Thursday, October 25, 2012

THE HUMAN CONDITION

When we speak of the human condition, we are referring to such concerns as the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, or anxiety regarding the inescapability of death.

But these are all ideas, perceptions, psychological and emotional states.  Frames of mind.  They are experiences of the egoic, relative self. 

Buddhism would say that these things are important, though, because they are mindsets that can cause us much unhappiness.

Vedanta's view, by contrast, is that this is not what the human condition truly is.  The purpose of human life, the real human condition, is the Atman fulfilling its destiny of awakening into the Brahman.

Vedanta does not deny that we are psychological beings and that we are subject to both happiness and pain.  These, however, are secondary to what we are actually here in this life for.  Everything other than our true purpose is irrelevant.

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