You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Jul 2006

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00150 Jul 2006

 
Jul 2006 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


3.Anirvachneeya anupapatthi

avidhya can be proved as positive entity by perception.

Anirvachneeyatva  is explained as being neither sat, existent, nor
asath, nonexistent, but different from both, sadasatvilakshaNam.This
uniqueness, says Ramanuja ,is itself unique, because it cannot be proved
by any pramANa. All cognitions are of things either existing or not
existing.

But advaitin contends that avidhya is perceptible  as a positive entity
and not as a mere absence of knowledge, or mere antecedent non existence
of knowledge,that is, the ignorance before the rise of knowledge. In the
cognition 'I do not know' it is the perception of ajnAna whereas the
cognition ' I do not know myself or another,' as in deep sleep,denotes
the function of avidhya.

Avidhya conceals the true nature of Brahman as being self-proved,
undifferented, unchanging entity with jnAna as his svarupa. This is the
thirodhAna shakthi of avidhya. The other function of avidhya is that it
makes brahman appear as the manifold universe by its vikshepa
shakthi.Hence this is sense perception only, though unreal  because it
is caused by avidhya which is also not real. But since it is a positive
entity it cannot be unreal like the horn of a rabbit or a sky flower and
hence it is classified as neither real nor unreal.

Avidhya is not the antecedent nonexistence of knowledge jnAna prAgabhAva
vishayah,which can be cognised by anupalabdhi,non-perception, which is
the sixth pramANa of in advaita.

  [The means of cognition are six in advaita, namely,
perception,prathyaksha, inference, anumAna, sabdha,verbal testimony,
arThApatthi,presumption, and anupalabDhi, non-percepion. the
non-existence of a thing as in the knowledge that 'bhoothale ghato
nAsthi,' there is no pot on the ground, is cognised by anupalabDHi.
Other schools do not accept the last two pramANas of advaita which are
said  to  be included under inference and perception respectively.]

The reason for saying that avidhya is not the absence of knowledge is
that it is cognised while being experienced like that of 'aham
sukhee,Iam happy.' In the cognition 'I do not know,' there is a
perception of ajnAna which requires the knowledge of 'myself' and the
jnAna which is absent.So the cognition is that of ajnAna and therefore
it is positive and not opposed to knowledge of 'myself' or its
knowledge.

Ramanuja here interrupts and says that avidhya may be a positive thing,
that,is , not a mere absence, but even if so,  it conflicts with Brahman
who has jnAna as his nature, 'bhAvarupamapi ajnAnamvasthu yATHAthmya
avabhAsa rupENa sAkshichaithanyEna viruDHyathE.' Advaitin replies that
avidhya is not oppsed to Brahman but only to the knowledge of Brahman
which removes it. In the case of nacre perceived as silver, the ajnAna
is not opposed to nacre  but only to the knowledge of it.

If ajnAna is perceived by sense perception then on its removal Brahman
must be perceived by sense perception which is denied by the advaitin.
Reply to this is that all things, sentient and insentient are perceived
by Brahman, the witness- self, sAkshichaithanya, as being existent or
nonexistent. So when the ajnAna is removed by jnana Brahman shines of
its own accord but before that the witness- self manifests itself as the
world, due to ajnAna.

Next the advaitin shows that the avidhya is positive through inference







































[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Something is new at Yahoo! Groups.  Check out the enhanced email design.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/SISQkA/gOaOAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 




[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list