Guest guest Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 How knowledge destroys ignorance Both knowledge and ignorance are revealed by the witnessing consciousness (sAkShi). When I say, “I cognize this object”, it is because of the sAkShi. Similarly, when I say, “I do not see this object” it is again the sAkShi that knows that I do not see. The witnessing consciousness merely reveals ignorance, but does not destroy it. But the destruction of ignorance is also effected by the same consciousness when it is reflected in a mental modification (vRitti) in the form of the object. This is explained by sureshvara AchArya by means of the following illustration:-- The sun’s rays, falling directly on dry grass. do not burn the grass. But if the same rays are passed through a lens. the grass catches fire and burns to ashes. Best wishes, S.N.Sastri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 > But the destruction of ignorance is also > effected by the same consciousness when it is reflected in a mental > modification (vRitti) in the form of the object. This is explained by > sureshvara AchArya by means of the following illustration:-- > > The sun's rays, falling directly on dry grass. do not burn the grass. But if > the same rays are passed through a lens. the grass catches fire and burns to > ashes. > Pranam Sastri ji, Kindly elaborate this 'vritti' sentence if it is not a strain. What is that object and associated vritti which destroys ignorance ? How is removal of ignorance associated with a vritti? regards, Shailendra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Dear Shailendra-ji, According to advaita, all the objects in the world are superimposed on Brahman which is pure Consciousness. They have no reality, but are only appearances, like the snake that appears where there is only a rope, but the rope is not recognized as such because of dim light, etc. aj~nAna or ignorance covers Brahman and so it covers all objects superimposed on Brahman. This covering of aj~nAna has to be removed in order to make the object visible. advaita has its own explanation of how this aj~nAna is removed and the object is seen by a person. The process of visual perception, according to advaita VedAnta, is described in the following manner. Just as the water in a tank, issuing through a hole, enters, through a channel, a number of fields and assumes the shapes of those fields, so also the luminous mind, stretching out through the eye, goes to the space occupied by objects and becomes modified into the forms of those objects. Such a modification is called a vRitti of the mind. The whole process of visual perception consists of the following steps:-- (1) The mind stretches out through the eye, reaches the object and takes the form of the object. The modification of the mind in the form of the object is called a vRitti or mode of the mind. (2) The vRitti removes the veil of ignorance that covers the object. (3) Consciousness underlying the object, being manifest through the mental mode, illumines the object. (4) The mental mode associates the object-consciousness with the subject-consciousness. (5) The subject perceives the object. If you need any further clarification, please let me know. Best wishes, S.N.Sastri advaitin , " Shailendra Bhatnagar " <bhatnagar_shailendra wrote: > Pranam Sastri ji, > Kindly elaborate this 'vritti' sentence if it is not a strain. What is that object and associated vritti which destroys ignorance ? How is removal of ignorance associated with a vritti? > > regards, > Shailendra > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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