Sathya Sai Baba on ages-old conflict between atheists (& agnostics) and theists
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has said,
"The conflict between persons who accept God and deny Him, those who declare that God is to be found in this or that place and those who affirm that He can be found nowhere, is never ending; it has been continuing throughout the ages. Remember that it is unnecessary to awaken a person already awake and it is easy to awaken a person who is asleep. You cannot awaken, however much you try, a person not wanting to awaken! Those who do not know, can be taught by means of simple illustrations what they do not know. But those afflicted with half-knowledge and proud of that acquisition are beyond any further education. Your two eyes give a picture of a vast expanse of space, but they cannot see your whole body! For that, you need two mirrors – one in front of you and one behind. So too, to know your reality, you need the mirrors of Self-confidence (Atma-vishwas) and Divine Grace."- Divine Discourse 23rd Nov 1976, From http://media.radiosai.org/sai_inspires/2014/SI_20141205.htm.
I find the above to be a superb capsule of theistic wisdom relating to this ages-old conflict between atheists (& agnostics) and theists. I think there is a lot of truth in the words that those who are proud of their half-knowledge are beyond further education (unless something happens that breaks down their pride), and that they are like people who don't want to awaken to spiritual knowledge/wisdom.
Ancient India certainly had active atheism philosophers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_in_Hinduism lists some philosophies of ancient India like Mimamsa and Samkhya which border on atheism, I understand. The Brahma Sutra, which is a Vedanta school doctrine, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma_Sutras has sections arguing strongly against Samkhya philosophy (yoga), if I recall correctly. At least, Adi Shankara's interpretation and commentary on Brahma Sutra, which is what I read/studied (as translated to English by somebody but having the original Sansksrit text also), argues strongly against atheist-type philosophies like Samkhya, if I recall correctly.
"The conflict between persons who accept God and deny Him, those who declare that God is to be found in this or that place and those who affirm that He can be found nowhere, is never ending; it has been continuing throughout the ages. Remember that it is unnecessary to awaken a person already awake and it is easy to awaken a person who is asleep. You cannot awaken, however much you try, a person not wanting to awaken! Those who do not know, can be taught by means of simple illustrations what they do not know. But those afflicted with half-knowledge and proud of that acquisition are beyond any further education. Your two eyes give a picture of a vast expanse of space, but they cannot see your whole body! For that, you need two mirrors – one in front of you and one behind. So too, to know your reality, you need the mirrors of Self-confidence (Atma-vishwas) and Divine Grace."- Divine Discourse 23rd Nov 1976, From http://media.radiosai.org/sai_inspires/2014/SI_20141205.htm.
I find the above to be a superb capsule of theistic wisdom relating to this ages-old conflict between atheists (& agnostics) and theists. I think there is a lot of truth in the words that those who are proud of their half-knowledge are beyond further education (unless something happens that breaks down their pride), and that they are like people who don't want to awaken to spiritual knowledge/wisdom.
Ancient India certainly had active atheism philosophers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_in_Hinduism lists some philosophies of ancient India like Mimamsa and Samkhya which border on atheism, I understand. The Brahma Sutra, which is a Vedanta school doctrine, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma_Sutras has sections arguing strongly against Samkhya philosophy (yoga), if I recall correctly. At least, Adi Shankara's interpretation and commentary on Brahma Sutra, which is what I read/studied (as translated to English by somebody but having the original Sansksrit text also), argues strongly against atheist-type philosophies like Samkhya, if I recall correctly.
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