Guest guest Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Ben-ben, Here is what I found on this subject on the web... "Acharya Shankara, following in the footsteps of Buddha, accepted the principle of the cause of the jagat or universe as tri-kala-shunya, three-folded timelessness or void. He called it avidya, forgetfulness or ignorance. This avidya is an immense, inexpressible principle of the sad-asad, real and temporary, relationship. In Sri Shankara's book, Ajnana-bodini, the jagat is mentioned; if it is discussed here, this topic's meaning will become more understandable. His eighth sentence says: bho bhagavan! yad bhrama-matra-siddhim tat kim satyam? are yatha indra-jalam pashyati janah, vyaghra- jalata-dadi asatyataya prati-bhati kim? indra-jala-brahme nivritte sati sarvam mithyeti janati. idantu sarvesam- anubhava-siddhim In these sentences he calls the jagat a bhrama, or illusory mistake, and thus everything is mithya, falsely perceived like a juggler's magic. In the sixth shloka of Nirvana-dasaka he also says: na jagran na me svapnako va sushuptirna vishva. Thus, in this sentence, Shankaracarya has divided up the universe like Buddha. Furthermore, he has said: abhatidam vishvam-atmany-asatyam satya-jnanananda-rupena vimohat nidra-mahat svapnavat tan na satyam suddah purno nitya ekah sivo'ham (atma-prapancaka, 3rd shloka, Shankara) That is, tan na satyam, svapnavat - the world is not real, it is asat, temporary, and mithya, false, like a dream. The existence of the world is perceived as a dreamlike sleep only. Actually, it is not real. Samskara, inborn nature, and svapna, dream. Buddha has especially remarked about the samskara, or inborn nature, of the world in several places. Acharya Shankara expressed that the world is manifested as svapnera, dreamlike, only. Actually, samskara and svapna indicate the same conception, because both samskara and svapna evolve from the imagination. Whenever a dream is perceived as substantially real, then one's inborn nature is its primary cause. This is the opinion of philosophers. Although Shankara's Vedanta- Sutra commentary attacked the principle of samskara of the Buddhists, still he subtly considered the perception of the world to be like a dream and the principle of samskara to be the same - the sole difference being in the words only. Acharya Shankara's cause of the world is avidya - sad asat-vilakshana- anirvachaniyatvera -"the inexpressible nature of the sad-asat" - in this way, it is not even slightly different from the tri-kala-shunya, the threefold timelessness or void, of the Buddhists. He said it is like the example between abalone, the mother-of-pearl oyster, and silver. Silver is comparable to avidya, born of ignorance; therefore, this silvery jnana is only an illumination. An illuminated thing only lasts for a while; in the Buddhist's idea it is only a flicker. Namely, knowledge that is momentarily silvery is merely ignorance. Past, future, and present, these three times are imperceptible, an ignorance or nescience that is not real, only false. The eminent writer, Rajendranatha Ghosha Mahodaya, who published Advaita Siddhi, once put forth an amazing explanation while commenting on Acharya Shankara - he remarked, "That which does not exist gives off a reflection - ant the world that exists does not give off any reflection, for example - brahma". This explanation is very much like the Buddhist philosophy. The Buddhist Jnanashri said, yat sat tat kshanikam - this is, whatever is sat or satya, existent or genuine, is temporary; it is momentary or "for that time" therefore it is mithya, false. Acharya Shankara has said in his book, Aparokshanubhuti, in shloka 44, echoing the kshanika-vada, the momentary principle of Buddha : rajju-jnanat kshane naiva yadvad rajjur hi sarpini. Namely, "a rope may be mistaken to resemble a snake, but that mistaken idea is momentary; thus, the jagat or world is like that mistake, it is also momentary." If we accept this aspect of timelessness as a truly shunya relationship of the world, then in the end how does it differ from the tri-kala-shunya moment of manifestation of the world by Buddha? " http://www.e-prarthana.com/buddhism-mayavada-advaita1.htm - 46k well, it is not for me to comment whether Advaitha is Veiled Buddhism - but the fact is Buddhism was a veiled threat to Hinduism during the days of Shankara and it is believed that Shankara's purpose was to re-establish the eternal doctrine of Hindu Dharma !