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Shri Sadananda wrote:

>When the conscious entity tries to inquire into "what is

>consciousness?" -

>among the unconscious entities - he can not find it, unless he turns

>inwards and inquires who is this conscious inquirer inquiring into >the

consciousness - ANALYZE THE ANALYST - the very inquiry >disappears

leaving the inquirer in his full glory.

 

Would you please explain about unconscious entities?

Why does consciouness not present in unconscious entities?

 

How do you made a conclusion that one can't find consciousness in

unconscious entities?

 

If one understand about consciousness, will he not see it in unconscious

entities?

 

Regards

Madhavan.

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At 02:03 PM 10/2/98 PDT, Maadhavan Srinivasan wrote:

>Shri Sadananda wrote:

>

>>When the conscious entity tries to inquire into "what is

>>consciousness?" -

>>among the unconscious entities - he can not find it, unless he turns

>>inwards and inquires who is this conscious inquirer inquiring into >the

>consciousness - ANALYZE THE ANALYST - the very inquiry >disappears

>leaving the inquirer in his full glory.

>

>Would you please explain about unconscious entities?

>Why does consciouness not present in unconscious entities?

>

>How do you made a conclusion that one can't find consciousness in

>unconscious entities?

>

>If one understand about consciousness, will he not see it in unconscious

>entities?

 

Good question!! There's no more or less consciousness in "conscious"

entities than there is in "unconscious" entities. In fact, what can an

"entity" be? After all, what is the nature of ANY entity other than

Consciousness Itself?

 

--Greg

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Words, words words! Hope this helps.

 

After someone makes clear to you that the existent awareful self is all

pervasive, there is this problem of things which seem to have

consciousness like plants animals and people versus those that do not such

as rocks and furniture, carpets and kitchen utensils (add your own

favorites!). So what about those inert things? If I-awareness is

everwhere, what's the matter with them? Or how do we explain that the

I-awareness is everwhere but chairs, table, dishes and spoons are inert.

(Sorry, I'm having a guest for dinner thus the kitchen examples.)

 

That which is inert is known by the creator and by us. The creator, of

course, knows

all the laws which govern inert objects. We know the objects too. Inert

things participate shall we say via knownness in the consciousness that

animals and people reveal more directly. (About plants, one can have a

discussion. Conscious? Inert?)

 

Aikya Param

Berkeley, CA

http://members.xoom.com/aikya/aikya/

 

 

Gregory Goode <goode

advaitin <advaitin >; advaitin

<advaitin >

Friday, October 02, 1998 3:27 PM

Re: Consciousness

 

>Gregory Goode <goode

>

>At 02:03 PM 10/2/98 PDT, Maadhavan Srinivasan wrote:

>

>>Shri Sadananda wrote:

>>

>>>When the conscious entity tries to inquire into "what is

>>>consciousness?" -

>>>among the unconscious entities - he can not find it, unless he turns

>>>inwards and inquires who is this conscious inquirer inquiring into >the

>>consciousness - ANALYZE THE ANALYST - the very inquiry >disappears

>>leaving the inquirer in his full glory.

>>

>>Would you please explain about unconscious entities?

>>Why does consciouness not present in unconscious entities?

>>

>>How do you made a conclusion that one can't find consciousness in

>>unconscious entities?

>>

>>If one understand about consciousness, will he not see it in unconscious

>>entities?

>

>Good question!! There's no more or less consciousness in "conscious"

>entities than there is in "unconscious" entities. In fact, what can an

>"entity" be? After all, what is the nature of ANY entity other than

>Consciousness Itself?

>

>--Greg

>

>

>

>

>

>------

>NewHoo Web Directory -- built by an army of volunteer editors

>*** Now the 4th largest human-edited directory of the Web! ***

>http://www.NewHoo.com/ "HUMANS do it better"

>------

>Discussion of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, its true meaning,

profundity, richness and beauty with the focus on the non-duality between

mind and matter

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Aikya, Am I to asume that these so called "inert" objects have any

characteristic other than those which I notionally asign to them?? You are also

implying that I

and the "creator" are separate. This is something that I completely don't see.

How can I be separate from the Creator if Consciosness is all there

is?? Namasde Jon Evans

 

Aikya_Param wrote:

> "Aikya_Param" <aikya

>

> Words, words words! Hope this helps.

