ADVAITA-L Digest - 17 Jun 1997 to 18 Jun 1997

[Srinivas Sista]

Allan Curry writes:
>
> If illusory is equated with impermanence then I would find it difficult to
> argue that the world is not illusory. If illusory refers to the fact that
> our impression of the world is created by our minds, again I agree our
> representation of the world is fabricated. To some, the "illusory nature of
> the world" implies the non-existence of any extra-mental source of data
> which go into the making of our representation of the world. This is a
> much more difficult case to make and one that I am not convinced of.
>
> I am a part of the world you say is illusory. Do you believe that I am not
> *really* asking you this question and you are merely imagining that I do?
> If an illusory being *can* question you then in what sense do you hold
> them to be illusory?
>
> with *real* regard,
>

Could you please elaborate on "extra-mental source of data"?
Did such a dream ever occur to you where you see things that you
haven't encountered before and people say things that could arouse
emotions much akin to waking state(like anxiety, anger, joy etc)?
Didn't you dream of any events where questions & answers are
involved? (Erwin Schroedinger refers to a similar example).
Did you ever wake up more than once inside dreams(like you wake up
from a dream think that it is waking state and after sometime you
again wake up ... so on)? Isn't it just a postulate when you say
that there exists something which gives rise to the world and feelings?
This is like postulating gravity to explain "falling" objects. You
seem to give an independent existence to events(in whatever form)
and that mind just represents it as we are aware of them.

regards,
Srinivas Sista.