Question : “Immortality means absence of Karma and Rebirth”. Discuss.
(2015)
Answer : The idea of immortality means to survive death. Several argements have been advanced by philosophers to justify immortality. These includes conservation of energy argument, revelation of intellect, metaphysical argument advanced by whole range of philosophers and lastly moral argument given by Kant.
Kant, in his moral arguments, says that present life of a man is a case of maladjustment between rewards and punishments on the one side and his good and bad actions on the other. ....
Question : What is liberation? Briefly discuss the ways to attain it as outlined in the systems of Vedanta.
(2015)
Answer : Liberation or moksha is the ultimate end of human life according to India philosophy. It is deliverance from all types of pains including worldly and other worldly as well. It is a state devoid of rebirth. It is the realization of ultimate reality. Indian philosophy maintains a harmony in metaphysics, epistemology and axiology. All these aim at the same reality which is atman in man, Brahman in cosmos, and liberation as values. This mystic realization ....
Question : What are the arguments given in favour of the immortality of the Soul?
(2014)
Answer : Immortality is the indefinite continuation of a person’s existence, even after death. In common parlance, immortality is virtually indistinguishable from afterlife, but philosophically speaking, they are not identical. Afterlife is the continuation of existence after death, regardless of whether or not that continuation is indefinite. Immortality implies a never-ending existence, regardless of whether or not the body dies.
Most religions adhere to the belief in immortality on the basis of faith. In other words, they provide ....
Question : Elucidate the status of man in the realm between ‘immanence’ and ‘transcendence’. 20 marks
(2014)
Answer : Immanence in case of man implies ethics which relates to karma theory and transcendence implies beyond the world via rebirth or immortality and liberation.
Immanence refers to those philosophical and metaphysical theories of divine presence in which the divine encompasses or is manifested in the material world. Here in case of man or human beings it refers to ethics or karma theory.
Transcendence refers to being beyond ordinary or common experience, thought, or belief; supernatural. It ....
Question : Compare and contrast the concept of liberation according to ‘Advaita’ and ‘Visistadvaita’.
(2014)
Answer : Both Shankar and Ramanuja have done positive explanation of the concept of liberation. But they differ regrading path of liberation, personal identity, and nature of liberation.
Liberation according to Shankar is realizing oneself to be atma and atma to be Brahman. The Jiva is already liberated in its true nature - thus realizing the true nature of oneself (jiva) is liberation. Thus, one can be liberated even though one is wearing a body. This is called ....
Question : How do you justify ‘rebirth’ with or without the Soul?
(2014)
Answer : Reincarnation – known as Punarjanma – it is one of the core beliefs of Hinduism that is generally accepted by many of its practitioners. Reincarnation is the natural process of birth, death and rebirth. Hindus believe that the Jiva or Atman (soul) is intrinsically pure. However, because of the layers of I-ness and My-ness, the jiva goes through transmigration in the cycle of births and deaths. Death destroys the physical body, but not the jiva. ....
Question : Is there anything else other than human efforts which may be conducive to attainment of liberation?
(2013)
Answer : First of all these lines penned by Rosa Luxemberg are worth mentioning in this context that those who do not move do not notice theirchains .These lines put emphasis on human efforts. But this question has a speciality as it includes very subjective issues into its answer frame. Subjective issues are those which are objective for related individual. A person who is seeking self-liberation should be more confident on his/her own efforts. It’s because it’s ....
Question : Is the idea of immortality of the soul utopian or it is realizable? Discuss.
(2012)
Answer : The concept of immortality of soul is of the transcendental nature. This is why it is called utopian. But let us gauge the concept to reach some conclusion.
Immortality of soul is one of the major concepts of philosophy of religion. Due to the absence of logical base it is called utopian. In the absence of logical proof the concept of immortality of soul have been severely critized. Presence of the immutable and eternal substance like ....
Question : Are rebirth and liberation analogous concepts? Explain.
(2012)
Answer : Rebirth and liberation are two seprate notions. Sometimes to achieve liberation, one has to be born many times. In other words for liberation rebirth is accepted.
Rebirth: To be born again and again is known as rebirth. In the philosophy and religions of Indian origin this belief has been accepted as an important concept. According to it, before the dawn of knowledge of God, man has to take birth again and again. In Indian philosophy, knowledge ....
Question : Can Buddhism, because of its doctrine of ‘anatta’ be regarded as a religion or not? Discuss.
