[Advaita-l] ‘Avidya’ in Advaita and ‘Gumma’ of Purandara Dasa

[V Subrahmanian]

Namaste Bhaskar ji,

The posts titled 'BhaavarUpa Avidya/AjnAna' by me and 'Avidya' in two parts
by Shyam ji have addressed the questions you have raised.  I presume that
you have read these posts and got the answer to your question.  However,
just to make things easy for you, let me put the teaching of the Shruti,
Smriti and Shankara Bhagavatpada on this in a nutshell:

1. Avidya/Maya are not different from each other.  You may await my posting
an article on this here.

2. Avidya/Maya is bhAvarUpa

3. It is unreal (mithyA).  This means it is not of the nature of a hare's
horn, etc.

4. Such a thing can produce effects. These effects are perceivable.  Their
having 'sattaa' amsha in them does not make them pAramArthika satya.  Nor
does it render them akin to a hare's horn.  It is called vyAvahArika satya.


You may read those posts for an elaboration of these points.

Best regards,
Om Tat Sat

On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 10:46 AM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

> praNAms Sri Subbu prabhuji
> Hare Krishna
>
> Have you replied this mail prabhuji??  kindly let me know...I think it is
> important to get your clarification with regard to 'An unreal entity
> producing the effects which are perceivable'...Your clarification would
> help me to understand your stand on mUlAvidyA.
>
> In the ‘gumma’ phenomenon we have a fine example of:
>
> 1. An unreal entity
>
> 2. Producing effects that are perceivable
>
> > So you are agreeing here that an unreal entity (avidyA) can produce the
> effects (saMsAra or mAya) that are perceivable.  So, as per above, due to
> avidyA the production of 'effects' in the form of saMsAra happens..So,
> avidyA leads to mAya & avidyA is NOT mAya coz. avidyA is an unreal entity
> whereas its effects that are perceivable has the satta part in it!! Can
> you really justify your claim (1) that avidyA is unreal entity even after
> reading the theories that advocate avidyA is jadAtmika, upAdAna kAraNa to
> adhyAsa??
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
>
>
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