The All-encompassing Advaita

August 25, 2006

Srigurubhyo NamaH

Namaste Sadhakas,

Long ago, while attending Vedanta classes, my revered Guru had made

a passing remark: `There is nothing new in dvaita and

vishishtaadvaita. All these are contained in the Advaitic thought

structure as particular cases.' He did not elaborate. He was a

theoretical physicist. I did not comprehend the depth of the meaning

in that statement. The expression `particular cases' too did not

make any sense to me. Over the next close to two decades I had not

given much thought to it. Only recently, about a week ago, some

thoughts on that statement started appearing in my mind and started

crystallizing. The following is an attempt to put it in some

readable cogent form so that others' views might give it some more

definite shape.

The Mandukya Upanishad teaches that Consciousness expresses itself in

four paada-s, states, as it were. The first is known as vishva, the

second is taijasa, the third is praajna. The fourth is called

Turiya. As we learn from the Upanishad, the first pada is the waking

state, the second the dream state, the third the deep sleep state and

the fourth is the transcendental state. Now, as we study the

Upanishad, the mantras teach that the waking state is one where

objects are experienced through sense organs. The dream state is

where objects are experienced in the mental level itself, being

projections. While the waking world may be termed `gross', the dream

world is `subtle', relative to the former. What is common to both

the states is that there is duality experienced in them. We can call

these two states put together `dvaita', since dvaita-darshanam is not

deniable there.

Then, when we take up the sleep state, even the mind has subsided and

the projections have ceased. There is no duality experienced as in

the former two states. Shall we call this state `advaita'? No, for

we learn from the Upanishad that the deep sleep state, the third

pada, is the causal state, that is, duality is inherent in the deep

sleep state, only to manifest later in dream or waking. This is a

state that can neither be called `dvaita' strictly nor can be termed

advaita. It has some characteristics close to advaita but still, it

can only be `qualified' advaita. This can then be called `vishishta-

advaita'.

The fourth state, however, transcends even the third, causal, state

and is absolutely advaita, with no trace of duality whatsoever. The

seventh mantra of the Upanishat negates all the earlier states and

positively terms this state as `prapanchopashamam (complete absence

of the world both as cause and as effect), shantam, shivam,

Advaitam'.

In the above analysis, we see that dvaita and vishishta-advaita are

particular cases in the thought structure of Advaita. The fifth

mantra of the upanishat shows how each of the earlier paadaas,

starting from the first, have to be telescopically merged into the

next one so as to finally arrive at the perception of the Advaitic

Truth.

In each of the earlier paadas, the upanishat provides both the

microcosmic and the macrocosmic Consciousness Principle. Thus in the

first pada we have vishva and Virat. In the second they are called

taijasa and Hiranyagarbha. In the third they are praajna and

Ishwara. The Upanishad, in the build up to the Fourth Absolute

Truth, provides the macrocosmic Principle in each pada so as to give

an a priori idea about the Fourth Absolute Turiya. In effect, the

upanishat is providing a training, upasana, for the aspirant at each

of the earlier paadas so as to transcend the microcosmic being that

he is and `know' the macrocosmic principle. In other words, the

aspirant is made to `grow' out of his finitude and appreciate the

relatively infinite at every state. This will prepare him to

unreservedly understand and realize the Turiya Advaita, which is what

the upanishat says has to be `realized' – sa Atma, sa vijneyaH. This

alone constitutes liberation and not the knowledge of the

macrocosmic principles at each of the earlier states.

Thus we have the upanishat incorporating dvaita and vishishta-advaita

in a manner of being subsumed within the Advaitic thought structure.

The message of the upanishat is that Advaita, the Turiya, cannot be

grasped unless dvaita and vishishta-advaita are understood. Also,

dvaita and vishishta-advaita are not the absolute, paaramaarthika

reality; they are vyavaharic in nature. That is the reason why they

are explicitly negated in the seventh mantra by the Upanishat. What

is negated is an appearance, a superimposition, not the truth. The

upanishat is doing the `adhyaropa' of the earlier states by showing

the macrocosmic principles therein and later their `apavada' so as to

arrive at the Turiya.

