message to my friends

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

> Again, speaking only strategy here...  I think it's a major obstacle to
> conceive that the world is utterly an illusion.  The stipulation has
> been
> made (especially by Bhagavan RM--and often; as well as [arguably]
> established
> by Adi Sankara's triune advaitic formula) that the world is only an
> illusion
> in the special sense if/when it is regarded as real *apart from*
> brahman;
> otherwise it is brahman itself.

In what sense does one regard the world as not apart from brahman? Does
one see only brahman here, or does one see the multiplicity of the
universe? Or does one see the multiplicity of the universe as part and
parcel of the one brahman? In which case, isn't brahman always divisible
into parts? Then how does one logically interpret the testimony of the
Sabda, that there is no multiplicity here (neha nAnAsti kiMcana), and that
brahman is really partless and indivisible?

All Advaita Vedanta teaching lies in the resolution of these questions
only. That is why it is said that there is brahman as the real foundation
(adhishThAna/pratishThA). However, this does not necessarily mean that the
multiple universe based on this real foundation thereby becomes real.

Vidyasankar