(sanatana dharma) on solid foundations and he succeeded admirably ! Ben , you like 'Beauty', eh? "Beauty is truth's smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror." Good luck with your presentation at the Waves conference!!! , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Gotta rush to WAVES. Will read more carefully later. The world is unreal insofar as it is perceived as OTHER than consciousness. Ego, object, etc. This illusion is only in the mind (of course). It is a question of our *interpretation* of awareness. The false interpretation is the snake superposed on the true rope of awareness. Hari om! Benjamin advaitin, "adi_shakthi16" <adi_shakthi16> wrote: > Ben-ben, > > Here is what I found on this subject on the web... > > "Acharya Shankara, following in the footsteps of Buddha, accepted the > principle of the cause of the jagat or universe as tri-kala-shunya, > three-folded timelessness or void. He called it avidya, forgetfulness > or ignorance. This avidya is an immense, inexpressible principle of > the sad-asad, real and temporary, relationship. In Sri Shankara's > book, Ajnana-bodini, the jagat is mentioned; if it is discussed here, > this topic's meaning will become more understandable. His eighth > sentence says: > > bho bhagavan! yad bhrama-matra-siddhim tat kim > satyam? are yatha indra-jalam pashyati janah, vyaghra- > jalata-dadi asatyataya prati-bhati kim? indra-jala-brahme > nivritte sati sarvam mithyeti janati. idantu sarvesam- > anubhava-siddhim > > In these sentences he calls the jagat a bhrama, or illusory mistake, > and thus everything is mithya, falsely perceived like a juggler's > magic. In the sixth shloka of Nirvana-dasaka he also says: na jagran > na me svapnako va sushuptirna vishva. Thus, in this sentence, > Shankaracarya has divided up the universe like Buddha. Furthermore, > he has said: > > abhatidam vishvam-atmany-asatyam > satya-jnanananda-rupena vimohat > nidra-mahat svapnavat tan na satyam > suddah purno nitya ekah sivo'ham > (atma-prapancaka, 3rd shloka, Shankara) > > That is, tan na satyam, svapnavat - the world is not real, it is > asat, temporary, and mithya, false, like a dream. The existence of > the world is perceived as a dreamlike sleep only. Actually, it is not > real. > > Samskara, inborn nature, and svapna, dream. > > > > Buddha has especially remarked about the samskara, or inborn nature, > of the world in several places. Acharya Shankara expressed that the > world is manifested as svapnera, dreamlike, only. Actually, samskara > and svapna indicate the same conception, because both samskara and > svapna evolve from the imagination. Whenever a dream is perceived as > substantially real, then one's inborn nature is its primary cause. > This is the opinion of philosophers. Although Shankara's Vedanta- > Sutra commentary attacked the principle of samskara of the Buddhists, > still he subtly considered the perception of the world to be like a > dream and the principle of samskara to be the same - the sole > difference being in the words only. > > Acharya Shankara's cause of the world is avidya - sad asat-vilakshana- > anirvachaniyatvera -"the inexpressible nature of the sad-asat" - in > this way, it is not even slightly different from the tri-kala-shunya, > the threefold timelessness or void, of the Buddhists. He said it is > like the example between abalone, the mother-of-pearl oyster, and > silver. Silver is comparable to avidya, born of ignorance; therefore, > this silvery jnana is only an illumination. An illuminated thing only > lasts for a while; in the Buddhist's idea it is only a flicker. > Namely, knowledge that is momentarily silvery is merely ignorance. > Past, future, and present, these three times are imperceptible, an > ignorance or nescience that is not real, only false. The eminent > writer, Rajendranatha Ghosha Mahodaya, who published Advaita Siddhi, > once put forth an amazing explanation while commenting on Acharya > Shankara - he remarked, "That which does not exist gives off a > reflection - ant the world that exists does not give off any > reflection, for example - brahma". This explanation is very much like > the Buddhist philosophy. The Buddhist Jnanashri said, yat sat tat > kshanikam - this is, whatever is sat or satya, existent or genuine, > is temporary; it is momentary or "for that time" therefore it is > mithya, false. Acharya Shankara has said in his book, > Aparokshanubhuti, in shloka 44, echoing the kshanika-vada, the > momentary principle of Buddha : rajju-jnanat kshane naiva yadvad > rajjur hi sarpini. Namely, "a rope may be mistaken to resemble a > snake, but that mistaken idea is momentary; thus, the jagat or world > is like that mistake, it is also momentary." If we accept this aspect > of timelessness as a truly shunya relationship of the world, then in > the end how does it differ from the tri-kala-shunya moment of > manifestation of the world by Buddha? " > > http://www.e-prarthana.com/buddhism-mayavada-advaita1.htm - 46k > > well, it is not for me to comment whether Advaitha is Veiled > Buddhism - but the fact is Buddhism was a veiled threat to Hinduism > during the days of Shankara and it is believed that Shankara's > purpose was to re-establish the eternal doctrine > of Hindu Dharma !(sanatana dharma) on solid foundations and he > succeeded admirably ! > > Ben , you like 'Beauty', eh? > > "Beauty is truth's smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect > mirror." > > Good luck with your presentation at the Waves conference!!! > > > > , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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