[Advaita-l] Is empathy a function of ahamkara?

[Venkatraghavan S]

The relationship between ahamkAra and mamakAra is not one of cause and
effect.

However, ahamkAra necessarily precedes mamakAra.

The context of making the second point was in examining what the original
questioner meant by the phrase "a function of" in his sentence "One’s own
suffering can be seen as a function of ahamkara".

I interpreted that sentence to mean "only when there is the presence of
ahamkAra, can there be the notion of anything as one's own (ie mamakAra)",
because otherwise I could not make sense of the original statement.

No cause effect relationship between ahamkAra and mamakAra was intended, in
fact that was considered as one of the possible meanings of the phrase
"function of" and dismissed.

Regards
Venkatraghavan


On Thu, 6 Aug 2020, 22:27 H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste.
>
> On Thu, 6 Aug, 2020, 6:12 AM Venkatraghavan S via Advaita-l, <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> <<  Thus, from that perspective, ahamkAra is not a cause of mamakAra.
> However, we can accept that ahamkAra presupposes mamakAra. As said in the
> panchapAdika by padmapAdAchArya - अहमिति तावत् प्रथमोऽध्यासः >>
>
> And
>
> << On Thu, Aug 6, 2020 at 11:02 AM Venkatraghavan S via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> Raghavji
> You are quite correct. I meant it in the sense that mamakAra requires that
> there is an ahamkAra beforehand >>.
>
> A different understanding. It is a nyAya postulate that cause must precede
> effect. The relationship between them is one of samavaya.This  is not
> accepted in Advaita (and Mimamsa). According to Advaita (and Mimamsa)
>  cause and effect can and do originate simultaneously from the same cause.
> The relationship between them is one of tAdAtmya.
>
> Illustration is substance and quality. Redness and  roseness in Red Rose.
> The explanation as per NyAya and Advaita(and Mimamsa) is along the above
> lines.
>
> Accordingly, the relationship between ahamkAra and mamakAra in Advaita is
> one of tAdAtmya and not cause and effect. They originate simultaneously
> from the same cause, avidyA.
>
> My understanding.
> Regards
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