Consciousness is One

[Guest guest]

Dear Benjamin and Michael,

 

and thank yuo Benjamin for your reply. I believe the best prayer is to

seek inner silence ...as we are all talking!

 

 

I would like to offer two quotes which address perception as well as

absolute idealism and subjective idealism in the Advaita framework.

Also interesting is the comment regarding the simultaneity of subject

and object (and therefore the simultaneity of their disappearence), also

in the Advaita framework.

 

The first quote is from Gaudapada's II chapter of the Mandukyakarika -

Vaitathya Prakarana - (On the absolute non-reality of empirical

experience)

 

««««

 

1. The Wise affirm the non-reality of object-events seen in the dream

condition, both because they are situated within (the sleeping subject)

and because they are circumscribed in space.

 

In the first chapter, non-duality was examined with reference to the

Sruti (non-human Tradition), in the second and subsequent chapters

Gaudapada wishes to prove non-duality by resorting to pure reason, so as

to meet the needs of those who are mainly polarized in the intellect.

At this point, we should clarify that: for Advaita the term non-real is

not intended in the absolute sense of non-existent. For example, when

we say that the objective world is unreal this does not mean that the

world is non-existent like «the horns of a hare» (as Sankara comments),

but that it is not real when compared to the absolute Reality. The

objective world is, therefore, a relative effect-phenomenon that is

born, grows and dies. The transitory nature of manifestation is also

shown by empirical evidence.

When asked: what is Real? Asparsavada answers: Real is all that is

beyond time, space and cause. Whatever falls within this threefold

aspect of time, space and cause is moving, changing, contingent, a

phenomenon that appears and disappears. This being so, what is beyond

these categories must be constant, always identical to itself, without

contradiction, without birth (ajati, from which stems the term

ajativada, another name for the yoga Gaudapada expounds in this book),

non-determined; therefore infinite.

 

2. For lack of time it is impossible that the sleeper experiences

something by going to the place (of the event); in fact, when he awakens

he does not find himself in the place (of that event).

 

3. Furthermore, the non-reality of a chariot, etc. (seen in a dream) is

interpreted by the Sruti from the point of view of reason. It is said,

therefore, that the false appearance of dreams, demonstrated through

reasoning, is confirmed by the Sruti itself.

 

4. Just as the objects of dreams are unreal, so ? for the same reason ?

the objects perceived during the waking state are unreal. The

difference (between dreaming and waking) is that (in a dream), space is

limited and the objects exist inside the body.

 

5. Because of the identity of perception, recognized by inference, the

wise say that the states of dreaming and waking are of the same nature.

 

..................

 

For Asparsavada there are relative truths or "degrees of truth" which

are, in fact, the expressions of the different perspectives of beings,

but they are all annulled in the supreme Reality.

>From this point of view one can say that the materialistic ideology can

be considered nihilistic, absolutist and, strangely enough, a priori;

that it can prove itself to be dogmatic religion while the Advaita is

flexible and allows for many possibilities. Advaita, in fact, when it

moves upon the plane of relativity does not offer absolute truths, does

not deny dualism nor monism nor even materialistic phenomenalism, but

considers them as "possible points of view" containing degrees of truth.

 

»»»»

 

 

 

Carlo believes in the importance of karika 5. where Gaudapada

establishes the identity of perception of the dreaming and waking

states, they both are mental modifications, activity of the mind.

 

 

The second quote from Raphael's At the Source of Life - ch. Advaita

 

 

««««

 

R. Advaita is quite a special way, let us say, a path that goes against

the current. By comprehension of what is not reality it arrives at

accepting what is Absolute. By rejecting the duality subject-object,

the basis of the thinking process, it comes to transcending thought,

mind itself and the entire speculative sphere including metaphysics.

This road leads to authentic fullness, to Joy-Bliss without objects, to

Sat-Cit-Ananda (pure Existence, pure Intelligence-Consciousness, pure

Bliss-Joy).

The world of names and forms is a product of the cosmic Mind, and avidya

emerges when we consider this world as separate from the cosmic dreamer,

as a Reality in itself, an absolute. With the sword of discernment the

jnani separates phenomenon from noumenon, product from producer,

becoming from Being.

The process is a back-tracking one because it is necessary to retire

into the Centre of Being gradually, i.e. without effort, without

offering any resistance, without forcing the psyche or provoking any

wilful action but simply by making use of observation, of intuitive

discernment and of meditation without object.

All human desire tends toward happiness but this "urge to research" that

which produces Fullness is mistakenly directed outward, towards what

sensory perception calls change: hence conflict and its resulting

suffering. What is changeable can never lead to anything stable,

lasting, constant.

Desire is simply the reflection of forgotten joy, of paradise lost.

When we learn how to direct our energies towards the unchanging Centre

of Being then we shall find what we lost.

When we recognise the fact that the outward-looking mind can produce

only separation and conflict, we shall bring it back to a state of

stillness or of silence rich with Life.

 

Q. Does this philosophical view not tie in with the absolute idealism

of many western philosophers?

 

R. Behind thought lies the mind, behind it lies the thinker, behind

thinking lies the Uncaused and Undetermined Brahman, the substratum of

all. As you can see it is not a matter of absolute idealism, in fact

the ultimate Reality does not coincide with the thinking state nor with

mind itself.

 

? But the manifest world becomes subjective.

 

R. The subject-object is nothing but a mental modification and a

prefabricated conceptualisation caused by a schism of the being. When

you dream you are in a subjective condition, and yet in your dream you

perceive objects apparently outside of the subjective mental framework

to such an extent that the subject is influenced by them. But the

subjective and the objective of dreams are thought products: they are

mind itself.

Remember that wherever an object exists there is also a subject. This

duality is born simultaneously.

 

? Does the intelligible world exist thanks to my particular perception,

my subjective ideation?

 

R. Not exactly; this concept belongs to solipsism (subjective

idealism). We can annul our own specific capacity to formulate ideas

but not Brahmaa’s or Isvara’s. Our dream, for greater clarity, takes

place in a vaster ideation-dream. Thus, for us, the world that

surrounds us is real; we call it objective until we enter into Brahmå’s

consciousness. What took place before at individual level, now occurs

at the cosmic level. As you can see, the empirical world is at the same

time real and unreal, subjective and objective; it depends on the state

of consciousness and the particular existential level in which we want

to position ourselves.

If we succeed in grasping all this, we have set in proper perspective

the question that makes of "perception" a cognitive possibility and even

more importantly the other question that sees the external object as

independent of the perceiving subject.

 

»»»»

 

 

I hope this can be of help in clarifying the issues

 

Shanti,

 

Carlo

 

 

Quotes are from:

 

Gaudapada, Mandukyakarika

Translated from the Sanskrit, and commented,

by Raphael,

ch. - Vaitathya Prakarana - (On the absolute non-reality of empirical

experience)

The Aurea Vidya Foundation, New York, 2002

 

Raphael, At the Source of Life

ch. Advaita

The Aurea Vidya Foundation, New York, 2001

 

 

MEDITATION on

Gaudapada's MANDUKYAKARIKA at

http://www.vidya-ashramvidyaorder.org