Respected forum members,
Regular readers of the Interfaith Dialogs forum of SPN are well aware of the energetic debate that predictably arises whenever connections between Sikhism and vedantic philosophies are under study. Recently the debate has expanded to examine early influences on Islam. Adding to the complexity of these discussions is the early history of the vedas themselves. Who were the authors of the earliest vedas, puranas, sutras, and tantras? By this I mean authors in a cultural and linguistic sense, not individuals. Since these scriptures were first transmitted orally and then written as texts at a much later time, did original texts change? Has understanding of these writings also changed over time and with the centuries? Did the interaction of different cultures influence the interpretation of these scriptures?
So this thread has been created to discuss perspectives and readings related to the questions of this thread.
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Regular readers of the Interfaith Dialogs forum of SPN are well aware of the energetic debate that predictably arises whenever connections between Sikhism and vedantic philosophies are under study. Recently the debate has expanded to examine early influences on Islam. Adding to the complexity of these discussions is the early history of the vedas themselves. Who were the authors of the earliest vedas, puranas, sutras, and tantras? By this I mean authors in a cultural and linguistic sense, not individuals. Since these scriptures were first transmitted orally and then written as texts at a much later time, did original texts change? Has understanding of these writings also changed over time and with the centuries? Did the interaction of different cultures influence the interpretation of these scriptures?
So this thread has been created to discuss perspectives and readings related to the questions of this thread.
More...