Ajati Vada school of Vedanta

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

This question came up. Is this in line with Shankaracharya's teachings?

Hari Om,

Gasusima

 

<<Any comments on this explanation of the ajAti vAda "school" of Advaita

Vedanta. I understand this to mean that there was no creation of the

universe.

 

ajAti vAda :-

The notion that mAyA has no reality in itself, and that brahman is the only

real, allows the sRshTi-dRshTi vAdin to "graduate", so to speak, to

ajAtivAda, the view that no creation really occured ever. Although one

initially starts looking for brahman as the ontological basis of the

perceived universe, advaita also recognizes that this search for origins is

ultimately futile, as far as moksha is concerned. It is pointed out that

moksha

means that the Atman is fully known as brahman Itself. Therefore, understand

the Atman first, theories about how this creation came about can wait. Until

now, the questioner has been concerned mainly with explaining the external

world, which (s)he knows only through the operation of the senses. The

identity propounded by the upanishads (between the Atman and brahman) opens

up an even more fascinating inner world that is not seen by the eye, not

heard by the ear and not felt by touch. It is this inner search that allows

the sAdhaka to acquire the jnAna to deny mAyA any reality whatsover. At this

stage, brahman, which was previously understood to be with attributes, is

understood in its essence to be really nirguNa. This essential nature of

brahman is described as "svarUpa-lakshaNa" - a description that captures the

real nature of brahman. When brahman is apprehended as the nirguNa,

without any attributes, mAyA completely disappears. The universe too,

consequently has to disappear. This is the most difficult thing for anybody

to understand and accept, because the senses constantly seem to remind one of

the presence of the universe. But then, the unitary understanding of the

Atman as identical to brahman occurs only at the turIya (the fourth) state,

not in the jAgrat (waking), svapna (dream) and sushupti (deep sleep) states.

As the mANDUkya upanishad reminds us, the turIya is adRshTam (unseeable),

avyavahAryam (non-relational), agrAhyam (ungraspable), alakshaNam (without

any attributes), acintyam (unthinkable), avyapadeSyam (cannot be indicated as

an object), ekAtma-pratyaya-sAram (the essence of cognition of the One

Atman), prapancopaSamam (that into which the entire universe is resolved),

SAntam (peaceful), Sivam (auspicious), advaitam (non-dual).

Paul>>

[Guest guest]

Paul -

To state that no creation of the universe

occurred is, at first glance,

inherently contradictory.

If no creation occurred, then to whom

is such a statement being addressed,

and what observation is being shared?

If nothing was created (constructed),

how could there be any

meaning to the the constructed

cognition:

"nothing has been constructed,

nothing has occurred"?

(There would be no [separately]

existent entity

to have the cognition, or

to find meaning in it.)

 

The value of a paradoxical statement

such as this is that it leads

us to question the assumption

that we can be present

as a subject confronting an object.

 

It is when we cannot maintain the

fiction of existing as a subject

that confronts an object that

we are released from the perception

that we could possibly confront

a created (constructed) universe.

 

Reality without a second

is the fact

that "that" which

was taken as separation

is, in fact, nonseparation -

or to be even more accurate,

is not describable as

either 'separate' nor 'nonseparate'.

 

The perception of subject

and object is, all along,

objectless (and thus

subjectless in the sense

of an observer confronting

a thing observed).

 

No object was ever formulated,

and the statement that "no

object was ever formulated"

is only meaningful up to

the point that

there is realization

that no object was ever

formulated.

 

Peace,

Dan

 

At 11:37 AM 7/18/00 -0400, you wrote:

>Dear Members,

>This question came up. Is this in line with Shankaracharya's teachings?

>Hari Om,

>Gasusima

>

><<Any comments on this explanation of the ajAti vAda "school" of Advaita

>Vedanta. I understand this to mean that there was no creation of the

>universe.

>

>ajAti vAda :-

>The notion that mAyA has no reality in itself, and that brahman is the only

>real, allows the sRshTi-dRshTi vAdin to "graduate", so to speak, to

>ajAtivAda, the view that no creation really occured ever. Although one

>initially starts looking for brahman as the ontological basis of the

>perceived universe, advaita also recognizes that this search for origins is

>ultimately futile, as far as moksha is concerned. It is pointed out that

>moksha

>means that the Atman is fully known as brahman Itself. Therefore, understand

>the Atman first, theories about how this creation came about can wait. Until

>now, the questioner has been concerned mainly with explaining the external

>world, which (s)he knows only through the operation of the senses. The

>identity propounded by the upanishads (between the Atman and brahman) opens

>up an even more fascinating inner world that is not seen by the eye, not

>heard by the ear and not felt by touch. It is this inner search that allows

>the sAdhaka to acquire the jnAna to deny mAyA any reality whatsover. At this

>stage, brahman, which was previously understood to be with attributes, is

>understood in its essence to be really nirguNa. This essential nature of

>brahman is described as "svarUpa-lakshaNa" - a description that captures the

>real nature of brahman. When brahman is apprehended as the nirguNa,

>without any attributes, mAyA completely disappears. The universe too,

>consequently has to disappear. This is the most difficult thing for anybody

>to understand and accept, because the senses constantly seem to remind one

of

>the presence of the universe. But then, the unitary understanding of the

>Atman as identical to brahman occurs only at the turIya (the fourth) state,

>not in the jAgrat (waking), svapna (dream) and sushupti (deep sleep) states.

>As the mANDUkya upanishad reminds us, the turIya is adRshTam (unseeable),

>avyavahAryam (non-relational), agrAhyam (ungraspable), alakshaNam (without

>any attributes), acintyam (unthinkable), avyapadeSyam (cannot be indicated

as

>an object), ekAtma-pratyaya-sAram (the essence of cognition of the One

>Atman), prapancopaSamam (that into which the entire universe is resolved),

>SAntam (peaceful), Sivam (auspicious), advaitam (non-dual).

>Paul>>

>

>

>------

>Free @Backup service! Click here for your free trial of @Backup.

>@Backup is the most convenient way to securely protect and access

>your files online. Try it now and receive 300 MyPoints.

>http://click./1/6348/6/_/489436/_/963934623/

>------

>

>Discussion of the True Meaning of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy

focusing on non-duality between mind and matter. Searchable List Archives

are available at: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/ To

from the list, send Email to <advaitin- > For other

contact, Email to <advaitins

>

>

>