[Advaita-l] Perception in lightning

[Venkatraghavan S]

Yes. However, the same is true for light as well - the object (a distant
galaxy) may no longer exist by the time the mind reaches it. I think the
answer in either case is that one would not see / hear the object if that
was the case.

However, science tells us that we continue receiving the light from dead
stars and galaxies even after they have ceased to exist. To account for it
one could postulate thus:

There are two journeys for the vRtti that are made - from the subject to
the object and back. So one could still argue that it is possible under the
vedAntic system for the object to be seen even after it is gone, provided
that the onward journey (from the subject to object) had been completed
before the object had ceased to exist.

Therefore, operating under the spirit of parsimony (and harmony with
science), one could postulate that the return of the mind + indriyam from
the object to the subject exactly mirrors the mechanism postulated by
science - however, prior to that, there is an uncognised movement of the
mind + indriyam to the object.

How that happens varies for chakshu and the shrotram. For chakshu, there is
a spatial alignment anticipated - the eyes have to be directed towards the
object. When that happens, the mental vRtti travels towards from the
subject to the object. However, no such spatial alignment is expected in
the case of the shortram. It behaves more akin to a radio antenna - it has
a range that it spans, and anything within that range is heard, even when
the hearer is not anticipating the sound. So, one could postulate that the
mind + ears automatically extend outwards (ie they span an auditory spatial
range outwards, and any sound within that spatial range is heard, without
the exercise of will on part of the hearer or the directing of the ears
towards a sound).

Regards,
Venkatraghavan


On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 9:20 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> If we postulate that mind+shrotra reach subsequent to the mind+chakshu --
> then by that time vishaya may no longer be there.
>
> Two clouds collide, light is produced and sound is produced simultaneously.
> By the time shrotra reaches there, there is no sound at vishaya desha. So
> what will it perceive. And it is our experience that we perceive sound. And
> also we reject शब्दान्तर उत्पत्ति due to गौरव दोष.
>
> I think we need to delve into the meaning of shabda. It is the shabda which
> is the vishaya of shrotra. Is shabda same as sound which requires a medium
> to propagate. If we ring a school bell in outer space, we cannot hear
> sound. But does it mean there is no shabda generated ?
>
> Can shabda stay even when there is no audible sound.
>
> On Tue, 11 May, 2021, 1:16 am Venkatraghavan S via Advaita-l, <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > The upapatti is that science has demonstrated that the svabhAva of light
> is
> > to travel at 300,000 km/s and sound is to travel at 340 m/s.
> >
> > That being so, one could postulate that the svabhAva of mind + shrotram
> is
> > to travel at 340 m/s vs 300,000 km/s for the mind + chakshu.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Venkatraghavan
> >
> > On Mon, 10 May 2021, 06:36 V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l, <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> > > While talking to Sri Mani Dravid Sastrigal about the question, he was
> of
> > > the opinion that the mind with the shrotrendriyam reaches the vishaya
> > desha
> > > 'after' the m + c indirya.  There is no upapatti as such to account for
> > the
> > > relatively slow movement of the m + s.
> > >
> > > We may have to say that such is their 'svabhava'.  'दृष्टानुरोधकल्पना'.
> > >
> > > regards
> > > subbu
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
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