[Advaita-l] Re: ignorance and its origin.

[sriram]

Dear members
I think it is not correct to say that ignorance is beginningless.Perhaps
what is meant is one gets awakened to the fact that one was not aware of a
particular thing though it was there all the time.As far as that individual
is concerned his ignorance about that thing began when he was made aware of
it and ended immediately.Both were simultaneous.A tree`s beginning is its
seed.
In this sense we can say every thing has its beginning.But in a cosmological
sense we can not emphatically say that this was its beginning as we can not
prove it .So it is assumed that Time,Avidhya are without a beginning.I think
that by deductive reasoning we can say that everything should have had a
beginning but we are unable to supply logical proof after some
deductions.Also what one  means by beginning also has to be clearly defined.
The Purusha Suktham clearly attempts to define creation especially human
species.Logically it may appear defective but our intelligence to understand
it may be inadequate.Like a dog`s brain not able to understand the working
of an automobile.Our brains are also limited in that sense.So we formulate
axioms and build our thought process till we are confronted with contrary
facts which are verifiable by all.
R.Krishnamoorthy.
----- Original Message -----
From: Kris Manian <krismanian at gmail.com>
To: <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 1:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Re: Advaita vEdAnta - Unit (11)


> Thanks to Shyam and Krisnamurthy Ramakrishnan. You have explained it well
> and I think I have grasped it:-) Avidya is indeed beginning less.
>
> I have another question. So Advaita does not believe in evolution and is
founded on
> Intelligent design? Am I correct?
>
> If it is out of scope please ignore.
> Pranam
> Kris
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 09:31:17 -0800 (PST)
> From: Shyam <shyam_md at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Re: Advaita vEdAnta - Unit (11)
> To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
> <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Message-ID: <20070206173117.28448.qmail at web53407.mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Pranams
> The issue of beginning and end is all in the realm of
> time and space.
> >From the point of view of the jiva, there is ignorance
> about his true nature which is none other than
> Brahman.
> Like any other ignorance this did not commence at a
> particular point in time.
> Time itself(the concept of it) is a product of the
> very same ignorance.
> Even in ordinary terms when i say i have ignorance of
> "russian", the ignorance is a beginingless ignorance.
> If i knew Russian then i cant get ignorant about it at
> some point in time.
> There is no "entity" that "develops" ignorance at some
> point in time.
> The Universe is better thought of in terms of being a
> manifestation than a creation in that sense.
> The Universe is time stretched out across space. In
> reality there is nothing being created nor anything
> being destroyed.
> What is potential becomes manifest only to become
> latent.
> Brahman alone is.
> So ignorance is beginingless and hence alone jivas are
> beginingless.
>
> But ignorance, while it is beginingless, does
> fortunately have an end.
> And the end is with the dawn of knowledge.
> A jiva's ignorance about his true nature disapperas as
> soon as the right knowledge dawns.
>
> So jiva and Brahman are One.
> The jiva owes his "existence" to a notion of being
> separate from Brahman.
> This notion is due to (beginingless) ignorance.
> This notion will end when knowledge dawns.
>
> Trust this clarifies.
>
> Hari OM
> Shri Gurubhyo namah
> Shyam
>
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