For the logicians among you

[Greg Goode]

At 09:35 AM 11/24/97 -0500, MC1 at AOL.COM wrote:
>Vedic testimony and perception are at odds concerning the non-duality versus
>the plurality of this world. How to reconcile?
>
>Sureswara argues (reference supplied on request) that perception does not
>reveal difference! Difference is determined by the non-existence of one
>object in another -- there is non-existence of a horse in a cow and vice
>versa. Difference then, is about non-existence and perception requiring an
>object has nothing to do with non-existence -- it can only manifest objects,
>not draw conclusions about them. Inference, which can draw conclusions, being
>dependent upon perception also cannot determine non-existence.

This makes a lot of sense.  Bishop George Berkeley, British Idealist
extraordinaire, would agree.  In fact perception does not even manifest
objects such as birds and trees.  It manifests ideas of certain qualities,
e.g., the ideas of shape, color, sound, etc.  Metaphor, inference and
analogy do the rest.  Based on perception alone, one cannot conclude
anything about the existence of external objects.

--Greg