Status of knowledge of an object in V.P.

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sadanandaji,

The part that you are having difficulty with is a direct quote from V.P.

My contribution comes after that beginning with - The first sentence has a

note from Swami Madhavananda etc. to the bottom. These are difficult

issues but there is no avoiding them.

 

For instance V.P. holds that the validity of knowledge is the default

setting. The basic assumption is that our perception is of the object

as-it-is even though what we are 'directly' acquainted with is the mental

modification. The core of Advaita is that the mental modification is not

different from the object. This sounds contrary to common sense but the

developement of the theory that supports it is what sets Advaita apart

from other theories which are Realist or Idealist.

 

How then do we account for the fact of confusion/illusion/delusion? That

is dealt with in the section of V.P. following the part I quoted.

 

Best Wishes,

Michael.

[Guest guest]

Michael - PraNams.

 

--- ombhurbhuva <ombhurbhuva wrote:

 

> The part that you are having difficulty with is a

> direct quote from V.P.

> My contribution comes after that beginning with -

> The first sentence has a

> note from Swami Madhavananda etc. to the bottom.

> These are difficult

> issues but there is no avoiding them.

>

> For instance V.P. holds that the validity of

> knowledge is the default

> setting. The basic assumption is that our

> perception is of the object

> as-it-is even though what we are 'directly'

> acquainted with is the mental

> modification. The core of Advaita is that the

> mental modification is not

> different from the object.

 

 

Thanks for your clarification.

 

What does default setting means?

 

Does that mean it is nothing to do with saakshii? As

long as that particular mind feels it is valid

knowledge, it is valid - if that is what default means

I have no problem. I do not like to give more work to

Saakshii!

 

I do not agree that the core understanding of advaita

is 'mental modification is not different from object'

- I am not sure if this is VP statement or your

understanding of the VP.

 

Mind does not project the sense input, that is, the

attributes that the senses gather are from the object.

Hence I agree that sense input (provided all the

factors such as light etc are not defective) is

related to object and not individual mental projection

- That is the core understanding of advaita - all it

means the object is not the creation of the individual

mind (unless it is praatibhaasika, projection from

memory). But mental modification can still be

different from the object since there is volition of

the sense input and cognition by the mind where

distortions can occur depending on the purity of the

mind. Hence mental projection of the object out there

can be perturbed my mental curvature or crookedness -

like concave or convex mirrors! This is not an

endorsement of the Realism or idealism or vijnaana

vada, since object is independent of the mind,

although mind can perceive still a distorted image of

the object, due to mental problems. There may be other

minds that perceive without these distorsions.

Therefore mental object at an individual level can be

different from the external object, without

compromising advaitic position.

 

Anyway that is how I understand.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda