Research on the Philosophy of Madhvācārya by Indian Christian Scholars

Indian philosophy is a perennial stream of wisdom and integration. The more you chew, the more you relish; the more you reflect the more you feel how less you understood; the more you integrate with your faith, the more you feel one with reality. Indologists of East and West have tried to grasp this truth, but all found it like emptying sea in the pot. Indian Christian thinkers tried to dialogue with this rich culture. 

Here I enumerate five stalwarts who tried to understand and dialogue Christian philosophy with Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya. All have come out with their own unique contribution to the vast pool of knowledge.

1. Prof. Ignatius Puthiadam
Prof. Ignatius Puthiadam is a Jesuit priest of Madurai province, Tamilnadu. He studied under the well-known Catholic theologians like Karl Rahner and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). 

He has taught philosophy at Shembaganur Jesuit Philosophate and Business Ethics in XLRI (initially known as Xavier Labour Relations Institute. Now it is called Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand). 

He has contributed a lot to the field of inter-religious dialogue and research. He founded ‘Maitri Bhavan’ (Home of Friendship) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is the former and original dialogue centre in Varanasi Catholic diocese which is a full-fledged parish now near Banaras Hindu University. He also founded the dialogue centre at Kanyakumari ‘Thozhamai Illam.’

He has authored a number of books and articles on Hindu-Christian themes. “God in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and Śrī Madhvācārya”; “Viṣṇu the Ever Free: A Study of the Mādhva Concept of God”; “The Christian Faith Creed in the Indian Context” (co-authored with Xavier Irudayaraj SJ); “Come, let us celebrate: Meeting God in Christian and non-Christian feasts”; “Ignatian Spiritual Exercises in Dialogue with Hinduism and Buddhism” (An Eight Day Retreat); “Theology of Religions in the Indian Context” (article) are his significant works which have contributed to in interfacing Hinduism and Christianity.

In the latter part of his life, he is focusing more on Christian theology and spirituality. The following are his writings on this area: “A short history of Religious Life: From the Desert of Egypt to the Oasis of the Second Vatican Council”; “Religious Life and Maturity”; “Called, Consecrated, and Commissioned: A Guide to Religious Life and Formation”; “Meditation and Contemplation: The Way to Wholeness and Holiness”; “Lent and Easter: Readings, Psalms and Reflections”; “Advent and Christmas: Readings, Psalms, and Reflections”; “Christian Liturgy: The Re-Presentation of the Greatest God-Human Story”; “Transforming Prayer: Prayer Exercises”; “Fr. De Nobili A Trendsetter; “Wisdom Stories.”

“Viṣṇu the Ever Free: A Study of the Mādhva Concept of God” is an excellent book for the study of Dvaita Vedānta of Madhva. It thematically and reflectively analyses the concepts and contributions of the philosophy of Madhva. It is an important reading for those who venture into Mādhvavedānta. It is a work done by consulting original sources of Dvaita.


2. Prof. Devadatta Kamath

Devadatta Kamath is a Jesuit priest of Karnataka province. He is a thinker, philosopher and historian. He has taught philosophy (especially Hinduism) in St. Joseph’s Inter-diocesan Seminary, Mangaluru. He is well-versed in Konkani, Latin, Kannada and English along with many other languages.

He has authored a novel too, and got it published at his young age just to meet his educational needs. As a historian, he has written histories of Mangaluru Diocese, Karnataka Jesuit Province of the Society of Jesus (The Burning Bush: A History of the Karnataka Jesuit Province of the Society of Jesus, Part One, 1878-1955, Volume 1 & 2), Rosario Cathedral Church and few other histories.

He wrote the life of Fr. Urban Stein, the founder of Ursuline Franciscan Sisters (UFS). His work ಜನಕನ ಮನದನ್ನ (Janakana Manadanna i.e., Jesus is the Father’s mind’s food) is an excellent rendering of the life of Jesus Christ in Kannada using poetic genre. 