(2011)
Answer : According to Buddhism, there is a sponteneous and universal law of causation which conditions, the appearance of all events, mental and physical. This law works without the help of any conscious guide. In accordance, whenever a particular event (the cause) appears, it is followed by another event (the effect), “on getting the cause, the effect arises.” The existence of everything is conditional, dependent on a cause. Nothing happens fortuitously or by chance. This is called ....
Question : Is a belief in the immortality of the soul a necessary precondition for religion? Discuss.
(2011)
Answer : In Indian tradition, soul is neither created nor destroyed. It is immortal. In west, soul is created by God and cannot disintegrate by itself. Immortality is a gift of god. Immortality is assumed only through belief in god. According to Acquinas, there is a natural desire for immortality. This idea is implanted by God. God is just and benevolent. He must fulfil the desire which he himself has planted. Thus God alone can provide immortality.
It ....
Question : Is a belief in rebirth and reincarnation possible without a belief in the immortality of the soul? Discuss.
(2011)
Answer : According to Buddhism, there is a spontaneous and universal law of causation which conditions the appearance of all events-mental and physical. This law works without the help of any conscious guide.
In accordance with it, whenever a particular event (the cause) appears, it is followed by another event (the effect). “on getting the cause, the effect arises.” The existense of everything is conditional, dependent on a cause. Nothing happens fortuitously or by chance. This is called ....
Question : Why is the grace of god needed for liberation? Discuss with example.
(2010)
Answer : According to Hinduism the goal of human life is to be free or liberated from samsara, the repeated births and deaths. Such liberation is called moksha or mukti in Sanskrit. Buddhists call it nirvana. The different schools of Hindu philosophy hold differing views about how to attain moksha. Some believe that moksha can be achieved by people only after their death; others claim that it can be achieved even while they are alive. There are ....
Question : If ignorance is the cause of suffering, knowledge should remove suffering. What is the notion of knowledge which a liberate person acquires? Discuss.
(2010)
Answer : True liberation means liberation of the individual soul from the cycle of births and deaths, from the sense of duality and separation, and union with Brahman, the Supreme Soul. Liberation is known variously in Hinduism as mukti, kaivalya, moksha or nirvana. Liberation means when a soul is released from its involvement with Prakriti or nature, which uses its instruments of delusion, attachment and egoism to subject the souls to their physical existence and the cycle ....
Question : What sort of criterion can one provide for identifying rebirth as opposed to birth? Discuss.
(2010)
Answer : The concepts of rebirth, moksha and samsara are closely associated with the principle of Karma. Karma in Sanskrit means ‘action. ‘ The term is used to refer to volitional acts as well as the forces that arise from these acts. According to the Indian philosophy Karma is responsible for the entire chain of causes and effects and rebirth. Indian philosophy mainly includes the postulates of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Although these Indian religious beliefs differ ....
Question : Examine why Man has a desire for Immortality
(2009)
Answer : Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in a physical or spiritual form for an infinite or inconceivably vast length of time. As immortality is the negation of mortality, not dying or not being subject to death, it has been a subject of fascination to humanity since at least the beginning of history. The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the first literary works, dating back at least to the 22nd century BC, is ....
Question : Possibility of rational understanding of immortality and liberation.
(2008)
Answer : Liberation is experienced in this very life as dissolution of the sense of self as an egoistic personality by which the underlying, eternal, pure spirit is uncovered. This desire less state concludes the yogic path through which conditioned mentality-materiality or nama-roopa (lit. name-form) has been dissolved uncovering one’s eternal identity prior to the mind/spirit’s identification with material form. Liberation is achieved by (and accompanied with) the complete stilling of all passions, a state of being ....
Question : Explain the doctrine of the Law of Karma. Is it compatible with the freedom of the will? Discuss.
(2007)
Answer : The question of karma, destiny and free will has baffled the scholars and philosophers from time immemorial. It is the most misunderstood and misinterpreted subject in the philosophy of life. However, the ancient sages were very clear in understanding this subject and have tried to elucidate us through their teachings. Here, Vedic astrology plays an important role in trying to explain the role of karma, destiny and free will. This is a very complicated and ....
Question : “Without some conceptions of immortality of soul, religion is meaningless.”
(2006)
Answer : A religion is a set of stories, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural quality, that give meaning to the practitioner’s experiences of life through reference to an ultimate power or reality. It may be expressed through prayer, ritual, meditation, music and art, among other things. It may focus on specific supernatural, metaphysical, and moral claims about reality (the cosmos, and human nature) which may yield a set of religious laws, ethics, and a ....
