[Advaita-l] Fw: [advaitin] Re: Fw: Bhamati versus Vivarana

[Sunil Bhattacharjya]

Dear friends,

I am forwarding a mail from the other group assumimg that such cross-posting is permitted. In both the Advaita groups there are well-read and well-versed  big scholars of Advaita. Hope the scholars would suggest constructive ideas, where necessary, in the forwarded mail.

Regards
Sunil KB


----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Sunil Bhattacharjya <sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com>
To: "advaitin at yahoogroups.com" <advaitin at yahoogroups.com> 
Sent: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 3:25 PM
Subject: Re: [advaitin] Re: Fw: Bhamati versus Vivarana
 

  
Dear friends,

Shri Chittaranjanji kindly pointed out that the analogy of the train and taxi travel was not appropriate. If he permits I shall try to rephrase the same in the following way. Let us consider that one after living life according to the vedic injunctions and performing the rituals comes to realize that the Karmas lead to fruits and that way one cannot be free from the cycle of birth and death. Then one finds (listens to or does the shravana of)  the Mahavakaya(s) from the Shruti (which  give rise to the knowledge that Atman is Brahman) and does the Manana (analysis/reflection with the mind-body) on the same but as it is beyond the scope of any intellectual analysis and so one shuts-down the functions of the mind-body and  accepts the Mahavakyas in toto and concentrates and contemplates on  dissolving the indivdual identity (or the body with the five koshas) with a view to being  one with the Brahman.. I hope Chittaranjaji may suggest further
 refinement. If the one is like me then he or she would prefer to achieve the oneness with Lord Krishna. We are part of the Saguna Brahman and thus the same as the Saguna Brahman, which the Nirguna Brahman became for being many. I understand that when the Nirguna Brahman decided to be many he became the Saguna Brahman or Lord Krishna (or the Apara Brahman or the Para-prakriti). The way  a spider produces  its web Lord Krishna produced all the beings from a small part of himself and like a spider, who takes its web back into it he (the Lord) would too take all the beings back to him, when the beings are ready for the same, albeit with the grace of him.Surprisingly, in fact, there is 
such a spider (who takes back its web unto itself), is therein this world also as the National Geographic reported 
some years ago, .

Secondly I was looking at the Internet sources and find that Mandana Misra was was living in  Mahsmati (in today's "Mahishi Bangaon" in Bihar district of Saharsa) and in a later date Vacaspati Mishra was living in today's neighbouring Bihar district of Darbhanga. Further the people of Mahishi Bangaon claim that several Sringeri Sankaracharya's visited that place from time to time. To this day people of this area do not believe that Mandana Mishra lost in the debate with Sankara. I understand that they believe that Mandana Mishra took the Sanyasha from Sankaraat the behest of his wife for furthering the cause of the Hindu religion. It could therefore be possible that in order to revive his (Mandana Misra's) sagging image that Vacaspati Mishra criticised the Vivarana approach thus  indirectly tyring to prove that Suresvara (or Mandana Misra in the purvashrama) would have done a better job than Padmapada. 

Regards,

Sunil KB



________________________________
 From: Sunil Bhattacharjya <sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com>
To: "advaitin at yahoogroups.com" <advaitin at yahoogroups.com> 
Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 8:54 PM
Subject: Re: [advaitin] Re: Fw: Bhamati versus Vivarana
 

  
Sorry for using double negative by oversight.  Kindly read the relevant sentence in the last mail as follows:

Was not Adi Sankara's extensive work adequate to make one understand Advaita well?


________________________________
 From: Sunil Bhattacharjya <sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com>
To: "advaitin at yahoogroups.com" <advaitin at yahoogroups.com> 
Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 8:37 PM
Subject: Re: [advaitin] Re: Fw: Bhamati versus Vivarana
 

  
Namaste Nishanthji,

I am in the field of science and engineering and have publications and patents in different areas to advance the cause of science. I can very well appreciate your observation that refinement can go on endlessly. A researcher in science believes that there is always a better way. However does the same apply in case of spiritual matters? HasVacaspati Mishra (a progenitor of Navyanyaya) really contributed to the advancement of the knowledge of Advaita? Was not Adi Sankara's extensive work not adequate to make one understand Advaita well. Adi Sankara encouraged has disciple to write a vartika on his BSB means he felt that there was some scope for the Pancapadika. to elaborate his work. but did he (considered to be an avatara of lord Shiva) envisage any scope for anybody to  give any new interpretation or direction to his work? I think the advaitins may need to look at this aspect. Further I think the translated English words such as "illusion" and
 "delusion" are not very appropriate in advaita. IMHO there may be  scope for considering the use of word "confusion" in advaita.in place of delusion and illusion.



________________________________
 From: nishanth <summa.iru at gmx.ca>
To: advaitin at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 6:04 PM
Subject: Re: [advaitin] Re: Fw: Bhamati versus Vivarana
 

  
om shri satgurubhyo namaH

Hari Om Sunilji,

In the History of modern science there is a progression of paradigms. Let's say arbritarily:

AA-- Descartes /  Newton / 
AB-- Einstein / Heisenberg / 
AC--  Quantum Theory


Where these above three represent three levels of refinement on the way we view the world (as modelled by empicial science).

Perhaps, there is no end to this empirical refinement. There is no "unified field theory" since duality only breeds plurality.

Why I bring this up? Perhaps in Advaita Vedanta too the theories can go on ad infinitum.
Specifically when we are trying to explain the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE! 

Aghatithagatana patiyasi mAyA

The Vedanta is only a means to end whole delusion by the root Ignorance. 
So, getting caught up in metaphysics is great but not neccessary, perhaps?

There are so many great great Achaaryas in the Post Bhaasya world who have commemented to great lengths on the finer / subtler points of Advaita. BUT are these essential to one's own path? one's own attempt to ATTAIN that which is already ATTAINED yet AS IF clouded not apparent.

The genius of a great master in not in how much more complicated a problem is made
BUT in how to SIMPLIFY a problem and CONVEY a complex problem in an accurate and accesible way.

IMHO

om satgurubhyo namaH



On 2 April 2012 16:27, Sunil Bhattacharjya <sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com> wrote:

 
>  
>Dear Sri Naikji,
>
>
>Now please permit me to come to my original question, which nobody had responded to till now. The question was how would Adi Sankara have looked at Vacaspati Mishra's Bhamati. From your mails can we now say that Adi Sankara would have said a big thank you to Vacaspti Mishra and congratulated him  for teaching his followers (ie. the advaitins) something, which he and padmapada failed to teach?
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Sunil KB
>
>
>________________________________
>



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