>

> After someone makes clear to you that the existent awareful self is all

> pervasive, there is this problem of things which seem to have

> consciousness like plants animals and people versus those that do not such

> as rocks and furniture, carpets and kitchen utensils (add your own

> favorites!). So what about those inert things? If I-awareness is

> everwhere, what's the matter with them? Or how do we explain that the

> I-awareness is everwhere but chairs, table, dishes and spoons are inert.

> (Sorry, I'm having a guest for dinner thus the kitchen examples.)

>

> That which is inert is known by the creator and by us. The creator, of

> course, knows

> all the laws which govern inert objects. We know the objects too. Inert

> things participate shall we say via knownness in the consciousness that

> animals and people reveal more directly. (About plants, one can have a

> discussion. Conscious? Inert?)

>

> Aikya Param

> Berkeley, CA

> http://members.xoom.com/aikya/aikya/

>

>

> Gregory Goode <goode

> advaitin <advaitin >; advaitin

> <advaitin >

> Friday, October 02, 1998 3:27 PM

> Re: Consciousness

>

> >Gregory Goode <goode

> >

> >At 02:03 PM 10/2/98 PDT, Maadhavan Srinivasan wrote:

> >

> >>Shri Sadananda wrote:

> >>

> >>>When the conscious entity tries to inquire into "what is

> >>>consciousness?" -

> >>>among the unconscious entities - he can not find it, unless he turns

> >>>inwards and inquires who is this conscious inquirer inquiring into >the

> >>consciousness - ANALYZE THE ANALYST - the very inquiry >disappears

> >>leaving the inquirer in his full glory.

> >>

> >>Would you please explain about unconscious entities?

> >>Why does consciouness not present in unconscious entities?

> >>

> >>How do you made a conclusion that one can't find consciousness in

> >>unconscious entities?

> >>

> >>If one understand about consciousness, will he not see it in unconscious

> >>entities?

> >

> >Good question!! There's no more or less consciousness in "conscious"

> >entities than there is in "unconscious" entities. In fact, what can an

> >"entity" be? After all, what is the nature of ANY entity other than

> >Consciousness Itself?

> >

> >--Greg

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >------

> >NewHoo Web Directory -- built by an army of volunteer editors

> >*** Now the 4th largest human-edited directory of the Web! ***

> >http://www.NewHoo.com/ "HUMANS do it better"

> >------

> >Discussion of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, its true meaning,

> profundity, richness and beauty with the focus on the non-duality between

> mind and matter

>

> ------

> NewHoo Web Directory -- built by an army of volunteer editors

> *** Now the 4th largest human-edited directory of the Web! ***

> http://www.NewHoo.com/ "HUMANS do it better"

> ------

> Discussion of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, its true meaning,

profundity, richness and beauty with the focus on the non-duality between mind

and matter

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Not saying that there is separateness in terms of satchitananda between the

creator and created. BUT there is a difference regarding the mind of the

creator (all knowing) and created minds (knowing a little) like ours and as

such a distinction can be made regarding how thoroughly an inert object is

known.

 

In common observation some things reveal consciousness more fully than

others: a human being more than a butterfly more than a rock. This is

according to our own observation/description of both the object and

consciousness. It may be that in the future we will discover more

consciousness in objects wwe know consider inert.

 

After someone sees the point that I-awareness is all-pervasive, the

existence of inert objects in this all pervasive consciousness can pose

a doubt. Questions arise like "If the consciousness is all pervading,

how could anything be inert?Is the I-awareness not there for inert

objects?" That is all I was addressing.

 

Aikya Param

Berkeley, CA

http://members.xoom.com/aikya/aikya/

 

 

Jon Evans <zenman

advaitin <advaitin >

Friday, October 02, 1998 8:30 PM

Re: Consciousness

 

>Jon Evans <zenman

>

>Aikya, Am I to asume that these so called "inert" objects have any

characteristic other than those which I notionally asign to them?? You are

also implying that I

>and the "creator" are separate. This is something that I completely don't

see. How can I be separate from the Creator if Consciosness is all there

>is?? Namasde Jon Evans

>

>Aikya_Param wrote:

>

>> "Aikya_Param" <aikya

>>

>> Words, words words! Hope this helps.