Question : Is Christian doctrine of the immortality of soul compatible with Gita’s doctrine of atman? Discuss
(2005)
Answer : As immortality is the negation of mortality-not dying or not being subject to death-it has been a subject of fascination to mankind since at least the beginning of history. The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the first literary works, dating back at least to the 22nd century BC, is primarily a quest of a hero seeking to become immortal. Christians tend to understand the soul in moral rather than philosophical terms. In this understanding, when ....
Question : Relation between religion and salvation.
(2004)
Answer : Many people get the terms "religion" and "salvation" confused. It's easy to understand why one looks so much like the other on the surface. Religion emphasizes do while salvation emphasizes done. You can find many good places and denominations that emphasize good works, moral living, rituals, etc.
There is nothing inherently wrong with these things God knows we could use a lot more moral people. But such outward deeds are man's futile efforts to make him ....
Question : Can the result of a finite action of an individual (Karma) determine the nature of the immortal soul (atman)?
(2003)
Answer : The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word Karma is deeds, including thoughts and words. The finite action here refers to the Nishkama karma or selfless deeds. However, according to Jainism, Karmas are invisible, fine particles of matter prevailing all around us just like the air particles.Our souls attract these karmas through activities related to mind, body and speech. This means every time we get angry, we attract karmas, every time we kill someone, we attract ....
Question : What is meant by immortality of soul? Analyze the arguments of the Bhagavadgita in this regard.
(2002)
Answer : Hindus believe in an immortal soul which is reincarnated after death. According to Hinduism, people repeat a process of life, death, and rebirth in a cycle called samsara. If they live their life well, their karma improves and their station in the next life will be higher, and conversely lower if they live their life poorly. Eventually after many life times of perfecting its karma, the soul is freed from the cycle and lives in ....
Question : Advaita Vedanta Theory of Jivanmukti.
(2002)
Answer : In Indian religions, Moksha or Mukti literally is the liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth or reincarnation and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence. In Hindu philosophy, it is seen as a transcendence of phenomenal being, a state of higher consciousness, in which matter, energy, time, space, causation (karma) and the other features of empirical reality are understood as maya. In Advaita philosophy, the ultimate truth is not a ....
Question : Immortality of Soul.
(2000)
Answer : In many religions and parts of philosophy, the soul is the immaterial part of a person. It is usually thought to consist of one's thoughts and personality, and can be synonymous with the spirit, mind or self. In theology, the soul is often believed to live on after the person's death, and some religions posit that God creates souls. In some cultures, non-human living things, and sometimes inanimate objects are said to have souls, a ....
Question : Elaborate the nature of Liberation according to Advaita Vedanta.
(2000)
Answer : A very important assumption in all Vedanta is that man suffers from bondage in the course of his life in this world. This is said to be samsara, which involves being caught in an endless cycle of births and deaths. The quest therefore is to seek a way out of this bondage, to break the cycle of rebirths and attain Moksha or liberation. The most important issues in Vedanta have to be understood with respect ....
Question : Explain the significance of the doctrine of reincarnation in the Indian religious thought. Examine the chief arguments given in support of the doctrine.
(1998)
Answer : Reincarnation is a doctrine or metaphysical belief that some essential part of a living being (in some variations only human beings) survives death to be reborn in a new body. This essential part is often referred to as the spirit or soul, the "higher" or "true" self, "divine spark", or "I". According to such beliefs, a new personality is developed during each life in the physical world, but some part of the self remains constant ....
Question : The path of Disinterested Action.
(1997)
Answer : Nishkam Karma, or self-less or disinterested action is an action performed without any expectation of fruits or results, and the central tenet of Karma Yoga path to Liberation, which has now found place not just in business management, management studies but also in promoting better Business ethics as well. Its modern advocates press upon achieving success following the principles of Yoga, and stepping beyond personal goals and agendas while pursuing any action over greater good, ....
Question : Bring out the inter-relationship between various paths leading to Moksha and indicate the value of Moksha.
(1995)
Answer : Moksha is a term that refers to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Every person must strive hard and prefer good deeds, so that his soul may rest in peace after his death. A person, who attains Moksha, gets freedom from all sorts of sufferings and pain. When a person gives every materialistic pleasures of life and gets involved in social activities to serve mankind, he heads his way towards heaven. Well, Moksha ....