Thanks Gonzalo for your comments. About your question, Shivam can be understood both as a name for the supreme Deity and also as a quality - that of auspiciousness. I don't think that Good as a distinct quality is included in this threefold distinction, although auspiciousness could be considered very similar to it. So I would be inclined to say that while the two schemas are in some ways analogous they don't exactly map onto each other, although no doubt they approximate, each in it own way, to a truth beyond words.
As our classic thinkers said, darkness is nothing in itself, it is only the absence of Light. Equally, ugliness is nothing but the absence of Beauty, falsehood is nothing but the absence of Truth, evil is nothing but the absence of Good. Absence, parody, mockery.
By the way, I am very much interested in your reference to "the threefold Vedic formula Satyam Shivam Sundaram: God (Shiva) as the essence of Truth (Sat) and Beauty (Sundaram)". There's some analogous idea in Christian thinking, but in this case God is the essence of Truth, Beauty and Good (so that These Three lead sooner or later to Him). With the rude limitations of the geometric language, we could say that God is in the centre of triangle, not at one of its vertices.
My question for you, then, is this: is there a place for Good next to Truth and Beauty in the Vedic tradition?
Thanks Gonzalo for your comments. About your question, Shivam can be understood both as a name for the supreme Deity and also as a quality - that of auspiciousness. I don't think that Good as a distinct quality is included in this threefold distinction, although auspiciousness could be considered very similar to it. So I would be inclined to say that while the two schemas are in some ways analogous they don't exactly map onto each other, although no doubt they approximate, each in it own way, to a truth beyond words.
Marvellous piece of thought!
As our classic thinkers said, darkness is nothing in itself, it is only the absence of Light. Equally, ugliness is nothing but the absence of Beauty, falsehood is nothing but the absence of Truth, evil is nothing but the absence of Good. Absence, parody, mockery.
By the way, I am very much interested in your reference to "the threefold Vedic formula Satyam Shivam Sundaram: God (Shiva) as the essence of Truth (Sat) and Beauty (Sundaram)". There's some analogous idea in Christian thinking, but in this case God is the essence of Truth, Beauty and Good (so that These Three lead sooner or later to Him). With the rude limitations of the geometric language, we could say that God is in the centre of triangle, not at one of its vertices.
My question for you, then, is this: is there a place for Good next to Truth and Beauty in the Vedic tradition?
Gonzalo
Super - and super-important - thesis. Bravo! Let it be spread far and wide....
Thanks James, I'll see what I can do!