[Advaita-l] Dvaita Vaada - Vadiraja Teertha's Nyayaratnavali Slokas 267-287 Pratibimba Vaada Part 2

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

PraNAms 

In connection to Bimba - Pratibimba vaada - 

We are going to have Bri. Up Munkanda II, for the upcoming Memorial Day camp, where we will be taking the Swamyam jyoti Brahmna and Shaareerika Brahmana of the 4th Chapter of the Brihadaranyka Up. The talks will be webcasted by Advaita Academy and those who are interested can watch at https://livestream.com/AcharyaSadaji - They will also be converted to yu-tube format and will be posted under Acharya Sadaji.

As I was preparing for the talks, I could not but admire the brilliance of Shankara Bagavat paada- particularly in relation to the bhaashya to IV-III-7 where binba-pratibimba aspects are exhaustively discussed taking yogachara Buddhiism arguments as purvapaksha. I find this is most scientific and absolutely marvelous. 

Just to share some beauty.

We may not recognize these normally.

Pure light cannot be seen - I am not referring to some source of light like bulb or sun - Upanishad in fact starts with the external lights before introducing Atma jyoti. We say that room is lighted - even though we cannot see the light. 

Q. How do we know that room is lighted or there is a light in the room
 
A. Because I can see the objects!

Q. How do I see the objects in the light.

A. 
1. From science point - the original light (bimba) falls on the object, gets reflected by object (pratibimba) and the reflected light reaches via our eyes the retina forming an image (colors and shades) of the object which is transmitted via optical nevus system to the brain as electrical signals (+ and - charges) which is converted by a black box (since we cannot get into) where there is program code that coverts the electrical signal to software called thoughts or vRittis. The content of the vRittis are the REFLECTED attributes of the object - for example form and colors. The Object outside is converted to thought inside the mind. The consciousness which is like all-pervading light - first gets reflected by the mind and that reflected light falls on the thought and get reflected by that object-thought back to the mind - thus knowledge of the thought arises. Just as knowledge of an object outside arises by the reflection of the light same way the
 knowledge of the thought inside the mind arises by the reflection of the light of consciousness. This is called perceptuality condition in Vedanta Paribhasha. 

2. Original light out side lights up the object and therefore I can see the objects. Hence in the dark room I cannot see the objects. Similarly the light of all-pervading consciousness lights up the mind - therefore I see (know) the mind because of the reflection only (called chidaabhaasa). 

3. Extending this further, the reflected light from the mind now falls on the object-thought or vRitti and illumines the vRitti by forming its reflection - That forms the knowledge of the vRitti and therefore knowledge of the object which in a way caused this vRitti. 

4. Thus reflection forms the fundamental basis for all knowledge. (Later in the chapter the ananda aspect also is discussed which is also reflected-ananda only.

5. Even though the original light is the same in the hall and the parts (as though parts since light cannot be parted) that falls on each object is localized (saaskhii) the reflection of that light that reaches the eyes depending on the condition of the eye or raaga dweshas the image get distorted. Here the problem or variation in perceptions is due to the reflecting media and not to the original light that is all pervading. 

6. Most important is we cannot distinguish that part of the light that is falling on the object and the reflecting part, since we cannot see the original light! Similarly the original consciousness that is illumining the objects cannot be seen and what can be seen is only reflected light. Hence by the reflected light only we have to recognize the presence of the original light  Hence the first statement that pure light cannot be seen!

7. Now comes the most important from the Vedantic point – without the reflection medium the presence of the original light cannot be RECOGNIZED. Extending further without the object thought which reflects the light of consciousness, the later cannot be RECOGNIZED. Hence Kena Up statement – it is pratibodha viditam – it is revealed in every thought or knowledge. 

8. Nirvikapaka samadhi is nothing but observing the mind itself as the object of reflection (since without any object to reflect the original cannot be recognized). Hence one can observe the mind itself or the thoughts in the mind – what is required it shifting the attention from the reflecting medium to the reflecting light – that is meditation – and for that we need a very subtle mind since light cannot seen directly.  Even the meditation or knowledge has to be gained by the mind itself – Hence nirvikalpka samadhi is also nothing but the mind itself observing not the thoughts but the mind itself – and via Vedantic knowledge (that has been gained from scriptures via a teacher) recognize or realize that I am that light of consciousness the mind is able to observe the mind too. 

9. Hence mind is still required to observe the mind or the thoughts in the mind. In addition clear understanding is required that I am the light of consciousness which cannot be recognized without the reflections and that understanding has to arise in the mind only.  
10. Movement of the mind or subtle body from one loka and other loka due to the vaasanaas occur but since the pure consciousness is all pervading – it lights up even the movement of the jiiva from one state to the other – In the Swayam jyoti Brahmans – the movement is described from waking to dream as well as from one loka to another. 

11. While analyzing the deep sleep state exhaustively, the scriptures point out the similarity between the deep-sleep state vs self-realization state or jiivan mukta state due to absence of apparent subject-object duality as the mind is subtle form. However, recognition that I am that light of consciousness has to take place with the mind and therefore in the waking state where it has the capacity to discriminate what is pure light vs what is reflected light. 

12. Vairagya or dispassion is that even though without the reflecting medium I cannot recognize the original, I have to give up my attention to the medium of reflection and pay attention to the reflecting light of consciousness. Neti neti – not this not this as this and this forms the reflecting medium but what I really seeing is the light vai pratibimba or reflection.  

Hari Om!
Sadananda

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On Tue, 5/19/15, Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

 
 
 Dvaitis accept Bimba Pratibimba Vaada and Advaitis also
 accept it.
 Brahman is Bimba and Its reflection Jeeva is Pratibimba.
 But
 Pratibimba cannot be exactly same as Bimba. It cannot be
 another thing
 also. Adi Sankara has said in Sutra Bhashya for आभास
 एव च 2-3-50 न स
 एव साक्षात् । नापि
 वस्त्वन्तरम् ।