He did his research on “The Doctrine of Jīvātman in the Works of Madhvācārya” from Karnataka University, Dharwad in 1972. It is very reflective, critical and creative in its content. 

He revisits Mādhvavedānta in an original way by consulting original sources. Unfortunately, his thesis is not yet published. When he was asked for the reason about it, he said, ‘that time it was not a need and now I am not keen on doing it.’ He says 'my convictions about life, philosophy and religion have changed tremendously over the years.' Presently, he is working on a book which deals with his approach towards existential realities and ultimate reality. He is a deep thinker and rationalist.


3. Prof. Dominic Charles Vas

Dominic Vas is a Carmelite priest of Karnataka-Goa province. His areas of interest are Indian Philosophy and Comparative Religion. His expertise is in Dvaita and Thomistic Philosophy. 

He obtained a PhD in Philosophy from Bangalore University in 1996 on the topic, “Origin and Destiny: St. Thomas Aquinas and Śrī Madhvācārya, a Comparative Critique.”

His book is a very good comparative critical study of the philosophical, theological and spiritual insights of two great masters of the medieval West and East. The author has highlighted with insights and imagination the relevance of such comparative critical studies contributing to contemporary inter-religious dialogues. He has taught the course, “Vaiṣṇavism, Śaivism and other minor traditions”  at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Mangaluru.


4. Prof. Henry D’Almeida

Prof. Henry D’Almeida is a Jesuit priest of Karnataka province. Presently he is a professor of Indian Studies and Languages at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. He began his teaching career in Indian Philosophy at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Mangaluru as a scholastic during his regency. He is a polyglot, well-versed in Konkani, Kannada, English, Marathi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit.

Prof. Henry D'Almeida

He can also manage few other languages. He caught hold of the challenges of life from his childhood days and achieved much more in life through his hard-work, especially in Indology. Though his initial interest was science, he has put his hands in Indian Philosophy. He has a brilliant memory power and excellent teaching pedagogy. He is a voracious reader and down to the earth person. 

He teaches many subjects of philosophy including languages like Sanskrit and Pali. He holds an M.A. in Sanskrit and PhD in philosophy from Pune University. He also holds a Licentiate degree in Theology from Vidyajyoti, Delhi. He teaches philosophy, theology and Kannada in various institutes. He has a vast personal collection of resources on Indology (nearly 7000 books). He always insists on studying philosophy by approaching the original sources. He is an inspiring personality and a guide. As a native of Uḍupi district, his area of specialisation is Dvaita Vedānta. His thesis is titled as, “A Hermeneutical Approach to Śrī Madhvācārya’s Interpretation of the Śrutis.” The work is not yet published. Hope it will be published soon! He has published some articles for different journals. Otherwise, he is not so keen on publishing. His interests are more on reading, studying and integrating. 

5. Dr. Ivan D'Souza

Ivan D'Souza hails from the land Uḍupi, Karnataka, a Catholic priest belongs to the diocese of Mangaluru. 

Dr. Ivan D'Souza

He defended his Doctoral thesis on Madhva on January 24, 2018, at JDV-Pune (http://jdv.edu.in/) in the field of Dvaita Vedānta of Madhva, a Hindu philosopher of 12th century belonging to the Vaiṣṇava tradition. The doctoral thesis is entitled, "PARAMAMUKHYAVṚTTI (SUPER-PRIMARY MEANING) IN DVAITA VEDĀNTA OF MADHVA: A Hermeneutical Probe into its Scriptural Application and Significance." 

This is an unique contribution to the world of Philosophy. He has hermeneutically analyzed the key aspect of Madhva vedanta from its original sources and expressed it as a tool to read any scriptures of any tradition.  Just as Madhva has understood the key aspect of the scripture as Vishnu (vishnu as the semantic referent), so too each scripture has its own semantic reference. This has to be seen hermeneutically in entire scriptural writings when the reader reads it. 

