Description

The fundamental mysteries of the Vedic philosophical conclusions are unlocked for the first time in this English rendition of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s concise treatise on the Absolute Truth, Tattva-viveka. It consists of two chapters. In the book, he points out that the conditioned soul espouses and is subjected to a great variety of speculative explanations concerning the ontological truths of existence. All of these are flawed, and the Thakura points out just how they are so. However, this Tattva-viveka gives us real hope that the Absolute Truth can indeed be realized by any sincere and serious person in this lifetime. As a representative of that Supreme Reality, Thakura Bhaktivinoda, a fully self-realized and God-realized soul, briefly touches upon the philosophies of the West. He starts with the prominent Greek thinkers, and includes the Roman poet-philosopher, Lucretius. He then skips to the Age of Enlightenment and discusses Hume and Von Holbach, along with others. He culminates this review with an analysis of modern-day philosophers and philosophies, such as Huxley, Schopenhauer, Mill, and Auguste Comte. He goes into special detail in relation to Positivism. In Tattva-viveka, Bhaktivinoda Thakura also discusses, sometimes in detail, Eastern philosophies such as Sankhya, Nyaya, Vaisesika, Karma-mimamsa, and Patanjala-Yoga. There are expositions on Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity, as well. Finally, the Monist philosophy is considered. In the second chapter, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sums up everything by explaining the Absolute Truth from the perspective of the realized souls, who, wherever they are living in time and space-either on this planet, this universe, or in the spiritual world itself-are always in complete and perfect agreement.