Visistadvaitha 11

[Guest guest]

Jai Srimannarayana!

 

I addressed both of them in calm tone,

“Be calm first. Though I have regards for Pratyaksham and Anumaanam as

Pramaanam, let me explain to you in detail the reason why I am not in

agreement with both of you and then prove the existence of God and

individual soul (Jeevaatman). First I would like to say that the sense

organs cannot comprehend the God or individual soul as the basic nature of God

and individual souls is that they cannot be comprehended by our sense organs.

Therefore the Pratyaksha pramanam cannot prove the presence of God and

individual soul. But I do not mean that the Pratyaksha pramanam itself is

invalid. It is surely valid in the context of those entities that can be sensed

by it. I stress its limitations here as such. Also both of you agree that there

are certain entities which are beyond the comprehension of our

sense organs.

 

The “Believer” in God says why cannot we infer the presence of God and

hence prove it based on observation. He is ready to accept the man made

scriptures in this regard. The “Believer” in God uses Anumaana Pramanam by this

manner. Even the Anumaana pramaanam cannot prove the presence of God.

He sees the potter as the cause of the pot. He thinks now “For a small pot

itself, there is a cause who is a potter. Why cannot the great universe have a

cause like this? That cause which I infer is God. At least there must some

super-power (which I call as God)”. This is totally a wrong idea and does not

prove the existence of God in any manner.

 

I will give you the reasons now. In the example/observation given by

“Believer” in God, first let us reason out what sort of cause the potter is in

making the pot. The potter is just an instrumental cause as he wishes to make

the pot and makes it. There is another “cause” involved here and that is the

material cause! The mud is the material cause as it undergoes changes in the

hands of the instrumental cause (potter) and becomes the pot. One more “cause”

is still involved here and that is the accessory cause. The accessories are

water, the wheel, a stick, fire etc., which are accessories in making the pot

and without these accessories, the potter (instrumental cause) cannot make the

pot from mud (material cause).

 

If we extend the inference of “Believer” in God, then a list of questions

arises which cannot be answered by both of our friends. Those questions are

 

 

- “This inference establishes the God only as the instrumental cause in creation

of the entire universe. What is the material cause for the same?

- If the material cause is assumed to be matter, then from what that

material cause came into origin?

- If there is a cause for it, why cannot the cause for the matter be

called superior to the inferred God?

- If there is something superior to the inferred God, then who is to

be called God?

- As the inferred God is only the instrumental cause, what are the

accessory causes involved in the creation of the universe and again from

where these accessory causes came into existence?

- As the inferred God turns up only to be the instrumental cause, why

should he create the universe?

- If he creates it then has he got a body or not?

- If he has a body (as potter needs a body to perform action) to

create, then what is the reason for his body? There is no answer for this

question. If it is argued that the God creates without taking a body, then are

the results of creation bind the God? If it is so, then what is the difference

between us who are bound by our actions?

- If God’s actions bind God then God needs liberation first very much

than what we need! How can such an inferred God liberate us who are bound in the

material world?

- If the actions of the God are assumed not to bind God, then who enjoys it?

- What benefit the inferred God gets by creating the universe?

- Is the same inferred God sustains the universes and destroys it or

is there more than one God?

- How is he? Is the God to be called “He or She or It”?

- Why should the God create the universe with lot of differences in

it?

- Why one is rich another is poor?

- Why one individual is healthy and another is sick?

- Why few are beautiful and few are ugly?

- Why few are good and many are bad?

- Is the inferred God partial?

- If he has mercy why not he create everything only with goodness?

- Is he himself then good or bad?

- Is the God himself changed as the universe? If so, he should be both

good and bad as the universe has both good and bad. If the God himself is

having badness, then how is he different or same as matter and some individual

soul?

 

Where are the answers to these questions? Therefore if we infer the God like

this then the God thus established does not turn up with omnipresence,

omniscience and omnipotence, purity and divinity " .

 

 

 

 

Andal Tiruvadigale Saranam

Madhava Ramanuja dasan.