Is the World Self or Non-self?

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Hello All,

 

For your consideration a very generalised account of

the advaitic approach so don't hold me to tight logical

account. Consider it impressionistic.

 

Each philosophy has its basic question or problem field

and if that is altered unknowingly then its essential

character is fundamentally changed even if much of its

characteristic jargon is retained.

 

For Advaita you need two hands, one to hold on to the

subject and the other for the object. You start from

the basic common sense position. I see this cup in

front of me. Even though there are many aspects on the

subject's side, memories of cups, cups in different

materials etc. yet this cup before me resists being

anything other than this individual particular cup. In

itself it is inert, unconscious and yet at the same

time it is 'in' me as my consciousness of it. Its

particularity and its inertness resist my reduction of

it to an element within my consciousness and in fact

the more I can divest myself of all associations with

cups in the past and become focussed on this one the

more mysterious and profound the experience of it

becomes.

 

How does the object without leaving off being what it

is become an element 'in' my consciousness? Could it

be that this 'in' is the first wrong step? Suppose

subject and object are both manifestations within

another consciousness? In that way the object is what

it is in truth even though it appears to be within the

subject's consciousness. It is self-effulgent shining

as it actually is.

 

In that way if you let the 'object' migrate to the

consciousness of the 'subject' at the first look (first

order of being) then the move to the second look

(second/metaphysical order of being) is blocked or is

redundant. That denies what distinguishes Advaita from

Idealism.

 

Best Wishes, Michael.