdābhēda Vēdānta (ᏰᏉ) and to distance myself from the pure nonduality of Advaita Vēdānta (Sanskrit, अद्वैत वेदान्त) and the pure duality of Dvaita Vēdānta (Sanskrit, द्वैत वेदान्त).

Other vēdāntic (Sanskrit, वेदान्तिकम्, vēdāntikam) schools do exist, but mentioning those two will, for present purposes, suffice. Although, to be clear, I am a non–Vēdāntist, I have be inspired by Vēdānta since my youth. And that was a long time ago.

Narrative theology is reading and pondering the words of the Prophets and the reformers as stories to the heart. Some of those stories may be figurative. Some might be literal. Still others might combine the literal with the figurative or symbolic.

The Four Gospels could be figurative or largely so. The Dawnbreakers, not a scriptural text but perhaps similar (in some respects) to the Gospels, might contain both literal and figurative accounts.

Divine Revelation is, however, an ongoing story of redemption. One clearly should not assume at the outset, as do many, that a particular text, especially a premodern or early modern account, is factual, historical, or scientific.

You can develop your own postures or asanas (Sanskrit, आस॑नानि, āsanāni). Curse The Tradition as explored later in the book. The age–old yogis (Sanskrit, योगिनः, yōginaḥ) were no better than you or I.

Shahmukhi Punjabi نُبُوَتَ, Nubuvata, “Prophethood”

Gurmukhi Punjabi, ਨੁਬੁਵਤ, Nubuvata, “Prophethood”

Any unifying essence of beings and things is a structure, an inner reality, and a collective center of divine attributes. But the innermost Essential Unity (Deity, Godhead, Great Being, and Infinite Cosmic Source) is the single and rational God (Arabic, ﷲ, ʾAl•Llꞌah; Hebrew, הַאֱלֹהַּ, hạ•ʾĚlōhh⇄ạ, or הַאֵל, hạ•ʾĒl; or Sanskrit, सर्वशक्तिमान्, Sarvaśaktimān, “the Almighty”).

He is: the Godhead (Arabic, اللَاهُوت, ʾal•Lāhūt), “the Unifying One” or “the Unification” (Arabic, التَّوْحِيدٌ, ʾal•Ttaw°ḥīduṇ; or Hebrew, הַאַחְדוּת, hạ•ʾẠḥəḏūṯ, Semitic cognates), the Animistic Cosmic Interior (Arabic, بَاطِن الكَوْنِيّ الرُوحَانِيّ, Bāṭin ʾal•Kaw°niyy ʾal•Rūḥāniyy; Hebrew, פְּנִים הַקוֹסְמִי הַאָנִימִיסְטִי, Pəniym hạ•Qôsəmiy hạ•ʾĀniymiysəṭiy; or Sanskrit, सर्वात्मन् ब्राह्माण्ड अन्तरङ्गम्, sarvātman brāhmāṇḍa antaraṅgam, or जीववादी ब्रह्माण्डीय आन्तरिक, jīvavādī brahmāṇḍīya āntarika), ʾal•Hāhūt (Arabic, الهَاهُوت, “Ipseity, He–ness, or He Himself”), the World of the True One (Arabic, العَالَم الحَقّ, ʾal•ʿĀlam ʾal•Ḥaqq), and the world of the Supreme unknowable Essence of essences (العَالَم الرلذَات الذَوَات, ʾal•ālam ʾal•Ḏāt ʾal•Ḏawāt, “the realm of Hæcceity or Quiddity”).

God is also: the Unity of the SPIRITUAL KINGDOM and of Each of the unifying essences, essential Unities, universal realities, collective realities, or universals along with their beings and things. Existence (Sanskrit, अस्ति॑त्व, astitva; or सच्चिदानंद, Sac•Cid•Ānanda or commonly Romanized as Sat–Chit–Ananda, “Truth–Consciousness–Bliss”), in its diversity or individuality (Sanskrit, भेदाः, bhēdāḥ, “differences”), can be seen as one (Sanskrit, अद्वैत, advaita, “not two”).

ḏə Bahā⫯yiyy•ik Dīn•iš

Sindhi, مَوْلَانَا جَلَالَ الدِينَ مُحَمَّد رُومِي, Maw°lānā Ǧalāla ʾal•Dīna Muḥammad Rūmī, “Rumi”

Sindhi, شَمْسَ الدِينَ تَبرِيزِي, Šam°sa ʾal•Dīna Tabrīzī, “Shams”

Sindhi, عَظِيمَ عُثمَانِي رِيَاستَ, ʿAẓīma ʿUṯmānī Riyāsta, “the Sublime or Great Ottoman State ‘aka the Ottoman Empire’”

Persian, اِمْپِرَاتُورِیِ بُزُرْگِ عُثمَانِی, ʾIm°pirātūrí•i Buzur°g•i ʿUṯ°māní, “the Sublime or Great Ottoman State ‘aka the Ottoman Empire’”

Tajik, Империяи Бузурги Усмонӣ, Imperiya•i Buzurg•i Usmonī, “the Sublime or Great Ottoman State ‘aka the Ottoman Empire’”

Mervyn didn’t ask me to do this, but please purchase his new book: Up from Midnight: Fathoming the Depths of Reality with Ram Roy Bhaskar