Avadhuta Gita

[Guest guest]

Chapter 2, Verse 12:

 

Swami Chetanananda

Brahman has been described as being like space, and truly, like space,

it is all-pervading. Brahman is pure consciousness, omniscient, and

full.

 

Swami Ashokananda

That which has been described as being like ether is indeed like ether.

That is Consciousness -- blameless, omniscient, and perfect.

[Guest guest]

Brahman may be compared to space, but Brahman is not space. I have seen

people confuse Brahman with space, but they are simply up against another

hurdle.

 

What is space? Space is the viewpoint of dimension. If there is no dimension

to perceive there is no space. If there is no viewpoint from which to

perceive, again, there is no space.

 

Brahman unmanifested is beyond even space, viewpoints, and dimensions.

 

Vinaire

 

-

EDTipple <edtipple

<ramakrishna >

Friday, February 18, 2000 8:23 PM

[ramakrishna] Avadhuta Gita

 

 

> EDTipple <edtipple

>

> Chapter 2, Verse 12:

>

> Swami Chetanananda

> Brahman has been described as being like space, and truly, like space,

> it is all-pervading. Brahman is pure consciousness, omniscient, and

> full.

>

> Swami Ashokananda

> That which has been described as being like ether is indeed like ether.

> That is Consciousness -- blameless, omniscient, and perfect.

[Guest guest]

On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 23:43:30 -0500 " vinaire " <vinaire writes:

> " vinaire " <vinaire

>

> Brahman may be compared to space, but Brahman is not space. I have

> seen

> people confuse Brahman with space, but they are simply up against

> another

> hurdle.

>

> What is space? Space is the viewpoint of dimension. If there is no

> dimension

> to perceive there is no space. If there is no viewpoint from which to

> perceive, again, there is no space.

>

> Brahman unmanifested is beyond even space, viewpoints, and

> dimensions.

>

 

 

Space is the material element which permits sound.

Air give rise to touch.

Fire brings sight.

Water gives taste.

Earth brings smell.

 

Here's a more detail on this from the Bhagavat Purana, 3.26.32-52:

 

When egoism in ignorance is agitated by the sex energy of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, the subtle element sound is manifested, and from

sound come the ethereal sky and the sense of hearing. Persons who are

learned and who have true knowledge define sound as that which conveys

the idea of an object, indicates the presence of a speaker screened from

our view and constitutes the subtle form of ether. The activities and

characteristics of the ethereal element can be observed as accommodation

for the room for the external and internal existences of all living

entities, namely the field of activities of the vital air, the senses and

the mind.

 

From ethereal existence, which evolved from sound, the next

transformation takes place under the impulse of time, and thus the subtle

element touch and thence the air and sense of touch become prominent.

Softness and hardness and cold and heat are the distinguishing attributes

of touch, which is characterized as the subtle form of air. The action

of the air is exhibited in movements, mixing, allowing approach to the

objects of sound and other sense perceptions, and providing for the

proper functioning of all other senses. By interactions of the air and

the sensations of touch, one receives different forms according to

destiny.

 

By evolution of such forms, there is fire, and the eye sees different

forms in color. My dear mother, the characteristics of form are

understood by dimension, quality and individuality. The form of fire is

appreciated by its effulgence. Fire is appreciated by its light and by

its ability to cook, to digest, to destroy cold, to evaporate, and to

give rise to hunger, thirst, eating and drinking.

 

By the interaction of fire and the visual sensations the subtle element

taste evolves under a superior arrangement. From taste, water is

produced, and the tongue, which perceives taste, is also manifested.

Although originally one, taste becomes manifold as astringent, sweet,

bitter, pungent, sour and salty due to contact with other substances.

The characteristics of water are exhibited by its moistening other

substances, coagulating various mixtures, causing satisfaction,

maintaining life, softening things, driving away heat, incessantly

supplying itself to reservoirs of water, and refreshing by slaking

thirst.

 

Due to the interaction of water with the taste perception, the subtle

element odor evolves under superior arrangement. Thence the earth and the

olfactory sense, by which we can variously experience the aroma of the

earth, become manifest. Odor, although one, becomes many-as mixed,

offensive, fragrant, mild, strong, acidic and so on-according to the

proportions of associated substances. The characteristics of the

functions of earth can be perceived by modeling forms of the Supreme

Brahman, by constructing places of residence, by preparing pots to

contain water, ete. In other words, the earth is the place of sustenance

for all elements.

 

The sense whose object of perception is sound is called the auditory

sense, and that whose object of perception is touch is called the tactile

sense. The sense whose object of perception is form, the distinctive

characteristic of fire, is the sense of sight. The sense whose object of

perception is taste, the distinctive characteristic of water, is known as

the sense of taste. Finally, the sense whose object of perception is

odor, the distinctive characteristic of earth, is called the sense of

smell.

 

Since the cause exists in its effect as well, the characteristics of the

former are observed in the latter. That is why the peculiarities of all

the elements exist in the earth alone.

 

When all these elements were unmixed, the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, the origin of creation, along with time, work, and the qualities

of the modes of material nature, entered into the universe with the total

material energy in seven divisions. From these seven principles, roused

into activity and united by the presence of the Lord, an unintelligent

egg arose, from which appeared the celebrated Cosmic Being. This

universal egg, or the universe in the shape of an egg, is called the

manifestation of material energy. Its layers of water, air, fire, sky,

ego and mahat-tattva increase in thickness one after another. Each layer

is ten times bigger than the previous one, and the final outside layer is

covered by pradhana. Within this egg is the universal form of Lord Hari,

of whose body the fourteen planetary systems are parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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