Weekly Definition - adhyAropa - apavAda

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The following definition was provided by V. Subrahmanian in May 2006

and is also available at

http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/teachers/adhyaropa_subrahmanian.htm

 

Dennis

 

Srigurubhyo NamaH

 

In the Vedanta, even though the Supreme Purport is in Advaita, we do

encounter passages declaring creation implying the duality of a

created world (and jIva-s) and the Creator Brahman. This suggests a

cause-effect relationship between Brahman and the world. One can

appreciate this seeming contradiction, that is, the declaration of

Advaita on the one hand and the presence of creation passages on the

other, by understanding the principle of adhyAropa - apavAda or the

Method of Deliberate Superimposition and Negation.

 

The source of this idea is the explanation of the principle by Swami

Paramarthananda in the course of his mANDUkya kArikA discourse.

 

The example of a pot is considered for the purpose of understanding

the principle. I have a 'pot' vision. The teacher wants to change this

vision of mine as he wants me to have the correct vision, that of the

clay. This is accomplished in FOUR stages:

 

Stage 1. The pot is presented as the effect of clay.

Stage 2. Clay is presented as the cause of the pot.

Stage 3. Now, the teacher asks me to find out if I can see the pot

without the clay. I look at the pot on all sides and conclude that

everywhere it is clay alone. It is not available as different from

clay, its cause. The conclusion: the effect is non-different from the

cause.

Stage 4. This much is not enough, for the concept of cause and effect

does exist. Now the teacher states that since it was concluded that

the effect does not exist apart from the cause, it would be correct to

hold that the cause alone really exists. But this still limits the

cause as a cause. The vision born of wisdom is: There is no longer any

need to call the clay as the cause. As clay alone matters in that wise

vision, it would be appropriate to divest the clay of its status of a

cause. Thus, divested of this status, clay remains as the one that

transcends the cause-effect duality.

 

The first two stages are the 'adhyAropa' stages where the 'effect'-

hood of the pot and the 'cause'-hood of the clay were superimposed

deliberately. This is done in order to afford the foundation for

finally negating them and driving home the non-dual nature.

 

The latter two stages constitute the 'apavAda' stages where the

supposed effect-hood of the pot is negated and even its substantiality

is shown to be only in the clay. The pot is shown to be insubstantial

as apart from its substance, the clay. Next, and finally, even the

causehood of the clay is negated, for when the effect-hood is admitted

to be of no consequence, to accord the cause- status to the clay is

meaningless. The clay can exist without that definition as the cause.

 

The creation passages of the shruti are there to show that the

universe has to be admitted as the effect of a superior principle,

Brahman. And Brahman is to be known as the cause of the entire

universe and looked upon as such. This stage is essential in the

teaching methodology to draw the attention of a totally ignorant

person and fix his attention on this relationship. This is essential

to prepare the ground, in other words, the cultivating of the mental

make up of the aspirant by applying suitable sAdhana-s of karma yoga

and upAsana, meditation of the Supreme with attributes. The concept of

Ishvara is upheld and the aspirant is taught to relate himself to

Ishvara. A deliberate cultivation of duality is taken up here. So far

is the method of 'adhyAropa', deliberate superimposition by the Veda.

Once this is achieved, the teaching now takes on a different phase.

The stage is set for the Advaita Upadesha. The shruti passages

appropriately show that the world is non different from Brahman

(Vacharambhana shruti of the Chandogya, for example). This step

culminates in the appreciating of the Absolute Advaitic nature of

Brahman, shAntam, shivam, Advaitam, as the turIya is taught in the

mANDUkyopaniShad. This is the 'apavAda' or the negation of what was

superimposed deliberately earlier.

 

Once this is also done, the shruti having accomplished its Supreme

Purpose of enlightening the jIva, goes into 'silent mode'. There is no

more anything to instruct. There is no more anything for such a

realised soul to know. So he too goes into 'silent mode'. He has

attained to a state of a 'non persona'.

 

The avowed objective of all the Upanishads is to uproot all the

concoctions that we have entertained in us regarding so many things.

Creation and cause-effect are just two of them. When the final picture

is seen or at least understood, then no question will arise about the

correctness or otherwise, of holding Brahman as the material cause; it

will then be understood that the Upanishads actually teach that

Brahman is not at all a cause, as transcending the cause-effect realm.

The turIya is taught as the pAda-traya [three states of

counsciousness: waking, dreaming and deep sleep] vilakShaNa [causeless

state], as asparsha [intangible, touchless]. It is not touched by the

cause-effect realm at all.

 

But in the beginning it is essential to teach that the turIya pervades

the three pAda-s. The AchArya says that if this is not shown this way,

there will be no way that the aspirant can identify, locate, the

turIya. But once the identifying, locating, is successfully done,

there is no need any longer to hold on to the earlier teaching. Swami

Paramarthananda uses the example of the parable of the seventeen

elephants. Three heirs to a large estate were faced with the problem

of dividing seventeen elephants among themselves in the willed

proportion: half to the first brother, one-third to the second and

one-ninth to the third. Seeing their predicament, a wise person

'offered' to donate his elephant to the lot of seventeen and

accomplished the task thus: The first man got nine elephants, the

second got six and the third got two. Having distributed the seventeen

elephants of the estate thus, the wise man walked away with his own

elephant. The Swami says that the shruti first introduces creation,

causehood of Brahman, etc and ultimately withdraws the concept of

creation, etc.

 

Om Tat Sat