>>

>> After someone makes clear to you that the existent awareful self is all

>> pervasive, there is this problem of things which seem to have

>> consciousness like plants animals and people versus those that do not

such

>> as rocks and furniture, carpets and kitchen utensils (add your own

>> favorites!). So what about those inert things? If I-awareness is

>> everwhere, what's the matter with them? Or how do we explain that the

>> I-awareness is everwhere but chairs, table, dishes and spoons are inert.

>> (Sorry, I'm having a guest for dinner thus the kitchen examples.)

>>

>> That which is inert is known by the creator and by us. The creator, of

>> course, knows

>> all the laws which govern inert objects. We know the objects too. Inert

>> things participate shall we say via knownness in the consciousness that

>> animals and people reveal more directly. (About plants, one can have a

>> discussion. Conscious? Inert?)

>>

>> Aikya Param

>> Berkeley, CA

>> http://members.xoom.com/aikya/aikya/

>>

>>

>> Gregory Goode <goode

>> advaitin <advaitin >; advaitin

>> <advaitin >

>> Friday, October 02, 1998 3:27 PM

>> Re: Consciousness

>>

>> >Gregory Goode <goode

>> >

>> >At 02:03 PM 10/2/98 PDT, Maadhavan Srinivasan wrote:

>> >

>> >>Shri Sadananda wrote:

>> >>

>> >>>When the conscious entity tries to inquire into "what is

>> >>>consciousness?" -

>> >>>among the unconscious entities - he can not find it, unless he turns

>> >>>inwards and inquires who is this conscious inquirer inquiring into

>the

>> >>consciousness - ANALYZE THE ANALYST - the very inquiry >disappears

>> >>leaving the inquirer in his full glory.

>> >>

>> >>Would you please explain about unconscious entities?

>> >>Why does consciouness not present in unconscious entities?

>> >>

>> >>How do you made a conclusion that one can't find consciousness in

>> >>unconscious entities?

>> >>

>> >>If one understand about consciousness, will he not see it in

unconscious

>> >>entities?

>> >

>> >Good question!! There's no more or less consciousness in "conscious"

>> >entities than there is in "unconscious" entities. In fact, what can an

>> >"entity" be? After all, what is the nature of ANY entity other than

>> >Consciousness Itself?

>> >

>> >--Greg

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >------

>> >NewHoo Web Directory -- built by an army of volunteer editors

>> >*** Now the 4th largest human-edited directory of the Web! ***

>> >http://www.NewHoo.com/ "HUMANS do it better"

>> >------

>> >Discussion of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, its true meaning,

>> profundity, richness and beauty with the focus on the non-duality between

>> mind and matter

>>

>> ------

>> NewHoo Web Directory -- built by an army of volunteer editors

>> *** Now the 4th largest human-edited directory of the Web! ***

>> http://www.NewHoo.com/ "HUMANS do it better"

>> ------

>> Discussion of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, its true meaning,

profundity, richness and beauty with the focus on the non-duality between

mind and matter

>

>

>

>

>------

>Help support ONElist, while generating interest in your product or

>service. ONElist has a variety of advertising packages. Visit

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>------

>Discussion of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, its true meaning,

profundity, richness and beauty with the focus on the non-duality between

mind and matter

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>"Aikya_Param" <aikya

>..........

>After someone sees the point that I-awareness is all-pervasive, the

>existence of inert objects in this all pervasive consciousness can pose

>a doubt. Questions arise like "If the consciousness is all pervading,

>how could anything be inert?Is the I-awareness not there for inert

>objects?" That is all I was addressing.

>

>Aikya Param

>Berkeley, CA

 

I think this is the fundamental question - that was raised among the

different interpreters of the Vedanta.

 

Question - Does the inert existence exist without the consciousness present?

 

- Advaita brings adhyaasa or superimposition aspect to explain that the

inert-ness is only an apparent just as in dream, the inert world that is

created in the dream world is only superimposition on the waker's mind.

 

- Dvaita and VishishhTaadvaita resort taking Inert existence as basic as

conscious existence. jagat satyam and paramaatma satyam and jiiva satyam.

But to remove any implied resulting limitation on paramaatma, they all have

to agree the pervasive-ness for paramaatma even in the inert matter, yet

remaining different from it, leaving the inert matter still as inert. The

analogy is like space pervading the objects. The same scriptural

statements are again coated to support this view.

