That which is not is Maayaa!

[Guest guest]

Ram Chandran wrote:

>

>

> Let us examine the word ‘dream.' To whom is a dream a dream? A dream is

> a dream only to a person who has awakened from the dream. A dream is not

> a dream to the dreamer. So also the world is not a dream to you, me and

> everyone else who are still dreaming! The world is as real as you and I

> are - so long our mind exists. It has an empirical reality. When Sankara

> says it is a myth and a dream, it is so from the absolute point of view.

> His different orders of reality have to be understood well if we want to

> give sensible meanings to statements like Brahman is the Absolute Truth,

> the universe is a myth, Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithyaa. Once the mind

> merges itself in the infinite, when we have been awakened by the

> Absolute Consciousness overpowering us, we are then no more in the

> dreaming state and to such an awakened soul the world is indeed a dream

> and myth!

>

 

left without further qualification, this is

the philosophy of dvaita and samkya. it is

precisely this that prevents the mind from

ceasing its obsessive dualistic judgments.

 

the further qualification on the matter of

maya is the fact that it is illusory only in

a very special sense: if/when any aspect of

it or within it (the world, souls, and God)

is regarded as apart from brahman. that is,

the outbreath of brahman (saguna brahman) is

not intrinsically different from its source

(nirguna brahman), and delusion arises if

any part of it is exclusivized or isolated

as a *thing in itself*. thus we can say

that the Self is all there is, manifest and

unmanifest. the vedic injunction "all this

is verily brahman," clearly attests to this.

this is the essence of advaita.

 

what is critically gained by this? simply

the ability to liberate the trap set by ego,

which discerns relentlessly between the ideas

of self and not-self, inviting the endless

river of thoughts that define, categorize,

and judge--everything from one's state of

well-being to the destination of the world.

such paradigm represents the ongoing obstacle

to any possibility of purifying the mind,

not to mention the descent of peace or

silence (samadhi) in Self-realization.

 

note Adi Sankara was not a mayavadin, but a

brahmavadin who taught brahmavidya. his use

of the *exclusive* exoteric allusion of 'jagat

mithya' was for novices who weren't yet ready

to hear the deeper import of advaita, to say

nothing of the still deeper ajatavada doctrine.

 

the big historic debate on this matter of

maya is really unfounded. if not, what is

the meaning of utilizing the terms nirguna

and saguna brahman? brahman is the only

reality in existence. its manifest magic

is part and parcel of its mysterious nature.

 

Ramana has said this in many different ways.

the most succinct can be found in DAY BY DAY

WITH BHAGAVAN, 1977, on p233: "...the world

is unreal as world, but it is real as Self."

 

this is the first big step toward the capacity

to shut the door on speculative philosophy.

seeing all as the Self will allow us to settle

in the ONE being that is omnipresent, in the

saint as well as the sinner, in the light as

well as the dark; for the way of the relative

world is as inscrutable and miraculous as its

nirguna source. ajnana is itself an illusion,

and only thrives on non-investigation. our only

real obstacle is the plethora of ideas and

thoughts that compel to to believe we are yet

ignorant. there is in fact nothing positive to

know, but only something negative to eliminate:

our vast collection of ideas. the Self is

automatically in our midst. It is what we

*already* are. releasing the stranglehold of

the mind will reveal It.

 

namaste

[Guest guest]

Shankara uses this well known example - "Snake in the Rope" to

illustrate the relationship between Maayaa and Brahman. In this

example, the rope is confused to be a snake due to ignorance. Such

ignorance could be attributed to darkness and with more light the

appearance of snake disappears and the rope emerges. Shankara uses this

example to illustrate the distinction between the world and the

Brahman. The appearance of the world as the reality is due to the

presence of Maayaa (ignorance). With the emergence of wisdom, we can

visualize the Brahman. In this context, it is important to understand

what is Maayaa?

