[Advaita-l] Question about Avaccheda vada

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sat, Feb 10, 2018 at 7:21 PM, H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> >
>
> >
> > My understanding  is different. Assuming that we are discussing in the
> > context of jnAna for the present (and not upAsana), whatever be the vAda,
> > avachhEda or pratibimba or AbhAsa vAda, the result claimed is avidyA
> nAsha
> > only. There is no dispute about it. Once this happens, Brahman being
> > svaprakAsha, the result would be the same in all the three cases,
> > “attainment” of Brahman. This is directly  jumping from jIvOpadhi to NB
> > in your parlance. No intermediate status as it is instantaneous. To
> > maintain consistency with their concepts, different vAdAs may explain
> this
> > progression differently. But result cannot be different. The question of
> > saguNa Brahma does not arise.
>


Dear Sri Chandramouli ji,

The above understanding is, in my opinion, not supported by the Bhashya.
One can see that in almost every Upanishad there is a Samashti entity
mentioned and an upasana taught. The idea is that: It is impossible for the
jiva to straightaway realize  the Supreme, Nirguna Brahman. An intermediary
process is required by the Upanishads. One example would be the
Kathopanishad 1.3 teaching the Adhyatma Yoga:

यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञान आत्मनि ।
ज्ञानमात्मनि महति नियच्छेत्तद्यच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि ॥ १३ ॥
 भाष्यम्
<http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Kathaka?page=1&id=Ka_C01_S03_V13_B01&hlBhashya=%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9B#bhashya-Ka_C01_S03_V13>

तत्प्रतिपत्त्युपायमाह — यच्छेत् नियच्छेदुपसंहरेत् प्राज्ञः विवेकी । किम् ?
वाक् वाचम् ; वागत्रोपलक्षणार्था सर्वेषामिन्द्रियाणाम् । क्व ? मनसी मनसि ।
छान्दसं दैर्घ्यम् । तच्च मनः यच्छेत् ज्ञाने प्रकाशस्वरूपे बुद्धावात्मनि ।
बुद्धिर्हि मनआदिकरणान्याप्नोतीत्यात्मा प्रत्यक् च तेषाम् । ज्ञानं बुद्धिम्
आत्मनि महति प्रथमजे नियच्छेत् । प्रथमजवत्स्वच्छस्वभावकमात्मनो
विज्ञानमापादयेदित्यर्थः ।
तं च महान्तमात्मानं यच्छेत् शान्ते सर्वविशेषप्रत्यस्तमितरूपे अविक्रिये
सर्वान्तरे सर्वबुद्धिप्रत्ययसाक्षिणि मुख्ये आत्मनि ॥
Here, the steps are: sense/motor organs to be resolved in the manas, the
manas in buddhi (jnana Atma) and that in the Mahat. And the mahat in the
Supreme (shAnta Atma).  The bhashya teaches: Mahat is the Prathamaja and
one should attain the svaccha svabhava just as the Hiranyagarbha, the
samashti jiva who is also identified as Ishwara sometimes, and then alone
the reaching the Supreme.
This pattern can be seen in almost every Upanishad. The Mandukya has a A U
M upasana, for the same purpose. The aim is for the jiva from his finite
individuality to expand to a total within the creation itself and then
alone realize the One that transcends the creation.  The Mundaka too has a
certain upasana.  This step cannot be bypassed, in the opinion of the
Upanishads. In the present day context, such upasanas as taught in the
Taittiriya, Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya (Omkara) etc. are not practiced. The
Ishwara, Rupa Bhakti has replaced that. Without that 'expanding' within the
creation one cannot go to the nirupadhika.
regards
subbu