[Advaita-l] Re: Real vs Unreal

[Krunal Makwana]

namo nArAyana
 
Dear Sylvain,
 
> Is the world in brahman according to advaita vedAnta ?
 
The world in supreme reality is 'not in brahman'. The world is only superimposed on brahman. E.g. the famous rope and snake scenario. When you are in a dark room and you see a long 'thingy' on the floor (really a rope), you superimpose on yourself that the long 'thingy' is a snake.  Now.....there was no modification at all in the rope but only a superimposition on the rope. 
The question now rises is the world (snake) a part of the brahman (rope), the answer to this question is 'No'.
 
The world has no independence of itself but is only superimposed on brahman. Was the rope ever the snake? did the rope go through any modification to become the snake? No to both questions. 
 
Similarly brahman never goes through any modification as such, but due to ignorance, we superimpose on brahman to become the world and individual jivas.
 
But to go into more philosophical discussion, GaudpAda proclaims 'no creation ever took place', please read ajAti vAda - http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/creation.html
 
> If yes, could we say the world is relative reality instead of non existing ?
 
With the same scenario.....as long as you think the long 'thingy' is a snake, you'll believe it is a snake, so for you at that moment in time......it is actually a snake (hence real)...but when you switch on the light, the ignorance goes away and you realise it was only a rope (brahman) all along, but to realise this, you have to switch on the light (jnAna)!
 
Kind regards,Krunal
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