Comparison With Western Non-dualism
Baruch Spinoza, the 17th century Dutch rationalist philosopher, in his magnum work Ethics establishes the nature of God. Spinoza's pantheism (i.e. God revealed as orderly nature) is comparable to Brahman (having the individual selves' and Universe as its body)
Spinoza makes the following propositions on the nature of God in his work "Ethics". These positions closely reflect the VishistAdvaitic position on the nature of Brahman:
- PROPOSITION XI. God, or substance consisting of infinite attributes, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality, necessarily exists.
- PROPOSITION XV. Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived.
- PROPOSITION XVII. God acts solely by the laws of his own nature and is not constrained by anyone.
- PROPOSITION XVIII. God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things.
- PROPOSITION XIX. God and all the attributes of God are eternal.
- PROPOSITION XXX. Intellect, in function finite, or in function infinite, must comprehend the attributes of God and the modifications of God, and nothing else.
Read more about this topic: Vishishtadvaita
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