tman_and_moksa

SR No.: 020053
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: G N Joshi
Publisher: Gujarat University
Publication Year: 1965
Total Pages: 901
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 539

Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Vedānta (S'ara kara )
30
state of super-morality. Morality is valid only on the phenomenal level, and not on the noumenal level. The highly moral life in the world helps one to attain such an absolute Moksa in so far as the practice of ethical virtues liberates an individual from his limiting adjuncts and helps him to widen his consciousness of the Brahman. The practice of psychic inhibitions helps the individuals to become progressively free from the vanity, pride, and egoism, which are falsely created by nescience (avidyā). Samkara gives importance to all these various kinds of ethically important actions and mental attitudes, but he does not thereby lose the sight of knowledge. He ultimately maintains that all these ethical activities may strengthen and accelerate the attainment of moksa, but ultimately moksa can be attained only by knowledge and by knowledge alone; for moksa is nothing but knowledge of the Brahman, and the knowledge of the Brahman is nothing else but being Brahman itself. It consists in the infinitisation of the finite.
S'amkara maintains that people of all castes can attain liberation irrespective of the sex-differences. However, he recognises the traditionally sanctioned Varņās'rama-dharma and holds that the high caste people can attain it from the study of scriptures, and the others by bhakti. He nevertheless allows Mokşa to any person of any caste, any sex and any race, if the knowledge of Brahman dawns upon him even without any external means.
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