Advaita Vedanta

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A persistant aspect of philosophy & religion is the causality of the

universe. Does the world have a cause? Is it a blind force or an

intelligent principle? Is there one cause, or many? Each school of

thought (Eastern) has a different responce.

 

Carvaka / materialism; contends that the merging of the four elements

are the cause of the world.

 

Nyaya-Vaisesika; contends that the natural world is composed of

atoms, & that the Prime Mover of these atoms is God.

 

Sankhya; contends that prakrti (Primal Matter) is in perpetual

motion, & the presence of a sentient soul (purusa) is the cause for

evolution to start.

 

Svabhavavada / naturalism; contends that the world is self-caused,

via the law of causation.

 

Yadrcchavada / accidentalism; contends that the world exists as mere

chance.

 

Advaita Vedanta falls under known of the above. The universe cannot

be the result of chance - for that would be the result of causation.

The world is not self-cause, because it is inert; therefore, it

cannot be its agent & patient in the same process. Nor can prakrti

account for the universe, for they are non-inteligent. The Absolute

cannot be the efficient cause .. for this would make the Absolute

conditioned by the same. Nor can the universe be a transformation of

the Absolute, for an Absolute that changes cannot be immutable.

 

So .. Advaita concludes that the universe is an illusory appearance /

vivarta of the Absolute Spirit. The world is a play of maya / maya-

vilasa.

 

It is the Self which is pure existence / sat that is the substrate of

the world-appearance. The world has no reality of its own; it is non-

real, or like unto that which is unreal. Meaning, the world is not

unreal like .. say, a jackalope; or is it real like the Self. The

world is anirvacaniya / indeterminable. It is what is illusorily

superimposed on the substrate Self. The world has no reality apart

from the Self; nor can it become manifest but for the consciousness

which is the Self.

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Hymn to Daksinamurti

written by Sankara

verses 1 -3

 

I praise Daksinamurti, the handsome youth who has expounded the truth

of non-duality by eloquent silence, who is surrounded by a group of

disciples consisting of aged sages who are absorbed in the

contemlation of the supreme Self, who is the prince among Preceptors,

who by his hand (by the union of his thumb & fore-finger) shows the

sign indicating the identity of the individual soul & the supreme

Self, who is the embodiment of bliss, who delights in the Self, & who

has a charming face.

 

To Him who by maya as by dream, sees within Himself the universe

which is inside Him, like unto a city that is seen in a mirror, but

which is manifested as if without: to Him who apprehends, at the time

of awakening, His own non-dual Self: to Him, of the form of the

Preceptor, the blessed Daksinamurti may this obeisance be!

 

To Him who, like a magician or even like a great Yogin, displays, by

His own will, this universe which at the beginning is

undifferentiated like the sprout in the seed, but which is made again

differentiated under the varied conditions of space & time posited by

maya: to Him, of the form of the Preceptor, the blessed Daksinamurti

may this obeisance be!

______

Om Santi ...

Yogini Sakti