RE: Subject: Types of pleasure

[Guest guest]

Hi Benjamin,

 

I did note your message when originally posted. I felt I ought to respond to

say that your ordering of the senses, though intuitively right perhaps for

most of us, is not the order suggested by saMkhya at least. They place

hearing at the top of the chain, ahead of sight.

 

The reason I didn't respond is fivefold! Firstly, I am not actually certain

that the origin is saMkhya. It was very much propagated by the school I

attended (SES) and they purported to teach advaita. But I don't recall

having come across this in advaita so I assumed it was saMkhya. Secondly, I

can't remember the arguments as to why it was the most subtle, 'spiritual'

and important sense. Thirdly, I never really felt happy with the

assignment - I, like you, would have tended to place sight at the top.

Fourthly, I was hoping that someone else, who was more in touch with the

truth of the matter, would respond! And, finally as you noted, we all became

embroiled in the SOC discussion. Apologies!

 

Can anyone else help? I rather suspect this is up Sri Ananda's street,

actually.

 

Best wishes,

 

Dennis

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Dennis Waite" <dwaite@a...> wrote:

> Hi Benjamin,

>

> I did note your message when originally posted. I felt I ought to

respond to

> say that your ordering of the senses, though intuitively right

perhaps for

> most of us, is not the order suggested by saMkhya at least. They

place

> hearing at the top of the chain, ahead of sight.

 

Namaste,

 

This subject is covered in 'Panchikarana', a work attributed to

Shankara, and a commentary (Vartika) on it by his disciple Sureshvara.

 

The works Atmabodha and Tattvabodha also discuss this.

 

The 'evolution' from subtle to gross elements is given in the

order - Space -> Air -> Light -> Water -> Earth.

 

It would appear that this is more a teaching device for negating

the 'objects', and not something to be accepted as 'Real'.

{AtmA kaH ? - AtmA satyaM tadanyatsarvaM mithyeti || Tattvabodha]

 

For more details, these sites are useful:

 

http://www.geocities.com/advaitavedant/index.htm

 

 

http://www.hinduism.co.za/three.htm#The%20Five%20Great%20Elements

 

http://talatiam.home.netcom.com/tattva/tattva.htm

 

http://www.geocities.com/advaitavedant/panchikaranam.htm

 

While searching, came across an interesting thread - Aurobindo

and Shastras :

 

advaitin/message/3029

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder