[Advaita-l] Fwd: Reply to Gaudiya enthusiast

[V Subrahmanian]

Here is a response sent by me to a Gaudiya enthusiast's article on Advaita.
I confined my response to just one aspect of the several misconceived ideas
of the author. Others interested here may take up the rest of the
inaccuracies in the article and address them.

I have not got any reply from him so far.

regards
subrahmanian.v



Pranams Swami,

I read your article available here:

http://gosai.com/writings/mayavada-and-buddhism-are-they-one-and-the-same

Just one of the innumerable inaccuracies in the above article I wish to
bring to your notice:

You say:
//However, it does not originate with Gaudapada either…

Prior to Gaudapada, it was Nagarjuna that first postulated the concept of
ajativada in his Madhyamika-karikas. In his Mandukya-karika, Gaudapada
writes:

khyapyamanamajatim tairanumodamahe vayam
vivadamo na taih sardhamavivadam nibodhata

We approve of the ajati declared them (the Buddhists). We do no quarrel
with them. (Mandukya-karika 4.5)//

My response:
Actually, the above kārikā is NOT about ajātivāda of the Buddhists. It is
simply a statement of the consequence of the sānkhya and the nyāya-vaieśika
mutually criticising. If you study the background of the verse you will
perhaps realize. Just see this commentary of Shankara to the kārikā 4.3 to
realize the background of 4.5:

कथं द्वैतिनः परस्परं विरुध्यन्त इति, उच्यते — भूतस्य विद्यमानस्य वस्तुनः
जातिम् उत्पत्तिम् इच्छन्ति वादिनः केचिदेव हि सांख्याः ; न सर्व एव द्वैतिनः
। यस्मात् अभूतस्य अविद्यमानस्य अपरे वैशेषिका नैयायिकाश्च धीराः धीमन्तः,
प्राज्ञाभिमानिन इत्यर्थः । विवदन्तः विरुद्धं वदन्तो हि अन्योन्यमिच्छन्ति
जेतुमित्यभिप्रायः |

If needed please read the English translation by Swami Gambhirananda for
the above. So, without even knowing correctly what that kārikā 4.5 is
about, you have gone on to make baseless accusations, that are obviously
unbecoming of a scholar. There are several such factual inaccuracies
throughout the article, of which only a sample is shown above.

Om Tat Sat