 

The fact that three Achaaryaas provided different interpretations using the

same scriptures, shows that there is at least sufficient ambiguity in the

scriptures for them to take up different thesis. Sanskrit being very

flexible language, it also provides that flexibility to interpret

differently.

 

Of course one can endlessly argue who is right; and that has also been

going on for the past few centuries.

 

Can logic provide an answer to resolve the issue? - In Brahmasuutra

bhaashyaas, logic is used by all the aachaaryaas to resolve the issues to

some extent. But logic is subsidiary to the shaastraas themselves.

 

B.Sutra3. shaastra yonitvat - Giving credence to shaastra as the pramaaNa

or means to resolve any contradictions. Interestingly all the three

aachaaryaas use the same shaastraas to discard any objections and to

establish their thesis. In fact, I find, Shankara resorted to logic many

times to assert implied meaning rather than the direct literary meaning,

while Ramanuja takes up the direct meaning than implied meaning. If fact,

sutraas, if one goes for direct meaning, seems to support more Ramanuja's

view than Shankara. This may be one reason why Sri Madhusuudana does not

give as much importance to B. Sutras. I would like to hear from Swami

Atmanandaji relating to this topic.

 

Ultimately, this is where, I think - anubhava or experience of the great

mahaatmaas like Ramana Maharshi in this century, helps to understand the

scriptures in correct import. The sloka starts something like

satvabhaavato chitvavetara .....? I don't remember the rest of the sloka -

Aikya can give us the sloka and the interpretation.

 

This also relates to Sri Nanda Chandran's assertion that consciousness is

not fundamental.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

 

 

 

 

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

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>"Maadhavan Srinivasan" <maadhavan

>

>Would you please explain about unconscious entities?

 

In principle - all objects that I call as this and this and this - idam

vastu. Ex. pot, chair, table etc.

 

'I am' is the only conscious entity.

>Why does consciouness not present in unconscious entities?

 

- Chair will start complaining when we sit on it- or it may become

selective who sits on it! - just kidding.

 

If consciouness is present in unconscious entities, then it can not be

called unconscious entities - is it not true?

>How do you made a conclusion that one can't find consciousness in

>unconscious entities?

 

Since consciouness is not an object - What we are conscious off are only

objects - which reflect as thoughts in the mind. If we can find 'it' -

then consciousness becomes it - an object of consciouness.

 

anya adheena prakaashatvam or anya adheena satvam - tat jadam - inert is

that whose existence or presence depends on the another(consciousness or

existence). Chair cannot say 'I am a chair' - a consciousness entity has to

confirm its existence. Please read if you can get hold of the analysis of

the "Schrodinger's' cat" -

>

>If one understand about consciousness, will he not see it in unconscious

>entities?

 

If one "understand consciouness" - it will not be as "this is consciouness"

- the true understanding will be " I am the consciouness" - since it is not

an object of consciousness but consciouness it self. Then what you say is

right - I see my self in everything and everything is in me - Everything in

consciouness, otherwise we can not be conscious off this and this and this.

- Please think about this! - & realize too!

 

It is just like the dream world - both living and non-living entities are

projection on the waker's mind. A waker's mind can say - I pervade the

whole dream world - they are all in me, but I am not in them ( in terms of

naama and ruupa). The naama and ruupa are only superimpositions on me. I am

in all of them but free from all of them. This will be the true

understanding.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

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  • 1 year later...

namaste,

 

As the French saying goes: "chacun a son gout" To each his own

taste!

 

Charvaka said something similar to what Ron says. The creative

impulse, moral virtues, empathy need to be developed by discipline not by

electrical stimulation of the brain, even if a 'religious' center has been

located.

 

If Ron is happy with his philosophy, maybe that is his choice or

fate, whichever he accepts.

 

Faith in intellectual solutions to existential problems/anxiety

has a role, but it is not a panacea. May his creative curiosity be tempered

by an understanding of other points of view. May he attain happiness and

peace and share them with others as well. His essay does neither at this

time.

 

 

Regards,

 

S.

 

 

----Original Message Follows----

"Vivekananda Centre" <vivekananda

advaitin

"Self Knowledge List" <selfknow-l, "list"

<ramakrishna >

Consciousness

Tue, 1 Feb 2000 15:33:20 -0000

 

"Vivekananda Centre" <vivekananda

 

 

____

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