The Causal Presently

This contribution investigates some philosophical notions that Śāntānanda

Sarasvatī, a contemporary proponent of the ancient Vedantic non-dualism (an

advaitin) presents. Also, how this vision (darshan) may contribute to current

Philosophical investigation as a ‘Way of Life’ in Pierre Hadot’s terms. Living

with and from a view of some beyond, some other, ‘sub specie aeternitatis,’

as he so famously puts it. Mahārāja Śrī Śāntānanda Sarasvatī (1913–97) was

Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math monastery, an instituted proponent

of Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta from 1953 to 1980. He was a direct disciple of

Brahmananda Saraswati (1871–1953), also known as Guru Dev and succeeded

him as Shankaracharya for modern times. The author proposes to investigate

some Advaita, non-dual philosophical notions that arise from the practice and

application of the causal (i.e., ‘spiritual’ in Hadot’s terms) advice culled from

the Sanskrit Upanishadic texts in the light of the published conversations Śrī

Śāntānanda Sarasvatī held as from 1965 to 1993 (Śāntānanda Sarasvatī, Mahārāja

Śrī, Conversations with Mahārāja Śrī Śāntānanda Sarasvatī, The School of

Economic Science, London, 2017–19).