Sanatana Dharma - Aka Hinduism (1st Bin)

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Carl,

That is not excatly right. Whatever 'monism' or advaita says is justifiable based on vedanta (upanishads). Brahman has often been called undivided, one, unchanging etc in the upanishads. Try imposing a real pariNAma (or even kArya-kAraNavAda) type of 'transformation' on that. It is not possible.

Simultaneously there are instances where brahman is supposed to have created the universe as at least temporarily separate from itself (yathorNa-NAbhiH sR^ijjate...) etc.

So none of the vedanta based 'philosophies' can claim exclusive rights to vedAnta.

The fact is vedAnta (upaniShads) is a collection of experiences of many sages. The sages were self-realized, but were not necessarily into 'philosophy'.

A philosophical system based on vedAnta needs a 'logical' organization of the materials present in the upanishads.

So far, I haven't seen ANY system of vedAnta philosphy that does a better job on purely philosophical grounds, than Shri Shankara's advaita.

And I am not closed minded on this. I am open to be educated into a better philosophical system if it exists.

But a purely 'philosophical' discussion is not feasible if it keeps on getting mixed with 'rhetoric'.