[Advaita-l] query

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Shankar - Obviously your dwaita friend has wrong understanding of
Advaita that is perpetuated in the superficial dwaita criticisms of
Advaita that in the form that appeals to masses.

When scripture says 'you are that' - - and scripture is not that stupid
to say that you the limited is identical to that unlimited. Finite
cannot be equated to infinite.  Your friend has to understand the
scriptures properly before he makes his silly comment.

What is involved in the statement is what is called in tarka -
bhagatyaga lakshaNa.  

If one says "this is that Ramarao' - there is an equation of this
Ramarao that we are seeing right now, and 'That Ramarao' that we both
are familiar, seen/heard about, in the past - at different place and
different time.

That cute looking Ramarao who was so handsome and everybody was carrying
him is the same as this ugly looking bald-headed, fat Ramarao sitting in
front of us - what are we equating in the statement?. The body, mind and
intellect of that Ramarao are completely different from the body, mind
and intellect of this Ramarao-is it not?  Still when the teacher says -
This is that Ramarao - the knowledge is immediate and direct - we equate
the essence of that Ramarao and the essence of this Ramarao dropping all
the superficial qualities that are superimposed on this Ramarao and that
Ramarao - and this occurs instantaneously or immediately (aparoksha
anubhuuti) and we say in wonder "oH! My God this is that Ramarao! What a
change!" What changed are the qualities in the so-called Ramarao-s but
there is only one Ramarao who is independent of any superimposed
qualities. 

When scripture says jiivaatma is the same as paramaatma - what is
equated is the essence of jiivaatma and essence of paramaatma - that sat
- chit-ananda swaruupa-s discarding (bhaaga tyaaga) any superimposed
qualities of jiiva aatma and paramaatma - these include; one is alpa
shaktimaan, alpa vyapakatvaan, and the other is sarva shaktimaan, sarva
vyaapakatvaan, etc.  These virodhaa-s or contradictory qualities are
dropped since they are superimposed qualities and only the essence is
equated.  

Hope you educate your dwaitin friend before he propagates his ignorance.
 

Hari OM!
Sadananda





--- shankar <shankar at tataelxsi.co.in> wrote:
> Namaste.
> 
> I am a novice and still yet to understand the essence of advaita
> philosophy.
> This is because.I have read that Advaita sees no difference between
> Jivatma
> and paramatma.Is it so? & if it is so, is.. Jivatma also a creator OR
> can he 
> become a creator after getting moksha.
> 
> My dvaita friends ague that a Jivatma cannot be a paramatma since,
> even-though
> Jivatma may be a reflection OR a part of Paramatma, he cannot be as
> powerful
> as paramatma since, he doesn't  possess  the powers of paramatma.
> 
> My consciences says jivatma is a part of Paramatma since the creator
> is
> present in all his creations and the soul can realise this when he
> begins to
> see his presence in others and when this gets reflected there is no
> difference as
> he becomes one amongst the others. 
> 
> Is my interpretation correct ? or,  pls guide me to actual meaning
> ,since
> my friends judgement confuses me.
> 
> Kindly enlighten me on this. 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Shankar.
>  
> 
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=====
What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.