[RamakrishnaVedanta] BRAHMA SUTRAS continuation 1.

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>[RamakrishnaVedanta] BRAHMA SUTRAS continuation 1.

>

>Claude Laurent <claude.laurent

>

>

>BRAHMA-SUTRAS

>==============

>

>I.1.2.

>------

>

>"Brahman is that omniscient, omnipotent cause from which procedd the origin

>etc. (i.e.sustenance and dissolution) of this world.

>

>Expl.:

>------

>

>........................ The prime object of this Sutra, there fore, is not

>to etablish Brahman through inference but to discuss scriptural passages

>which declare that Brahman is the First Cause - texts like : " That from

>which theses beings are born , by which they live after bith and into which

>they enter at death - try to know That. That is Brahman " ( Taitt. 3.1) .

>The Sutra collects the Vedanta texts for the full comprehension of Brahman.

>Once the scriptures have declared Brahman to be the First Cause ,

>reasoning, etc. may be taken advantage of in so far as they do not

>contradict the scriptures, but rather supplement them, in ascertaining the

>sense of the Vedanta texts. Such reasoning must be corrobative of the truth

>invulcated. This kind or reasoning include the hearing of the texts

>(Sravana), thinking about their meaning (Manama), and Meditation on them

>(Nididhyasana). This leads to intuition. By intuition is meant taht mental

>modification (Vritti) of the mind (Chitta) which destroys our ignorance

>about Brahman. When the ignorance is destroyed by this mental modification

>in the form of Brahman (Brahmakara, Vritti), Brahman, which is

>self-luminous, reveals Itself. In ordinary perception when we cognize an

>object the mind (Chitta) takes the form of the external object, which

>destroys the ignorance about it, and consciousness reflected in this

>modification of the moind manifests the object. In the case of Brahman,

>however, the mental modification destroys the ignorance, but Brahman, which

>is consciousness pure and simple, manifests Itself , being self-luminous.

>That is why the scriptures descrive Brahman as " NOT THIS " , " NOT THIS ",

>thus removing the ignorance about it. Nowhere is Brahman described

>posotovely, as " IT IS THIS ", " IT IS THIS " .

>

>There is thus a difference between an inquiry into Brahman and an inquiry

>into religious duty (Dharma Jijnasa). In the latter case, the sriptures

>alone are authority. Purva Mimansa says that that if you do such and such a

>thing , you will get such and such results. It is something yet to come and

>does not exist at the time. So no other proof is available regarding the

>truth of these statments except fait in them. But VEDANTA speaks about

>BRAHMAN, which is an already existing entity, and no dependent on human

>endeavour. There fore, besides faith in the scriptural texts there are

>other means available to corroborate its statements. That is why there is

>room for reasoning et. in VEDANTA.

>

>I.1.3.

>======

>

>Topic 3

>=======

>

>3. THE SCRIPTURES ALONE BEING THE MEANS OF RIGHT KNOWLEDGE WHICH REGARD TO

>BRAHMAN, THE PROPOSITION LAID IN SUTRA 2 BECOMES CORROBORATED.

>-----------------------------

>

>Expl:

>-----

>

>This Sutra makes the idea expressed in Sutra 2 clearer. If any doubt has

>been left refgarding the fact that Brahman as the origin etc. of the world

>is etablished by scriptural authority and not by inference etc.

>independently of it, this Sutra makes it clear that Srutis alone proof

>about Brahman.

>

>- OBJECTION: - Brahman is an already existing thing like a pot, and so It

>can be know by other means of right knowledge independently of the

scriptures.

>

>- ANSWER: - * BRAHAMAN HAS NO FORM etc..AND SO CANNOT BE COGNIZED BY DIRECT

> PERCEPTION.

> Again in the absence of inseparable characteristics, as smoke

>is of fire, It cannot be etstablished by

>inference or analogy (Upamana).

>Therefore , It can be know only through the scriptures.

> The sriptures themselves say, " One who is ignorant of the

>

>scriptures cannot know that BRAHMAN ."

> No doubt, as already referred to in the previous Sutra, these

> means of right knowledge also

>have a scope, but it is only after BRAHMAN is established by

>the scriptures - as supplementary to

> them and no independent of them.

>

> ...................next time : TOPIC 4 ........

>

>

>HARI OM! LOVE! SERVE! PREM! MEDITATE!

>

>OM! SADGURUJI KI! JAY!

>

>S.Narendra

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