Locus of ignorance

[Guest guest]

Re- Locus of avidyA (Ignorance).

 

The various posts received on this subject do not deal with the actual

question of the locus of ignorance which was the point raised by Dennis-ji

in his first post. This is a point on which there is difference of opinion

among the post-Sankarite advaitins. One view is that ignorance is located in

brahman. This is the view held by the following advaitins:--

 

Anandagiri----brahman is the locus—see his commentary on brahma sUtra-1.4.3.

 

sureSvarAchArya---brahman is the locus---Naishkarmyasiddhi Ch.3.1.

 

sarvajnAtmamuni---brahman is the locus---samkshepa SArIrakam—1.319

 

PrakASAtman----brahman is the locus------vivaraNa-

 

The other view is that the jIva is the locus. This is the view held by

the following:--

 

maNDana miSra says in brahmasiddhi that the *jIva *is the locus of

nescience.

 

VAchaspati miSra holds the same view –see his commentary on brahma

sUtra-1.4.3.

 

* *The sentence from SrI Sankara's bhAshya quoted by Denni-ji,

namely—* " *We agree that the Absolute is not the author of Ignorance

and that it is

not deluded by it either. Even so, there is nothing other than the Absolute

which is the author of Ignorance, and no other conscious being apart from

the Absolute that is deluded by it. " from bRRihadAraNyaka upaniShad bhAShya

I. iv.10 does not specifically refer to the locus (ASraya) of ignorance. But

there is a specific mention of ASraya in another sentence. Sankara says in

his commentary on brahmasUtra 1.4.3—tadadhInatvAdarthavat—that avidyaa is

'parameSvarASrayA'. i.e. it has brahman as ASraya.. This seems to be the

only place where Sankara has spoken specifically of the locus of avidyA. The

word 'ASraya' in this sentence has however been interpreted in different

ways by post-Sankara Advaitins. vAchaspatimisra says that ASraya here means

'content' and not 'locus'. Anandagiri takes this word to mean 'locus'. This

sentence is the basis on which these two advaitins have come to the

different conclusions mentioned above.

 

All post-Sankara advaitins are agreed that the content (vishaya or

object) of ignorance is brahman, i.e. that ignorance is *about* brahman.

 

There are differences of opinion among post-Sankara advaitins on many

points in advaita vedAnta. All the different views on each question have

been collected and put together by appayya dIkshita in his book

siddhAntaleSasangraha. All these are considered to be various means to

attain the ultimate goal of liberation, in respect of which there is no

difference of opinion.

 

There is a famous Sloka of sureSvarAchArya in which he approves of such

differences of opinion. It says, " All the different means by which people

can attain knowledge of the self should be understood to be valid. These

means are unlimited in number " .

 

S.N.Sastri

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

namaste sastri ji

 

you said

 

" Sankara says in his commentary on brahmasUtra

1.4.3—tadadhInatvAdarthavat—that

avidyaa is

'parameSvarASrayA'. i.e. it has brahman as ASraya.. This seems to be the

only place where Sankara has spoken specifically of the locus of avidyA. The

word 'ASraya' in this sentence has however been interpreted in different

ways by post-Sankara Advaitins. vAchaspatimisra says that ASraya here means

'content' and not 'locus'. Anandagiri takes this word to mean 'locus'. This

sentence is the basis on which these two advaitins have come to the

different conclusions mentioned above. "

 

does this not let to anyOnyAshraya dosha as per madhva and ramanuja?, can we

take " parameSvarASrayA " of avidya in vyavahArika sath?

 

 

 

 

 

On 8/22/07, S.N. Sastri <sn.sastri wrote:

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

On 22/08/07, narendra sastry <narendra.sastry wrote:

<< can we take " parameSvarASrayA " of avidya in vyavahArika sath?>>

 

 

** In paramArtha, there is no avidyA, so the question of ASraya of

avidyA does not arise.

 

In vyavahAra, the ASraya of avidyA is the entity that asks the

question " to whom is avidyA " .

[Guest guest]

Dear Sastriji,

 

Thank you for the informative summary on the different positions on

the ashraya of avdidya, as well as their proponents. Could you perhaps

quickly explain what the difficulty with each position (ie: Brahman as

ashraya and jiva as ashraya) is said to be.

 

Regards,

 

Rishi.

[Guest guest]

" In vyavahAra, the ASraya of avidyA is the entity that asks the question " to

whom is avidyA " . "

 

just curious to know the reason for the cause of avidya?

 

is it not anirvachanEya? as you said, avidya it self is enquiring which is

avidya...like a person stealing some thing today and he him self went on for

searching for the thief...

 

then why anyOnyAshraya dOsha as termed by others? can we not develop these

in some easily comprehensive postulates?

 

i know it is more important to think for how to get rid off the bondage

created, than wasting time thinking why it is created, but as this is the

vital questions that has been asked by poorva pakshis more often at

advaitins...

 

 

 

On 8/22/07, Ramesh Krishnamurthy <rkmurthy wrote:

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

--

cheers

Narendra P. Sastry,

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

How can there be anyonya ASraya? parameSvara is not dependent on avidyA.

Only avidyA is dependent on parameSvara. So there is no mutual dependence.

Sastri

 

 

On 8/22/07, narendra sastry <narendra.sastry wrote:

>

> namaste sastri ji

>

> you said

>

> " Sankara says in his commentary on brahmasUtra

> 1.4.3—tadadhInatvAdarthavat—that avidyaa is

> 'parameSvarASrayA'. i.e. it has brahman as ASraya.. This seems to be the

> only place where Sankara has spoken specifically of the locus of avidyA.

> The

> word 'ASraya' in this sentence has however been interpreted in different

> ways by post-Sankara Advaitins. vAchaspatimisra says that ASraya here

> means

> 'content' and not 'locus'. Anandagiri takes this word to mean 'locus'.

> This

> sentence is the basis on which these two advaitins have come to the

> different conclusions mentioned above. "

>

> does this not let to anyOnyAshraya dosha as per madhva and ramanuja?, can

> we take " parameSvarASrayA " of avidya in vyavahArika sath?

>

>

>

>

>

> On 8/22/07, S.N. Sastri <sn.sastri wrote:

>

>