Kashmiri Shaivism

[Shrinivas Gadkari]

On Fri, 3 May 2002 16:14:45 -0400, Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM>
>The Advaita Vedanta position is that it is Ishvara (Brahman in His saguna
>aspect)  who creates the _world_appearence_ (note the distinction.)  If I
>can respond to a Shrinivas Gadkari, it is not because I have dreamt him up
>but because there really is such a person.  While we as individuals add
>our own layor of creation (and hence Maya) it is only on top of Ishvaras
>creation.
>
>The difference between this and Shaivism is that for us, even Ishvara in
>the final analysis is Maya.  As Gaudapadacharya states in the
>Mandukyakarikas, from the paramarthic viewpoint there is really no
>creation or destruction at all.
>

Namaste Jaldhar,

I think our understanding of Vedanta is quite different. And the
difference is more or less captured by the above lines of your
posting.

Here is a proposition, we will discuss Vedanta as each of us understands
it. We will not pretend to represent Advaita, Shankara, Gaudapada etc.
We will represent our own understanding: A Viewpoint (your view),
and B Viewpoint (my view).

A: "If I can respond to a Shrinivas Gadkari, it is not because I have
dreamt him up but because there really is such a person.  While we as
individuals add our own layor of creation (and hence Maya) it is only on
top of Ishvaras creation."

B: I strongly disagree. I am (apparently) responding to a Jaldhar Vyas whom
I have created by my own thoughts. I cannot assume that there really is
such a person as Jaldhar Vyas, it is all in my own thoughts. The Jaldhar
Vyas that I am replying to is as imaginary as the people I see in my dreams.

B: What makes you so sure that there really exsits something other than
you. You can NEVER prove this hypothesis.

We can take it from here ..

Best regards
Shrinivas Gadkari