Aham Brahmasmi

[Guest guest]

Dear Vasan,

 

Let me introduce myself as Mr. Vijay Saradhi, a student of physics .

 

The otherday I attended a lecture and had some questions which were NOT answered

to my satisfaction. Please read these questions and provide your insight.

 

As I understand, one of the basic TRUTHS accepted by Vishistadvaitins is that

JEEVATMA is NOT CREATED by PARAMATAMA. Both JEEVATMA and PARAMATMA coexist

eternally, but THE JEEVATMA IS TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY PARAMATMA.

 

My question is, if JEEVATMA is not created by PARAMATMA, what gives PARAMATMA

the right to control JEEVATMA. What did JEEVATMA do that made him/her to be

controlled by PARAMATMA. Why is one superior and the other inferior?

 

Vishistadvaitins do say that the differnece between JEEVATMA and PARAMATMA is

that, PARAMATMA has the power of creation and the power of bestowing MOKSHA to

JEEVATMAs. If thats what makes the JEEVATMA to be controlled by PARAMATMA, is't

it unfair/unjust giving one the power of creation and denying it to the other,

though they both coexist for eternity?

 

Another question. Buddha is considered as one of the avataras of Vishnu by some.

As everyone knows BUDDHA preached AGAINST Vedas. If Buddha is one of the

avataras of Vishnu, why did he contradict the Vedas. In one avatara (Krishna) he

recognizes Vedas as the supreme authority and in another avatara he denounces

Vedas. Its quite confusing for any simple minded person. I am sure someone

might have raised these questions before and someone might have answered too,

but I did NOT come across any so far. :-)

 

Saradhi.

 

 

 

 

Vasan Sriranga Chari <vasan_chari_hk wrote:

 

DEAR SRINIVAS,

Aham BRAHMASMI IS A VAKYA FROM UPANISHAD.IT IS CONSIDERED BY SHANKARA TO BE A

MAHAVAKYA & HE BASED HIS PHILOSOPHY ON SUCH MAHAVAKYAS & WROTE COMMENTARIES ON

THE UPANISHADS,BRAHMASUTRAS & GITA (PRASTHANA TRAYAS)& INTERPRETED THEM IN THE

LIGHT OF HIS ADVAITA PHILOSOPHY & HELD OTHER UPANISHADIC STATEMENTS WHICH

CONTRADICTED HIS PHILOSOPHY AS INFERIOR IN NATURE.

 

SIMILARLY SRI MADVACHARYA HELD THE ABHEDA STATEMENTS AS INFERIOR & COMMENTED ON

THE PRASTHANA TRAYAS IN THE LIGHT OF HIS DWAITA PHILOSOPHY.

 

SRI RAMANUJA FELT THAT WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO HOLD STATEMENTS OF VEDAS AS

INFERIOR & CAME FORTH WITH A WONDERFUL BHASHYA ON THE PRASTHANA TRAYAS WHICH

RECONCILED ALL THE ABEDA & BEDA STATEMENTS BY HIS SHARIRA SHARIRI CONCEPT.

 

SHRI SHANKARA SAID JEEVA IS NOT A REALITY & BRAHMAN IS IDENTIFYING ITSELF AS

JEEVATMA DUE TO IGNORANCE.

SRI MADHVA SAID THAT JEEVA & BRAHMAN ARE TWO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE REALITIES.

SRI RAMANUJA SAID JEEVA & BRAHMAN ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE BUT JEEVA HAS A

INSEPARABLE EXISTENCE FROM BRAHMAN.THE BODY 'S SOLE EXISTENCE IS BASED ON

ATMA.SIMILARLY JEEVATMA 'S EXISTENCE IS BASED ON BRAHMAN.

AS MANY A TIMES A PERSON'S BODY IS REFERRED AS THE PERSON ITSELF ,JEEVATMA IS

REFERRED AS PARAMATMA IN SCRIPTURES.THE JEEVATMA IS TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY

PARAMATMA.

HENCE AHAM BRAHMASMI MEANS SINCE BRAHMAN IS THE ANTAYARYAMI OF ME ,I MAY BE

REFERRED AS BRAHMAN ITSELF.JEEVA & BRAHMAN ARE LIKE FLOWER & ITS FRAGRANCE ,LIKE

CLOTH & ITS COLOUR.THEY ARE INSEPAREBLE ORGANIC UNIT.

AS YOU RIGHTLY POINTED OUT, DUE TO IGNORANCE OF THE NATURE OF THE PARAMATMA,

PEOPLE WORSHIP DEMIGODS.SRI KRISHNA SAYS THOUGH THE EFFORTS IN WORSHIP OF HIM &

DEMIGODS ARE THE SAME ,PEOPLE GET LIMITED FRUITS FROM THEM WHILE IF THEY WORSHIP

HIM, THEY GET THE LIMITLESS MOKSHA ANANDAM.SRI SHANKARA ALSO HAS COMMENTED THUS

ON THIS SHLOKA.HE SAYS THAT THE LORD FEELS SORRY FOR SUCH PEOPLE.

DASAN

 

 

>Namaste to all.

>Can somebody clarify these questions ?

>

>Question 1:

>-----------------

>"Aham Brahmasmi" (meaning that I am Bramhan)

>is the philosophy propounded By Sri Sankaracharya,

>who started the Advaita philosophy ? Is this true ?

>

>Question 2

>------------------

>Lord Krishna tells in Geeta that "people with low

>intelligence pray other Gods "Anthavathhu phalam

>thesham thadbhavatyalpa medhasam..". All our

>scholars read this, but still they pary other Gods like

>Shiva, Ganapthi etc ? Why is this ? In the temples of

>Lor Vishnu also in USA, I see people pray other Gods ? Is this

>because they are overpowered by His Maya ?

>

>

>Srinivas