Non-reality of the world

[Gummuluru Murthy]

On Wed, 15 Oct 1997, sadananda wrote:

> Madhavan wrote:
>
> >If a jnaani sees thoughts, there itself duality exists. Then,how can he
> >realize Truth.
>
> It is not the duality that is the problem. Taking the duality as reality is
> the problem.  JNaani sees the duality just as scientist sees the sun raise
> and sun set yet he is fully aware that sun neither raises nor sets. From
> the point of fundamental particles of matter, food and garbage are the
> same. But that universal understanding does not make us eat garbage and
> throw the food.  This is what is meant by vyaavaharika satyam.  Gold chain
> and gold ring are nothing but Gold.  A gold merchant may not care for the
> difference.  But chain is a chain and ring is ring.  Their utilities are
> different.  Hence it is not the duality that is the problem it is the
> misunderstanding that the duality is real and not apparent is the problem.
> One plus many apparent is not many but still one.
>
> JNaani sees the thoughts and when he sees the thoughts he knows in his mind
> just the way as  Krishna declares-
>
>  mayaatatam idam sarvam jagadavyakta muurthina
>  masthaani sarva bhuutaani na chaaham teswavasthitaH| (9-3)
>
> I pervade this entire universe in an unmanifested form
> all bhutaas (pancha bhutaas as well as their by products) are in me but I
> am not in them, in the sense that their pariNaama or modifications do not
> belong to me.
>
> JNaani sees the thoughts in him, they are in his consciousness.  Actually
> not only in JNaani even in AJNaani too.  Thoughts cannot be away from
> consciousness, if so we cannot be conscious of them.  In fact thought is
> nothing but (as though) a wave of consciouness. Just as the water pervades
> every wave, in totality; same is the consciouness.  I donot have to supress
> the wave to see the water.  Water is the wave - it cannot be water + wave
> as duality.  Yet each wave is differnt.  The plurality is only apparent
> plurality.  Water + many waves is just water from water point.  That is
> what is meant by adhyaasa - a superimpostion.
>
> Identifying with the name and form each wave thinks it is different.  But
> that notion is due to ignorence.  It is only a notion and not a fact.
>

Now, I have a question in this regard.

First, let me illustrate.  We see waves. We see all waves to be the same
as water only. Then we see water from different oceans. We see them as
water only and not as different oceans. We see oceans and continents and
we see that as the Earth only. Then we see the earth as one of the nine
planets. Then we do not see the nine planets but only a solar system. Then
we see the Sun as one of the stars and the whole as one cosmos. Then we
do not see the cosmos but we see only one nishchalatvam, the perfect
quietness, the nirguna brahman, the substratum of all.

This may not be a good illustration, but I would re-phrase Shri Madhavan's
question this way: why see the difference and then interpret it as that
perceived difference is due to ignorance ? If we do not see the difference
at all, then where is the need for interpretation ?

In the bhagavad-gita verse quoted above, Krishna seems to see a difference
and then interprets the difference. My question is, why does a jnani like
Krishna see a difference ?

I also refer here to the example given by Shri Ram Chandran from
Mahabharata regarding Krishna asking Duryodhana and Yudhistara to find a
good man and a bad man respectively and that they couldn't find because
Yudhistara saw only good in everyone and Duryodhana only bad in everyone.
Thus, what one sees is a reflection of one's personality.

Thus, I would assume a jnani like Krishna sees only non-duality in
everything. Isn't seeing non-duality in everything better ("better" is
not the right word here, but I am not sure which word is better.) than
seeing duality and interpreting it as only a superposition ?

I would be grateful for clarification.

>
> Hari Om!
> Sadananda
>

Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
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Yadaa sarve pramucyante kaamaa ye'sya hr^di shritaah
atha martyo'mr^to bhavatyatra brahma samashnute   Katha Upanishhad II.3.14

When all the desires that dwell in the heart fall away, then the mortal
becomes immortal, and attains Brahman even here.
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