Beyond Compare: St. Francis de Sales and Sri Vedanta Desika on Loving Surrender to God

Contents

Preface xi Chapter 1 Two Spiritual Classics and the 1 Possibilities They Present I. On Writing as a Scholar beyond Himself: 1996 1 II. Reading Loving Surrender across 6 Religious Boundaries 1. Vedanta De2ika, His Srivaisnava Tradition, 6 and the Essence 2. Francis de Sales, His Catholic Tradition, 14 and His Treatise 3. Vedanta De2ika and Francis de Sales, 21 Brought into Conversation 4. “Loving Surrender” as the Key in 23 This Double Reading III. Some Cautions as We Look Ahead 25 Chapter 2 Thinking, Writing, Reading: 32 Finding a Path to Loving Surrender I. The Problem of Reason in Interpreting 32 Religious Truths 1. Reason’s Limits and Potential in the Treatise 34 a. De Sales on Pagan and Christian Learning 44 2. Reason’s Limits and Potential in the Essence 46 a. The Ascent of the Mind and Heart to God 53 Contents II. Conversion: Reason and the Leap Beyond 56 1. De2ika on Conversion 56 2. De Sales on Conversion 60 III. The Self-Understanding and Intentions of 67 De2ika and de Sales as Writers 1. Why de Sales Writes, and with What Authority 67 2. Why De2ika Writes, and with What Authority 70 IV. From Writer to Reader: On the Exercise 77 of Religious Reading 1. Paul Griffiths 77 2. Pierre Hadot 79 Chapter 3 Awakening: Reading and Learning on 83 the Way to God I. Scripture, Inscribed in the Treatise and Essence 85 1. De Sales’ Use of Scripture 86 a. Appropriating Scripture’s Wisdom 90 b. An Example: The Liquefaction of the Soul 94 2. De2ika’s Use of Scripture 98 a. “Five Things to Be Known”: First, God’s Nature 104 b. The Self and Obstacles to Attaining God 109 II. Engaging the Reader: Person to Person 112 1. De Sales Makes It Personal: Learning by Example 113 a. Reports of Heroic Persons 113 b. Addressing the Reader: O, Theotimus 119 2. De2ika’s Sparer, More Traditional Approach 121 a. Hearing Great Persons 121 of the Srivaisnava Tradition b. Shifting the Way We Read: From Prose 124 to Poetry c. A Lineage of Verses, A Lineage of Teachers 127 III. Reading More Intensely to Discover a Destiny 132 1. The Particulars of Rapture: Advice 133 from Charles Altieri 2. The Complex Text and the Complex Reader 139 viii Contents Chapter 4 Loving Surrender: Insight, Drama, 142 and Ecstasy I. The Theological Presuppositions 143 of Self-Abandonment 1. De Sales: Freely Choosing to Let God Be All in All 143 2. De2ika: From Devotion to Human Readiness 146 II. De2ika’s Exegesis of the Dvaya Mantra 149 1. The First Clause: I approach for refuge the feet of 153 Narayana with Sri a. I approach Narayana: Narayanam prapadye 154 b. I approach Narayana with Sri: 154 Sriman-Narayanam prapadye c. I approach the feet of Narayana with Sri: 156 Srimannarayana-caranau prapadye d. For refuge I approach the feet of Narayana with 157 Sri: Srimannarayana-caranau 2aranam prapadye e. I approach: prapadye 159 2. The Second Clause: Obeisance 160 to Narayana with Sri a. With Sri: Srimate 161 b. For Narayana: Narayana-aya 161 c. Obeisance: namah 162 3. The Whole Dvaya Mantra 163 III. De Sales on Love and Loving Surrender 166 1. The Foundations of Love 166 2. A Note on Deep Pleasure (Complaisance) 169 3. Deep Pleasure, Conformity, and Obedience 171 4. The Role of the Indifferent Heart 174 5. De Sales’ Mantra? 181 IV. Loving Surrender—Intensified 182 Chapter 5 As We Become Ourselves: On the 189 Ethics of Loving Surrender and of Persistence in Reading I. Life after Loving Surrender to God 190 1. De2ika on Life after Refuge 190 2. De Sales on Life after Loving Surrender 196 Contents ix II. On Being a Religious Reader and Writer after the 202 Essence and Treatise 1. On Becoming the Right Person 203 2. Reason Humbled and Restored (Chapter 2) 204 3. The Grounded, Liberated, Passionate Reader 206 (Chapter 3) 4. The Vulnerability and Safe Haven of the 208 (Inter)Religious Reader (Chapter 4) III. A Final Word 210 Notes 213 Bibliography 249 Index 255 x Contents ...