In his own words, "He emphatically establishes that Viṣṇu alone is the focal point of entire Vedic writings. He employs an unparalleled hermeneutical technique known as paramamukhyavṛtti, the super-primary meaning in all his writings."

Ivan D'Souza with Prof. Henry D'Almeida

He feels, that the "Paramamukhyavṛtti can be seen as a Paragon for scriptural interpretations.... Like Brahmasutras, the Gospel of John is aphoristic in nature. Hence, as a Mādhvavedāntic suggestion to Christianity some Biblical scholars can read the ‘happening’ of paramamukhyavṛtti in the Gospel of John."

Raju Felix Crasta interacting during the Doctoral Defense

There are many ways of reading a scripture. It can be read from the perspectives of different classes of people, from the viewpoint of different traditions, religions or by applying different hermeneutical strategies. In the West we see Liberative reading, Marxist reading, Feminist reading, Deconstructive reading, Structural reading, Post-colonial reading, Post-modern reading, etc. 

Ivan interacting with the great Dvaita scholar, Sanskrit expert and Indologist Dr Bannanje Govindarcarya Udupi

In the olden times for Biblical exegesis and reading, for example, the methods like Reader-response criticism, Narrative criticism, Historical criticism, Textual criticism were adopted. Though there are enough number of hermeneutical techniques within Eastern traditions and religions very few attempts have been made to implement them in reading the sacred scriptures. The present study can be a handy reference to commence Dvaita reading of Scriptures by using the tool of paramamukhyavṛtti.

आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वत (Rgveda 1.89.1)

Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta
The Blog Master

My Personal World-View

COSMOTHEANDRIC UNITY

Human life is beautiful and wonderful. One cannot grasp the depth of it. One can choose to live for oneself or for others. Even if one chooses to live for self, has to relate with the ‘other’. The other can be his fellow being, the nature around or some supernatural reality. Being living on the earth, one ought to relate and depend on the earth and its essentials. These earthly and relational essentials support the person. This does not mean, that the person can fragment the earth for one’s greed and need. One may negate the existence of the Divine and profess to be an atheist, but cannot negate the transcendental or metaphysical existence which is still a mystery for humans. A person cannot exist without the help and support from 'the other.' The very birth of a person involves at least two individuals whom we call parents. Thus, this whole world is nothing but a ‘web of relations.’

This web of relationship is seen from the microcosm to macrocosm. Let’s take a tiny atom, say a Hydrogen atom. Within it, there is a proton, a neutron and an electron. All three are in perfect unity. A slight change in the spin of electron or position of proton, will affect the very nature and property of the Hydrogen atom. If just one electron is added to it, the whole atom becomes an inert atom, Helium. Similarly, in a large scenario, the whole universe is related to every single atom. The motion of planets, stars and galaxies too are in perfect harmony. A slight disturbance in the structure or movement of a star causes enormous harm to the stellar harmony. One cannot but wonder as to who is the master-architect behind this. Of course, it is not human being.

When we analyze our own surrounding, this beautiful mystery may unfold us. Let’s take a fresh water pond as an ecosystem to unfurl the inter-relationship. The pond may be naturally formed or human made. In any case, it supports not only human beings, but also hundreds and thousands of lives. There are living beings in the water, there are beings live on both land and water, and there are lives which depend on this pond for the survival but do not live in water. Even within the water there are fishes or living organisms that feed on other fishes or lower organisms. This relationship is intrinsically needed, if not the other living beings will multiply and cause greater harm. So the nature itself puts a restriction. In Darwinian sense, it is 'the Natural Selection.' The bottom of the lake is inhabited by certain molluscs, which feed on the dirt and thus reduce the harm done to the other living organisms living at the centre and periphery of water. If those molluscs were not there, the life of other organism would have been tough.

