[Advaita-l] An instance of Advaita wrongly comprehended

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 11:48 PM, <rajaramvenk at gmail.com> wrote:

> I think part of the opposition is due to how advaita is taught by
> advaitins. According to your understanding of Advaita,
>

It is easier to fault the teaching (the sampradaya, the system) than to
acknowledge one's own inadequacy to understand Advaita correctly.

>
> 1. Ishwara is anatma and a-brahman. Only brahman is nitya, suddha, buddha
> and mukta. So, how can Ishwara be liberated? When you say Ishwara is not
> under the influence of maya, you only mean that brahman is not though
> indicated by the word Ishwara.
>

The above shows that Advaita has not been understood properly by you.  Not
only that even my understanding has been incorrectly grasped by you.  In
Advaita there is no scope for even the question about Ishwara's liberation
for nowhere is it taught that Ishwara is bound in samsara.

>
> 2. If the world of objects is unreal, then how can you continue to see it
> when you are a jnani? If a jnani transacts in the world, then you can only
> say it is only because of residual avidya that operates due to prarabda.
>

In Advaita, what is required is one's firm conviction that the
world/objects are mithyA (mithyAtvanishchaya).  It is not required that the
world should become imperceptible.  Says the Panchadashi:

सदा विचारयेत्तस्माज्जगत्ज्जीवपरात्मनः |
 जीवभावजगद्भावबाधे स्वात्मैव शिष्यते ||6.12||
नाप्रतीतिस्तयोर्बाधः किन्तु *मिथ्यात्वनिश्चयः* |
नो चेत्सुषुप्तिमूर्च्छादौ मुच्येता यत्नतो जनः ||6.13||

12. Therefore one should always enquire into the nature of the world, the
individual Self and the supreme Self. When the ideas of Jiva and Jagat
(world) are negated, the pure Atman alone remains.

13. By negation it does not mean that the world and Jiva cease to be
perceptible to the senses, it means the conviction of their illusory
character. Otherwise people would be automatically liberated in deep sleep
or in a faint.

14. ‘The supreme Self alone remains’ also means a conviction about Its
reality and not non-perceiving of the world. Otherwise there would be no
such thing as liberation in life.

subrahmanian.v