lessons - 2

[Anand Hudli]

 Egodust wrote:
>Gregory Goode wrote:
>
>>  [...]   I feel now that if there's even the shadow of a possibility
of harm,
>I won't discuss it
>>  [the absence of free will] any more on the list.  I'm very glad to
discuss
>it off-list, but this
>>  is the last Advaita-list message I will post containing arguments
against
>the existence
>>  of free will.
>
>We're quite aware that advaita means nonduality.  But are we aware of
its
>ramifications?
>Nonduality establishes there's no separative jiva, apart from brahman.
This,
>in turn, asserts
>the impossiblity of free will; for if it did exist, it would have to be
>separate from brahman.
>
>Claiming the existence of free will is thus a matter for the dvaita
list.  The
>idea that it can
>be harmful is true--for those yet ascribing to dvaita!  But it should
be clear
>that it's central
>to the approach of advaita, and if someone isn't comfortable discussing
it
>here, they should
>join the dvaita list.
>
>Advaita leads to the jnana of the paramarthika, whereas dvaita is
rooted in the
>ajnana
>of the vyavaharika. The former rests in the silence beyond
understanding;
>whereas the
>latter, due to their idea of a separative egoic will, must yet
surrender that
>will.  So that even
>the dvaitic bhaktha must evolve into the parabhaktha, via the *total
surrender*
>of ego,
>thereby realizing, and yes, *becoming* atman (or brahman).  This
illustrates
>how even
>dvaita, in its later stages, moves into the insight re the dissolution
of the
>idea of free will.

 I agree with you that the free will topic must be freely :-)
 discussed here. This particular topic has a long history on this
 list. So I would ask those interested to consult the advaita-l
 archives at http://listserv.tamu.edu/archives/advaita-l.html
 and see how other people have responded.

 Anand

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