We have the immaculate Bhashya of our Acharya for all these mantras.

There are the Karikas covering these. The Acharya has given the

Bhashya for these as well. We can conclude that the Acharya has

thereby said the final word on dvaita and vishishta-advaita leaving

nothing unsaid for anyone else to say about these `particular

cases'. As we see in the comprehensive bhashya, the dvaita and

vishishta-advaita bhashyas merge in the Advaita bhashya and culminate

in giving us the correct understanding of the Turiya.

Perhaps this is what was meant by my Guru in that statement.

May I request the readers, especially Sri Sada ji who has undertaken

an in-depth study of the Mandukya Upanishat and the Karikas, to

critically examine the above and give their verdict as to its

admissibility or otherwise?

Humble Pranams at the Lotus Feet of the Revered Guru,

Pranams to all sadhakas,

Subbu

Om Tat Sat

August 25, 2006

>"subrahmanian_v"

>

>May I request the readers, especially Sri Sada ji who has undertaken

>an in-depth study of the Mandukya Upanishat and the Karikas, to

>critically examine the above and give their verdict as to its

>admissibility or otherwise?

>

>Humble Pranams at the Lotus Feet of the Revered Guru,

>

>Pranams to all sadhakas,

>Subbu

>Om Tat Sat

>

Shree Subbu - PraNAms.

Thanks for reminders. I need to resume my writing - just got immersed in

listening to some advaitic teaching in between my outer conscious efforts.

Mandukya is so scientific and fascinating. Yes one has to go beyond dvaita

and vishiShTaadvata and nay even the concept advaita too to be with oneself

- the turiiyam. It looks like we are zeroing in that even with the central

discussion on the Self that I am.

Hari Om!

Sadananda

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August 26, 2006

>

> In the above analysis, we see that dvaita and vishishta-advaita

are

> particular cases in the thought structure of Advaita. The fifth

> mantra of the upanishat shows how each of the earlier paadaas,

> starting from the first, have to be telescopically merged into the

> next one so as to finally arrive at the perception of the Advaitic

> Truth.

Dear Subbuji,

Namaste,

Swami Vivekananda has also conveyed the same idea in the following

manner:

It is too often believed that a person in his progress towards

perfection passes from error to truth; that when he passes on from

one thought to another, he must necessarily reject the first. But no

error can lead to truth. The soul passing through its different

stages goes from truth to truth, and each stage is true; it goes

from lower truth to higher truth. This point may be illustrated in

the following way. A man is journeying towards the sun and takes a

photograph at each step. How different would be the first photograph

from the second and still more from the third or the last, when he

reaches the real sun! But all these, though differing so widely from

each other, are true, only they are made to appear different by the

changing conditions of time and space. It is the recognition of this

truth, which has enabled the Hindus to perceive the universal truth

of all religions, from the lowest to the highest; it has made of

them the only people who never had religious persecutions.

I am meditating on this paragraph again and again but still i am

unable to catch the complete import of this profound thought. The

advaita is all encompassing and it is a last word in philosophy and

realisation.

JAI JAI RAGHUVEER SAMARTHA

Yours in the lord,

Br. Vinayaka

August 26, 2006

subrahmanian_v <subrahmanian_v > wrote:

From

Sankarraman

Dear Sir,

Dvaita and Visishtadvaita are only stages towards the consummation of advaita. It is also not correct, in a way, to state that these stages should be crossed to come upon advaita since that would imply the idea of time and space being involved in the realization of advaita which is here and now. Dvaita and Visishtadvaita presuppose realization through time, existence of some reality outside oneself.Both the misapprehension of the waking-dream states, and the non-apprehension of sleep have to be known to be false to understand advaita. The earlier stages are contained as relative realities in the latter, but these stages without being dismissed, one cannot understand advaita, which is not a stage.

with warm regards

Sankarraman

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