RELG 252 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Para Brahman, Paramatman, Bhagavan

• School: McGill University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELG 252
• Professor: Andrea Marion Pinkney

Document Summary

Kabir: 1398-1518, exemplifier of nirguna bhakti, of north indian descent, stems from varanasi, occupation not certain but probably a weaver (non-bhraminical profession, said to have been born from a mixed religion family (hindu-muslim family). This demonstrates that he is a person who cuts across religious boundaries: usually depicted in pictures as an older man, kabir speaks to all religious people (even though religious division is a major part of indian society). Kabir had fierce critiques on castes, religious differences, and divisiveness: critiques both hindus and muslims for their external religious practices (ie pilgrimage) believing that it is false religious piety. Sectarianism: beyond our shared reality, non dual form, examples are of brahman, bhagavan, paramatman (these are not formally gods, they are intentionally generic. It refers to divinity without being locked into any form, gender, region, etc. ) 3 sections of sectarian traditions: vaishnava, derives from vishnu, vaishnava tradition: reveres vishnu (and his avatars or incarnations, esp.