[Advaita-l] Difference between AkAsha and AvakAsha

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Namaste Sudhanshuji,

On Tue, Jun 18, 2019 at 9:52 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> So a
> person has to open his eyes only to see that no object with form is there
> and not to see empty space. *Avakasa (empty space) is different from akasa
> (ether). An empty space disappears when an object is put there, but akasa
> remains unaffected.* To know that a quality is or is not there, we have to
> know its abode, for example to know smell we have to know its abode, such
> as a flower. So when we say that there is no sound in a
> particular place, we have to say that there is no sound in this particular
> part of akasa. It is not necessary that the abode should be known by the
> same organ by which its quality is known. Smell is known by the olfactory
> organ, but the flower is known by the eye. We know sound by the ear, but
> its abode, akasa, need not be known by the ear. It is known by the
> witness-consciousness.//
>
> This is from Mani Dravid Shastri Ji's lecture. Can we have some more
> difference on the nature of avakAsha and AkAsha.
>
> Praveen ji, pl note that avakAsha is treated as empty space. There appears
> to be some crucial difference between these two which needs to be discussed
> thoroughly.
>

Thank you for a beautiful excerpt from Brahmashri Mani Dravid Shastriji's
pATha. I don't think there is much to discuss as it brings out the
similarity and difference, both. avakSha is that adhikaraNa in the form of
empty space for others to manifest; one who provides that is called as
AkAsha. Its a saMjnA. I was taking the rUdhyartha as occasion/ opportunity,
but it can be yaugika as well so: AkAsha is that which provides itself as
empty space (to others for manifestation).

gurupAdukAbhyAm,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति, तं केन विजानीयात्। Through what should one know
That owing to which all this is known! [Br.Up. 4.5.15] */