SAmkhya and VedAnta

Ashish Chandra achandra at WNMAIL.WNDEV.ATT.COM
Fri Feb 19 07:03:54 CST 1999


Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:

> >  Also, I would say that the vitality of
> > Advaita Vedanta depends on Direct Experience of the Self. So Advaita Sages of
> > every generation must Renew and Realize in their Own Heart the Truth that Sri
> > Shankra spoke of.
> >
>
> Again I agree but I should point out that if Advaita Vedanta teaches
> anything, it is that experience can often be deceiving.  Take for example
> the eclipse.  To primitive people it caused sheer terror.  For us who know
> it is a conjunction of the Sun and Moon, the experience may be just as
> moving but in a different way.  Only the power of our intellect can dispel
> ignorance and reveal our experiences for what they really are.  Rigorous
> analysis of both ones own thoughts and those presented by others cannot be
> simply dismissed as "dogmatism"  Rather it is the sine qua non of
> sucessful sadhana.
>

I think Jaladhar, that the realization of Truth, as was pointed out by Harsha, was
in reference to realization of the Self, and not merely through trying to find out
the best and truest categorization of an event. I further think that it is not even
the power of intellect but only the realization of Self that can really dispel
ignorance. Before one does that, isn't everything to be considered Avidya ? Does
rigorous analysis fit in then ?

Ashish

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