 

Let us start our discussion with an explanation on the two powers of

maayaa - aavarana sakti and vikshepa sakti. When we mistake a rope for

a snake, our inability to recognize the rope is because of aavarana

sakti (concealing power) of maayaa. The appearance of snake instead of

rope is due to the vikshepa sakti (projecting power) of maayaa. It is

this dual cosmic power of maayaa that brings about the presentation of

the physical universe concealing the totality (Brahman). Maayaa is one

of the most misunderstood terms of Advaita. Maayaa means that which is

not absolutely real but which has the power to appear as real. The root

word for Maayaa is maya (with both vowels short), which has very much

to do with magic. Sankara explains Maayaa as yaa maa saa Maayaa,

meaning, ‘that which is not is Maayaa.' According to Sankara, the world

is a myth, infact a total dream. To whom is a dream a dream? A dream is

a dream only to a person who has awakened from the dream. So the world

is not a dream to me or you who are still dreaming! Sankara's conception

of maayaa is from the absolute point of view.

 

Let us examine the word ‘dream.' To whom is a dream a dream? A dream is

a dream only to a person who has awakened from the dream. A dream is not

a dream to the dreamer. So also the world is not a dream to you, me and

everyone else who are still dreaming! The world is as real as you and I

are - so long our mind exists. It has an empirical reality. When Sankara

says it is a myth and a dream, it is so from the absolute point of view.

His different orders of reality have to be understood well if we want to

give sensible meanings to statements like Brahman is the Absolute Truth,

the universe is a myth, Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithyaa. Once the mind

merges itself in the infinite, when we have been awakened by the

Absolute Consciousness overpowering us, we are then no more in the

dreaming state and to such an awakened soul the world is indeed a dream

and myth!

 

The story on King Janaka's dream can help us additional clarifications.

Janaka had a dream that he was a beggar on the street. He suddenly woke

up and started wondering who he was? He asked this question: Who is

real - Janaka the king or Janaka the beggar ? In the waking stage,

Janaka the king appears real and Janaka the begger is a dream. At the

realized stage (Absolute), Janaka the king and the begger both become

unreal! This example is just to illustrate the conceptual difficulty

in understanding the difference between absolute and relative stages:

Until we become the absolute, we can't resolve the question whether

Janaka the King is also a dream!

 

The true nature of sun gets distorted due to the presence of clouds.

Similarly, our true nature (Brahman) is distorted due to the presence of

ignorance (Maayaa). When we experience our true nature

(self-realization), we can understand that the world is Maayaa. The

Shastras say that one has to go beyond the intellect to understand one's

true nature. Examples such as the snake and the rope is an illustration

so that we can understand the Advaitic Concept within our intellect.

Shankara knows the limitations of examples and limitations the

intellect. How is it possible to go beyond the intellect using the

intellect? The answer is quite simple. We have seen the pole-vault

jumpers who use the pole to go beyond the height of the pole! Faith is

another important input to go beyond the intellect. Let me state this

beautiful quotation from St. Augustine: "Faith is to believe what we

don't see, and its reward is to see what believe!"

 

--

Ram Chandran

Burke, VA

[Guest guest]

>"f. maiello" <egodust

>

>Ram Chandran wrote:

 

Enjoyed reading the accounts of Shree Ram Chandran and f. maiello.

True the maaya applies not only the jagat even to the 'maaya' concept too.

Maayaa itself is not true as the word itself implies. The maayaa aspect

applies even to maayaa.

 

It is brought in to account for the duality that appears tobe real - along

with the maaya, the maayaavi, the Iswara, came with it - as the one who has

maaya as his power. Maayaa along with Iswara disappear ones the truth is

discovered.

 

Frank is absolutely right to say that Shankara should be called as Brahma

vaadin rather than maaya vaadin, since for Shankara mayaa itself is not

real and only a convenience to explain the unexplainable since

unexplainable appears to be real right now. In fact those dwaitins who

call Shankara as maayaavaadins are themselves more maayaavaadins since for

them maayaa is more real than what Shankara implies and it as real as

Iswara, and it is his absolute power. It is part of His Leela Vibhuuti -

yogamaayaa.

