A guide to clear thinking
Mumbai-based Vedanta scholar Janki Santoke will be in conversation with author and former IAS officer Vivek Atray at an online session being organised by the Chandigarh Literary Society (CLS) on Saturday.
Santoke will discuss her book How Do You Know What You Know? and the Vedanta philosophy during the session that will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook from 6pm to 7pm.
Ask her what led her to explore the murky waters of clear thinking & discernment and Santoke says, “I studied Vedanta and found that many people misunderstand philosophies passed down by our sages. For instance, it is said ‘do your duty’ but it does not mean that a woman doesn’t leave an abusive husband because I have to do my duty. It is an absurd understanding of the concept. We have fabulous concepts in our country and we misapply them in absurd ways.
It is said that one must be in control of one’s senses but it does not mean that one should not enjoy life.”
A wise man rightly said what use are all scriptures for a person without his pragyan (intellect)? What use is a mirror to a blind man? Since I have been teaching the subject, I am astounded by the questions I receive. When people say we should be detached from family and friends, they start becoming cold and indifferent to their friends. Detachment is love. It is allowing other people to be what they are. People jumble philosophy and then reject it without understanding a concept.”
How can people overcome this deficit? “We have to develop an intellect through attending classes and through study of Vedanta. Guidance is not enough. We must develop our own intellect. There is no other salvation for mankind. We are not taught to think in schools but told to mug up information. No one will handhold us in life. We must deal with its challenges sensibly be it Covid-19, a rocky marriage or money problems,” she says.
Santoke holds weekly online classes on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Her videos are available on YouTube (Team Janki Santoke). More information is available at https:// janki.santoke.com/