The Karmas and our destiny

[Gregory Goode]

Nisargadatta would agree with Ramakrishnan that there is a substratum,
which Nisargadatta at times calls Atman, at times Parabrahman.  But he was
speaking off the cuff, like teachers do who say different things to
different seekers, in order to foster understanding.  He wasn't admitting
or claiming that real things are really happening.  If he were to explain,
he'd say that appearances are appearing on the substratum of the Self
(which he likens to Nirguna Brahman).  And he would also not argue whether
his teaching really IS advaita or not.  He was speaking from his own
experience, not from a textual tradition.  But in the West, his teachings
generally are considered advaita, and are not considered Buddhistic.

--Greg

At 01:44 PM 7/14/97 -0500, Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian wrote:
>Martin Gifford wrote:
>
>>I'm reminded of Nisargadatta saying 'There is no creator or
>enjoyer...all is
> spontaneously happening'. How's that for a jaw >dropper?!
>
>The jaw may drop, but the statement has no support in the advaita
>philosophy. If it is admitted that something is "happening", then there
>is a "creator". An illusion cannot exist without a substratum. Advaita
>vary clearly says that the illusion of "happenings" has the Atman for
>the substratum, ekAtmapratyayasAram as the mANDUkya upanishhad says. The
>saying you quote is some kind of viGYAnavadi buddhism, not advaita.
>
>Ramakrishnan.
>
>

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  Greg Goode (e-mail: goode)
  Computer Support    4-5723
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