 

In terms of nirguNa and Saguana, it involves more than maaya. Ramaanaju,

for example, in his discussions of pramaana, ascertains that without guNa

or attributes there cannot be any knowledge of any object. or rather there

cannot be any object without an attribute since mind cannot other wise know

the object as an object. Up to this part, Advaita also agrees. But

Ramaanuja insists that this should be extended to even to Iswara, otherwise

Iswara cannot be known. Hence scriptural statement nirguNa, Raamaanuja

interprets as durguNahiina - one who has no bad guNaas. He is, in fact,

ananta kalyaaNa guNa ashraya - one who is the locus for infinite ( number

wise, as well as quantity wise) auspicious qualities. Hence he is

Paramaatma. He is Brahman, different from Jiiva. Maaya is his power, real

shekti, by which he creates the Jagat. Creation is not something out of

nothing, but bringing out the grosser from subtle form - suukshma to

stuula. Before creation the jagat, and Jiivaas are in their subtle forms.

Jiivaas lie dormant as incapable of doing anything. Out of compassion, He

begins the creation bringing out the grosser forms from their subtle

existence. Jiivaas not knowing the nature of the Lord and their

interdependence, begin to get involved in sensuous objects or prakriti and

get lost in the process. Only surrendering to Iswara brings them back in

his fold where they remain with him in his Divya vibhuuti - which is much

more enjoyable state than this leela vibhuuti. It is his param dhaama where

once one goes there there is no more return back - yad gatvaa na nivartante

tat dhaama parama mama. The divya vibhuuti is atleast three time better

than this jagat which comes under leela vibhuuti - paadosya vishvaa

bhuutani tripaadasyamRitam divi - says prusha suukta. SaguNa and NirguNa

aspect goes beyond the maaya concept in the dwaitic theology.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

 

>note Adi Sankara was not a mayavadin, but a

>brahmavadin who taught brahmavidya. his use

>of the *exclusive* exoteric allusion of 'jagat

>mithya' was for novices who weren't yet ready

>to hear the deeper import of advaita, to say

>nothing of the still deeper ajatavada doctrine.

>

>the big historic debate on this matter of

>maya is really unfounded. if not, what is

>the meaning of utilizing the terms nirguna

>and saguna brahman? brahman is the only

>reality in existence. its manifest magic

>is part and parcel of its mysterious nature.

>

>Ramana has said this in many different ways.

>the most succinct can be found in DAY BY DAY

>WITH BHAGAVAN, 1977, on p233: "...the world

>is unreal as world, but it is real as Self."

>

>this is the first big step toward the capacity

>to shut the door on speculative philosophy.

>seeing all as the Self will allow us to settle

>in the ONE being that is omnipresent, in the

>saint as well as the sinner, in the light as

>well as the dark; for the way of the relative

>world is as inscrutable and miraculous as its

>nirguna source. ajnana is itself an illusion,

>and only thrives on non-investigation. our only

>real obstacle is the plethora of ideas and

>thoughts that compel to to believe we are yet

>ignorant. there is in fact nothing positive to

>know, but only something negative to eliminate:

>our vast collection of ideas. the Self is

>automatically in our midst. It is what we

>*already* are. releasing the stranglehold of

>the mind will reveal It.

>

>namaste

>

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K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

[Guest guest]

namaskaar

 

every object, event, or thought in

manifestation is part and parcel of

the totality of brahman--which is

the Self. illusion occurs if/when

we isolate any part and give it undue

weight and focus, believing it separate

and distinct from its source brahman.

this implies that we have nothing to

philosophically know or metaphysically

achieve, but to *be* what we already

naturally are.

 

abiding in this, we can safely say

"all this is brahman." brahman is

all there is. this is advaitam.

this is reality, whole and seamless.

this is how the mind is disassembled

and the ego gets erased.

 

OM shaanthi