History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China HPI 04 - Hide and Seek – The Upanisads
5 snips
Nov 1, 2015 AI Snips
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Gargi's Cosmic Questioning
- In the Brihadaranyaka scene King Janaka stages a contest of priests to find the wisest man.
- Gargi Vakaknavi challenges Yajnavalkya with cosmic regress questions and pronounces him victorious when he reaches the imperishable.
Microcosm Mirrors Macrocosm
- Upanishads map microcosm to macrocosm, linking body parts and functions to cosmic elements.
- Ritual speech and breath mirror cosmic order, explaining sacrificial efficacy and the world’s coherence.
Brahman As The Ground Of Experience
- Brahman is described as the 'breathing behind breathing' and the ground of perception and thought.
- It remains inexpressible since it is that by which speech and thought themselves occur.