[Advaita-l] Advaita-l Digest, Vol 2, Issue 29

[Nagarjuna Siddhartha]

Dear Nelamangala,
  
> What is self-nature?.  Give me the sanskrit
> equivalent.

I suggest sva-bhAva as the equivalent. But please keep
in mind that my sanskrit knowledge is limited. 

> What is reality to you?

Metaphysical notion of reality can be defined as the
ultimate essence.

> For me,  if you bang your head on a brick and get
> hurt
> because the brick is hard,  then that is reality.

Look at the essence of the process. What makes the
brick hard? What causes the sensation of pain? What
phenomenon in this world express themselves as
hardness and pain? 

> How molecules are arranged is left to nature.  But
> the
> fact remains that nature 'did'  arrange brick
> molecules
> and pillow molecules differently for 'real'.  That
> is reality.
> 
> Why do you deny this 'reality' of work of nature ?

None denies the empirical reality of nature.Hardness
is accepted as some level of reality. But a better
sense of reality is obtained by looking in molecular
terms. Thus hardness is not real in itself. We are
increasing our level of understanding by looking at
the essence in each case. Yes, the different
arrangements of molecules has its own empirical
reality. But it would not be wise to claim that that
is reality in itself. For in each case we again need
to look at the essence. Hardness for example depends
on the arrangement of molecules and has no separate
reality. Since you accept the absolute dependance of
the world on brahman, you are accepting brahman as the
ultimate essence of everything. Thus brahman alone is
the ultimate reality. This is the advaitic teaching. 

Thus the second brahmasutra is very much advaitic in
its teaching.


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