Speculating to determine the souls whereabouts

[Guest guest]

Dear Mahananda Prabhu,

 

Your post indicates that only shastra (shabda) counts as evidence, and that

logic and direct perception is only for "beginners" in devotional service.

However, all three are always evidences. There is no evidence that logic and

perception is only for "beginners". All the quotes condemning logic you

mentioned refer to misused logic or misperceptions.

 

If logic and perception were to be rejected then how is one to interpret the

story of Rupa Gosvami meeting Srimati Radharani?

 

Sanatana Gosvami, an acharya teaching by example, carefully heard the story of

Rupa Gosvami's accepting marvelous prasadam from a girl whose beauty was

enchanting. Then he concluded that She was Srimati Radharani. He did not read

it in shastra or hear it from his guru. And he wasn't there himself to see

Her. Therefore, he was utilizing logic at least partially.

 

Also Rupa Gosvami didnt know who She was, but he did *see* Her. Therefore, his

realization of Radharani was at the level of direct perception. Krishna

Himself teaches direct perception (pratyaksavagamam)in the first verse of Gita

chapter 9.

 

Thus there is nothing wrong with using logic and perception.

 

Another example is the Mayavadis who misuse logic to teach impersonalism. The

Vaishnava example is not to deny logic but to show its proper use and to show

how they have misused it.

 

So whether Vijay is wrong or right, it is not correct to say logic is wrong or

"for beginners" in devotional service. Rather the correct approach would be to

attempt to show *how* Vijay is misusing logic and what the proper use of logic

is.

 

 

Gerald Surya