essence of advaita (was Re: solipsism and advaita)

[Greg Goode]

At 09:09 AM 12/22/97 -0330, Gummuluru Murthy wrote:

[...]

>In this context, I have two questions to the list-members:
>
>1. Re the verse "Brahmah satyam jagan mithya ....", ascribed to Shri
>Shankara: where did this verse appear (in which grantha or bhAshhya) ?

I'll have to look at home for this....  Now I'll take a stab at (2):


   >2. For an intellectual advaitin, which is more difficult to grasp ?
   >
   >   Brahmah satyam jagan mithya
   >
   >                or
   >
   >   Jeevo brahmaiva nah parah

Depends on the person's background, what ideas they're used to.  For a
Westerner coming to Advaita sometime in the last decade, I think the second
proposition is easier to understand:  "Jeevo brahmaiva nah parah."  Reason
being, many Westerners are used to thinking from the New Age, in terms of
concepts/phrases such as these:

   God is within you.

   Your inner essence is divine.

   You are divine.

   You are one with God

But to see that "Brahmah satyam jagan mithya" -- Brahman is the only
reality, all else being unreal -- this is harder to grasp initially.  This
was the case for me.  Interestingly enough, I think on this list, we have
more discussions related to "Jeevo brahmaiva nah parah," than to "Brahmah
satyam jagan mithya."

--Greg