[Advaita-l] What is the meaning of illusion (according toadvaita, obviously)?

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Br. Pranipata Cahitanyaji - PraNAms

That is precisely the point I was making. Illusion is not the problem but when illusion is taken as real due to ignorance then delusion occurs - Jnaani is one who understands that the world is mithya - that includes his BMI too. His knowledge is that the world is mithyaa and substantive of that mithyaa is the existent-consciousness the self that HE IS or I AM. The actions are done by the prakRiti only - prakRityaivaca karmaaNi kriyamaanaani sarvashaH, yaH pasyati ... akartaram saH pasyati - says Krishna - Hence jnaani realizes he is akarthaaham, abhoktaaham...
Actions are done spontaneously by the prakRiti itself. He has no more kartRiitva bhaava or bhokRitva bhaava.  

--- On Sat, 12/27/08, Pranipata <pranipata at hotmail.com> wrote:




Can we say one gets deluded by illusion, if he is prompted to action; while 
the delusion is removed by right knowledge; one is not prompted to any 
action.  Illusion may still persist.

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KS - that is the point. prompting and action are all part of mithyaa only - hence it is prakRiti that does the action - even ajnaana kaale api - but ajnaani thinks he is the actor while jnaani knows he is akartaa in spite of actions going on. The system dynamically responds to the internal perturbations.
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As none will wish to quest their thirst from mirage waters. By delusion we 
refer to the me and mine notion arising out of non-discrimination which 
impels one towards objects. (Gita 2.53 and bAShyA). Delusion is our reaction 
to illusion. Delusion can be removed by discrimination. Then one's attitude 
becomes nirveda/udAsIna.
So it seems delusion and illusion do differ. Kindly clarify.
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KS: Yes indeed - illusion is one appearing as many - delusion is when that appearance is taken as real - samsaara starts with delusion. Delusion is jiiva SRishTi and illusion can be Iswara sRiShTi - for example BMI - 

I was only answering Sunilji saying mithyaa does not translate as delusion. It can cause delusion for ajnaani - delusion is taking the plurality as reality. Illusion is just the appearance of one as many. Appearance is not a problem - unless that appearance is taken as real due to delusion. For Jnaani the appearance becomes vibhuuti of the Lord. I  am sure you are aware of all these, but I am clarifying it for the benefit of members at large. 

Hari Om!
Sadananda