When there are lots fishes, the birds and other animals which feed on fish will find their homes around the pond. There will be water birds, wild ducks, sparrows, cranes, snakes, mongooses and other animals making their way. If there were no mongooses, the number of snakes would increase and that would create havoc for the humans. When there are more mongooses, the birds such as eagles and vultures will find their way. The same pond may be a life-line for humans who depend on it for the food and water. Not only this, it may serve food for the aesthetic hunger of many.

Human being is endowed with three essential things: Knowledge, Body and Spirit. Knowledge is related to reasoning and thus it represents the human aspect of the reality. The ability to think, reason out and the wisdom which he applies to the situations of life allows one to transcend from one sphere to the other. Body is the cosmic reality. It is the body which is the vehicle for knowledge. The divine aspect of the reality is Spirit. Human is both spirit and body. All these three things make a person human being. What lacks in other beings is the knowledge aspect which differentiates from the others.  

The web of relationship first and foremost makes a person aware of the potentiality and goodness one has within and without and at the same time teaches one to be the stewards of nature. Therefore, desecrating one’s body, one’s mind and spirit basically is a sin. This applies even towards the cosmos and divine. Any act of misuse of one’s potentiality is also a quality of unbecoming. In this regard, misuse of nature and natural diversity is a grave unpardonable sin.

The wisdom one has, need to be translated into our relationship with the ‘other.’ Thus, this inter-relationship necessarily becomes ‘spiritual’. This spiritual relationship enables one to lead a life of harmony, respect and love; to heal the wounded beings, assists one to listen to the groaning of the other with compassion which will enable to act concretely, reminds of one’s sacred mission and duty to be catalysts in becoming messengers of peace and above all invites one to abandon the destructive and disrespectful attitude towards one and all.

Thus, the world-view, I comprehend is of an inter-related, ‘cosmotheandric’ and pan-en-theistic. Every reality is relational. Even a leaf does not fall down from a tree without a silent knowledge and cosmic approval. It has its own significance in making the universe, an ‘oikos.’ Our spirituality, aesthetics, rituals, sacred and secular dealings find their expression here in making our earth, a Home of Love.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Coloured Glasses

"Life, like a dome of many-colored glass, stains the white radiance of eternity"

P. B. Shelley

Decorating ancient buildings with coloured glasses is an art, and is also a delicacy to the eyes. Picturesque paintings and arrangement of glasses in the ancient Churches, Synagogues, theaters and worship places is a symbol of divine. They allow light in different colours to pass through which give a heavenly atmosphere. There is a long history for the genesis of coloured glasses and glass art which I do not want to comment on. What brings a wonder for me is the phenomenology of the coloured glass!

Glass is a surface, be it on a window panel or in any other shape, allows the ray of light to pass in and out. When the light passes through, it reflects the colour which the glass possesses. Deeper the colour of the glass, deeper is the colour of the light. If the glass surface is full of art and design, ditto will be the colour. Darker and opaque the glass, vague will be the light; thinner and transparent the glass, clearer and brighter the light.

Often in the glass cases we read the inscription, “Glass wares, handle with care!”  Glass wares are delicate and can break easily. At the same time, they are very precious. If broken, difficult to put it in order, unless, they are processed again. However, if one processes, the original attire seldom can be attained.

Every human being is like a coloured glass. They are precious, valuable and unique. The values double when they reflect the colour which they possess. More opaque, darker is the colour; transparent the glass, clearer is the vision. Deeper the colour, harder the reflection; more transparency, better transparency is in the personality.

We human beings are multi-coloured glasses. We reflect coloured shades. Rather than reflecting back, we need to allow the light to enter in. While allowing the light to enter in, we need to allow the light to fall into different hues of our glassy personality. Then, the incoming shade will be more colourful. Once we allow different colours to enter in, the reality appearing within will be far more beautiful than otherwise.

