Duality of Visible and Invisible Worlds and Advaita

[Guest guest]

To

Mr Dennis Waite

 

1. I do not see why you are confused with my interpretation and

implications of your statement: that all that exists is one non-dual

reality.It is the nature of that non-dual reality that is in question.

 

2. You ask 'do you mean that the statement that there exists one

Dual reality is incorrect'. It depends what one is talking about.

There is the visible world and there is an invisible spriritual world

which is highly active and directs the visible world. From this point

of view there is dual reality: the visible and the invisible. When

one discusses merging with the truth, that boundary is being crossed.

In the invisible reality there exist lies and truths the same as in

the visible reality. On the premise that truth is divine, lies and

deception are evil one makes a choice of which way to go. Those who

wish to lead divine lives choose to merge with the invisible truth. I

hope that is sufficiently clear.

 

3. You are wrong in saying that Brahman does nothing and that would

be duality.

 

4. The rest of what I have written must be read with the contents

and Listing of my website http://www.advaita.me.uk.

 

Shantanu Panigrahi

 

Dennis Waite wrote back: Your first sentence is unclear. Do you mean

that you believe that

the statement `there exists one dual reality' is incorrect? Or are

you saying that you understand the quoted statement to be saying that

there is not one non-dual reality? I'm a afraid that I find your

subsequent statements to be confusing, also.

 

" At the highest level of existence one is merging with the

truth " – one does not `merge' with anything, ever. The truth is

always the truth. The problem is that self-ignorance in the mind of

the aj~nAnI prevents realization of this fact.

" truth is that which is dictated to one by Brahman " – brahman

does nothing – ever. This would be duality and the reality is non-

dual.

" One submits to the Will of God in other words: that is the non-

duality of Advaita. " – How could this possibly be? The non-duality of

advaita means that there is no `god' *and* `one' – there is *only*

brahman.

" Non duality is limited by this fact, " – non-duality is not limited

by anything. This is effectively one of the definitions – ananta.

" one needs to travel the distance with Brahman and see the reasons

for submission " – as already noted, one *is* brahman; where is the

question of travelling `with'? I'm afraid I do not know what you mean

by `reasons for submission'.

To return to the quoted statement, the point being made here is

that all teaching takes place in vyavahAra and the process is one of

removal of self-ignorance in the mind. This process in advaita uses

the technique of adhyAropa-apavAda, which effectively involves

`several levels of assimilation', each one sublating the previous. If

you can point to shruti statements to the contrary, I would be very

interested to hear them.

 

Shantanu Panigrahi first wrote to Mr Dennis Waite: `In your website I

read where you are inviting questions: According to the teaching

tradition of Vedanta, there are several levels of assimilation

necessary before one arrives at the pAramArthika, or absolute

understanding - that all that exists is one non-dual reality'.

 

I am of the view that this is incorrect, that there exists one non-

dual reality. At the highest level of existence one is merging with

the truth and truth is that which is dictated to one by Brahman. That

realisation is the absolute understanding, or paramarthika. For one

cannot hope to know more than Brahman even at the highest levels of

non dual merging with Him. One submits to the Will of God in other

words: that is the non-duality of Advaita. Non duality is limited by

this fact, for which one needs to travel the distance with Brahman

and see the reasons for submission due to guru-shishya parampara type

of relationship. The reasons include the fact that He is the source

of all knowledge and to acquire knowledge is the goal of the advaitin.

[Guest guest]

Dear Shantanu Panigrahi-ji,

I’m afraid that I do not condone your decision to post a

private conversation to the group without my consent. This is not because I

have any problems with my own statements on the subject but your rendition of

the exchange is so confused that it is not possible to make out who has said

what about what. I am not sure what your purpose is. If you wish to garner the

view of others regarding your questions, this is of course perfectly in order.

But please do not confuse the issue in this way. And, if you have problems with

anything I have said or the way in which I said it, please direct them to

myself and not to the group.

Regards,

Dennis Waite

 

 

 

 

advaitin [advaitin ] On Behalf Of shantanu_panigrahi

Monday, January 19, 2009 4:51 PM

advaitin

Duality of Visible and Invisible Worlds and Advaita

 

 

 

 

 

 

To

Mr Dennis Waite

 

1. I do not see why you are confused with my interpretation and

implications of your statement: that all that exists is one non-dual

reality.It is the nature of that non-dual reality that is in question.