--- In tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Sudarshan K Madabushi"
<mksudarshan2002@xxxx> wrote:
Dear friends,
Here is an little story worth contemplating upon:
The disciple one day asked of the Master: "Sir, I have a question
related to "tarkA" (logical dialectics). Pray help me find an
answer.The Master said, "Ask."
"Would it be correct to state that God is a logical absurdity?"
The Master was silent for a moment and then said, "Explain yourself".
The disciple continued: "The 'sruti vAkya' (the word of the Vedas)
says that God is both "Ekathvam" (Unity) as well as "Anantham"
(Infinite). In the Upanishad, at many places, Brahman is sought to
be described. It is said, "sa ekah:", "He is One". At other places
in the 'sruti', with equal certainty, it is said Brahman
is "anantham" (e.g "satyam, gnyAnam, anantham brahmA" in the
Taittriyam). Other scriptures too like the Vishnu Sahasranamam refer
to God as being both "ekah", "Unity"; and "anEkah", the "Infinitude".
"Unity ("ekah:"} and Infinity ("anantha:), we know are logical
identities diametrically opposed to each other. If a thing is to be
called "ekah", it must possess the quality or "guNa" of unique-ness.
If it is not unique, it cannot be described as "manifold"
or "anEkah". Conversely, if a thing is found to be variegated or
manifold in an infinite number of ways, it cannot be described as
unique. It would be contradiction in terms, nay, absurd and
meaningless, to characterize something as either "infinite Unity"
or "unique Infinitude". But since, this is exactly what the Vedas
and the Upanishads say, and since the "sruti vAkya" are to be taken
as infallible, we have to conclude, therefore, that God must be a
logical absurdity" for how can one ever hope to find "Unity within
Infinity" or "Infinity within Unity".
*********************
The Master then replied:
"Show me your palm".
The disciple stretched out his palm to the Master.
Holding the disciple's hand, the Mater said:
"Ingrained in this palm of yours are finger-prints... thousands and
thousands of whorls, curves, loops, peaks and valleys. In this
world, every person is born with similar finger-print patterns. The
prints are similar but the patterns and configurations in themselves
are immeasurably manifold. If there are six billion humans on earth,
you can imagine the infinite variety or eternal series of patterns
that exists. They are, in other words, "anantham"... And it is
probably the reason why the poet, Willim Blake, once wrote: if only
you could grasp the Truth of the matter, you could easily "hold
eternity in the palm of your hand".
"And yet, amidst all that infinite variety, every person's finger-
print pattern is wholly unique to himself, isn't it? Just imagine,
no two persons amongst the 6 billion beings on earth can ever be
found to have exactly the very same pattern. Every individual is
unique --- He is "ekah"! If a century from now, the number of humans
on earth increases by another couple of billions, mathematically you
would have immeasurably more finger-print patterns to imagine. And
yet, in spite of it all, each individual would still have a unique
and inimitable set of patterns on his palms.
"Thus", said the Master to the disciple, "Deep within the mind-
boggling number of an infinite series, how is it that there lies
too, for all to see, an unquestionable and inalienable unique-ness?
Do we not perceive here Unity and Infinity blending, "ekatvam"
and "anEkatvam" happily cohabiting with each other? Do we not
conceive here Unity and Infinitude mirroring each other perfectly?
"Would you want to characterize it all" asked the Master of the
disciple, "In the end, would you want to characterize it all as
nothing but mere "mental conundrum" or "logical absurdity"?
**************
The disciple, grateful for a new, insightful lesson learnt that day
in the finer nuances of "tarka-sAstra", bowed at the feet of the
Master.
Regards,
dAsan,
Sudarshan
--- End forwarded message ---
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