Buddhism and Vedanta

[Guest guest]

Namaste All,

 

Continuing with my post on the Buddhist void, Sunyata I suppose?, and

the Vedanta. I know in Buddhist thought there are the `absorptions,

with different modifications like bliss, etc. and then rising above

all these. Ending up with `nothingness', and then non-perception nor

perception.

 

Well Vedanta admits to something similar with the five sheaths and

kosas and the states of waking, dreaming, deep-sleep, and Turiya.

(There are also different levels of Samadhi, Samadhi not being

exactly the same as the same concept in Buddhism but nearer the

Dhyana.) So waking, and dreaming are really wrong perception, and

deep-sleep is non-perception. However with non-perception we have the

seed, as not being awake to the true reality, which results in the

other states I suppose of wrong perception or an effect. So ignorance

causes the effect. So with deep-sleep there is an absence of knowing.

 

I think that connection with the body conceals the `real', knowledge

or Vidya. In dreams the senses cease to function , so everything is

happening in the `light', of the `Self'. So whatever happens in dream

doesn't attract any karma for it due to previous good and bad karma

that the dream takes place. So anything in a dream is not binding,

also some dreams are past lives, future lives, and astral travel. We

know this ,for when we awake we don't take any responsibilities for

the happenings in a dream, or perhaps you don't remember. There is an

underlying consciousness to all this, otherwise one wouldn't even be

able to detach from the last dream.

 

In dreamless sleep there is still a veil over our consciousness,

which makes it part of Saguna. That is, the consciousness is awake

but there is nothing for it to know except nescience prevailing.

 

In Buddhism, as there are different `absorptions', there are some

differences in the Vedanta. Coma, Deep-sleep, Laya, and Yoga-Nidra,

all sharing some similarities.

 

It is all about samskaras or impressions I suppose. It is like a

vibration is actually a subtle, kind of lack of `True Consciousness';

The more gross the vibration the less the manifestation of this

Consciousness, and the greater the veil.

 

So is the vibration the lack of consciousness or limitations or is

the lack of consciousness the vibration, a chicken or egg question,

both veiled in avarana and illusory anyway. Like a still ocean and

each ripple is the limitation, building up to an individual

wave/jiva. So lack of consciousness is `movement', or the illusion of

movement. However the seed must still be in the Self for it returns

after pralaya or dissolution, as we return from deep-sleep.

 

In reality there is no ocean of Saguna Brahman only the Nirguna

Brahman, perhaps you can call this the void or sunyata or moksha, or

Turiya. However one cannot even call it this for then it is modified

and thus Saguna.

 

As Pilate asked Jesus, " What is Truth?". Jesus didn't answer for

that was his answer, No modification, it is above perception and non-

perception.

 

In Vedanta there is the concept of `God', with attributes and also

without attributes which is the Truth.

 

Love and Om Namah Sivaya, Tony.