[Advaita-l] Self-knowledge

[Ram Garib]

S Jayanarayanan <sjayana at yahoo.com> wrote: --- bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com wrote:

> 
> praNAms Sri Amuthan prabhuji
> Hare Krishna
> 
> AA prabhuji:
> 
> for a brahmavit, avidyA is not completely removed
> though he has a first hand knowledge of brahman.
> 
> bhaskar :
> 
> I am not able to get this statement of yours...coz. shruti says
> *brahmavit
> brahmaiva bhavati*...you mean to say here even after brahma jnAna /
> after
> *becoming* brahman ...there is room for residue of avidyA??
> 

Yes - there can be a "residue" of avidyA even after aparoksha
BrahmaGYAna.

For a BrahmaGYAnI who is not a jIvanmukta, avidyA exists like a
serpent whose fangs have been removed. But for a BrahmaGYAnI who has
attained jIvanmukti, the serpent is fully destroyed. This is the
position of svAmi VidyAraNya:
I have not seen the analogy of serpent and fangs, but yes vidyaranya seems to imply so. Ch. IV of JVM starts with the objection that a brahma-gyani cannot have doubts. vidyaranya refutes this stand and avers that doubts can again creep in unless the gyani becomes a physical renunciate and engages in lifelong yogic practices. 

Jivanmuktiviveka (Translation by Dr. Robert Gooding)

4.1.2. [Objection] In the case of the knowledge of reality arisen through the
authoritative means, what obstacle could possibly be there to require its safeguarding?

4.1.3. [Reply] When the mind is not still, doubt and misapprehension may follow.
For instance, Vishvamitra described the doubt of Raghava, who was a knower of
truth prior to his achieving the stillness of mind. 

4.1.17. Therefore even when the truth has been realized, doubt arises for one who lacks stillness, as it did for shuka and Raghava. It is an obstacle to liberation just like not knowing.

With regards,
Ram Garib


				
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