[Advaita-l] Teaching of Nirguna is possible only through the medium of saguna

[V Subrahmanian]

In continuation of the earlier post, it can be seen that the objection of
the non-advaitin is not valid.  Even though there is svarupa aikya jnanam
for the Jnani, the jnana in him and the seeking (jijnaasaa) in the
aspirant, are present in two different loci that are two different
antahkaranams. Since the teaching and the receiving the teaching and its
success are all concerning only the manas, there will be no defect that the
objector is making out.

regards
subbu

On Thu, Aug 8, 2019 at 8:46 AM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Teaching of Nirguna is possible only through the medium of saguna
>
> The Advaitic Nirguna Brahma tattva jnanam is the core content of the
> Vedanta. A question arises as to how can this Nirguna Tattva be taught to
> the one who does not have this knowledge? Since the duality of
> teacher-taught-teaching is admitted by default in this endeavor, we say
> that the teaching of the Nirguna Tattva happens only through the medium of
> duality, saguna. The knower is a person, a saguna entity. The one who
> receives the teaching is also a person. The process happens in the
> environment of bheda.  The Lord in the Bh.Gita has said that 'There is
> nothing in all the three worlds that is free of the three guna-s.'
>
> न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः ।
> सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभिः स्यात्त्रिभिर्गुणैः ॥ 18.40 ॥
>
> The Tattva, that transcends the three gunas, has to be taught only in the
> domain of the three gunas, bheda. Advaita does not claim that the Advaita
> tattva Jnana will demolish the world of three gunas. Nor does Advaita claim
> that the one who possesses the Advaita Tattva jnana will cease to be alive
> or will cease to perceive others.  The Shaankara Bhashya has enough
> unambiguous statements to this effect. The Jnana only removes one's
> ignorance pertaining to one's true nature and the world and frees him from
> the notion of being a samsari.  By this much one cannot fault the Advaita
> Jnani of becoming incapable of imparting the knowledge to another or the
> very teaching impossible. Whether the Veda, Ishwara or the Guru, is a
> saguna entity and thus capable of giving/imparting the Nirguna jnanam.
> There is no contradiction in this. Lack of understanding the system of
> Advaita results in objections such as seen in non-advaitic commentaries on
> the Bh.Gita
> 2.12.
> https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/srimad?language=dv&field_chapter_value=2&field_nsutra_value=12&etradi=1&choose=1
>
> Om Tat Sat
>