[Advaita-l] Is the notion of an ISvara compatible with advaita?

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005, Amuthan Arunkumar R wrote:

> what do you mean by a "lower order of reality". to
> whom does it exist?
>

To the person who believes it exists.

> if the analogy is properly extended, what you've
> mentioned is true for a sAdhaka who has *still not
> realised the truth*, but has heard about it from his
> guru.
>

But has he grasped all the implications?  Indra and Virochana both heard
the Brahmavidya from Prajapati.  But Virochana completely missed the
point.  Even if one has a library of a billion Vedantic books it will be
for naught if one isn't spiritually ready.

> but does this hold for a jN.Ani? i again refer to the
> commentary of SrI rAmAnujAcArya (see my previous mail)
> where this view i.e. the simultaneous knowledge of
> brahman and mAyA (as is understood in advaita), is
> refuted.
>

As I said before, the difference is in perspective.  You cannot use the
same measure when the very definition has changed.  This is the basic
methodological flaw in the Vaishnava arguments.

> the key question is not how a jN.Ani perceives the
> world, but rather, in the first place, how can the
> existence of a *world* be justified for a jN.Ani
> according to advaita?
>

An example given in the Yogavasishtha is of the foam in the waves.  It is
the very nature of the waves and their turbulence that makes the foam
appear, stay for a while and then dissipate.  It is Brahmans nature that
words are created, stay for a while and are destroyed.  Why is it that way
and not some other way?  I don't know but that's the way it is.

Extending the analogy further, it is only up close that one observes the
turbulence in the waves.  From space (i.e. a different perspective,) the
ocean appears totally flat.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
It's a boy! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/nilagriva/