Should we allow every light to enter in? I feel, no. We need to filter the light we are receiving. There are hundreds and thousands of rays we are bombarded at every moment. It is up to us, to allow which one is better for me and others to see and experience. There are glasses which block ultra-violet rays and glasses which block infrared and radio waves. Similarly, in our bodies too, there should be areas where such glasses are to be fitted to block such carcinogenic rays. For the healthy culture to shine within the theater of our selves healthy, well decorated, artistic and colourful glasses are essential. Only then, the picture exhibited within will be glorious.

There is an English idiom which goes like this, “Rose-coloured glasses” or “Rose-coloured spectacles” which means, “if someone thinks about or looks at something with rose-coloured glasses, they think it is more pleasant than it really is.” The farther meadow is always greener. It is nothing but masked personality. The reality in fact is fresh and beautiful, but the masked person is not able to perceive in its pristine clear state. The reality is attained only when one experiences it in one’s life.  It is the case with most of the ‘white-collared people,’ who often make rules and regulations for others and they themselves do not have any realistic idea of it. The people wearing rose-coloured glasses often use flowery language, idiomatic expressions and claim to know things better than others. I call this kind of people, ‘over-enthusiasts.’

Some people artificially paint attractive colours on their self-glasses. And some people regret not being painted. What is more important to note here is, the frustration of not being the original paint.  It is by divine providence that each and every individual is given with ample colours in life (say for example, the talents).  However, they are not satisfied with these and therefore, try to paint artificial colours and end up with gloomy pictures. As the proverb goes, “face is the index of the mind,” they exhibit themselves their real inner picture.  On the other hand, there are people who act what actually they are, but remain skeptic about their own beauty. And at times they shut their theater door so as not to allow anyone to enjoy the art. Are both extremes healthy? Nay. One should note that ‘to be authentic is to be natural.’ But at times, there may be some cracking and leaking areas which need immediate attention to.

There is a tendency in some people to ‘weep over the broken glass.’ Will the broken glass recover itself? Can any glue fix it to bring its originality? Remember, we are living in the real world and neither in an imaginary world nor in the magical world.  A broken glass is a broken glass, is a broken glass and is a broken glass. It is a perfect past. Now be in the present perfect and look toward the future perfect. Ask yourself, ‘how shall I regain my lost colour and shape?’ It is perfect to have a broken glass. But the broken glass should be a lesson to build a perfect amphitheater where you entertain several broken glasses and thus lead them to their realization. It is nothing but ‘buying a new glass.’

The transparent natural glass allows the light to pass in without any difficulty. Natural glass is a “colourless” glass (Is there a glass called colourless?! Is the ‘colour’ my imagination? After all, does colour exist at all? Let me not gossip here). It allows one to see what is in and out without any trouble. In other words, transparent glass ‘reveals my nakedness.’ I am stripped off to my nakedness in front of the other. When Adam and Eve sinned they felt this ‘nakedness.’ I am revealed to the other what I am. Now the poets can see the beauty and can compose lyrics; beloved can taste and wonder; journalists can click pictures and report it in the daily mails; scientists can question and experiment; philosophers can philosophize, theologians can theologize, politicians can create polity. Amn’t I a butt of all the jokes to others?

Opaque glass is still an ‘artificial-natural’ glass. It is natural, because I am born with these colours. It is artificial because, I can paint the paint I would like to be. It is said, “humans are made and not born.”  We are made humans by our qualities and potentialities. The opaqueness does not allow or reflect the light completely. It arrests and keeps within itself the portion which should not be exposed. I am safe here for my nakedness is not exposed. No poets can compose, no sociologists, philosophers, theologians and scientists can reveal my inner self. But is this kind of life worth living?

I am in a troubled now. At one hand, coloured glass exposes my glory; on the other, colourless glass reveals my nakedness, making me feel shy. I feel I need to be transparent that I may be what I am. But, looking at the exposure of my nakedness, I feel I should be opaque and dark. Should I be, by the by have any colour at all? Colourfulness and colourlessness is my giveness. It is my actual life. Let me be that, and be fuller in life. What a chimera is this life!?

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Image url:

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