[Advaita-l] Perception in lightning

Venkatraghavan S agnimile at gmail.com
Tue May 11 05:35:42 EDT 2021


Namaste
It is not to account for exceptions per se. The idea is to preserve as much
of the advaita epistemological framework as possible, while accounting for
observable scientific phenomena.

That being the case, what was suggested is that if we change the concept of
what constitutes a viShaya to the subject (the object is not the viShaya,
light / sound is), one can preserve the existing framework while addressing
the challenge of viewing objects that have ceased to exist.

Regards,
Venkatraghavan

On Tue, 11 May 2021, 09:47 H S Chandramouli, <hschandramouli at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaste.
>
> Reg  << Thus all the terms related to viShayAvacChinna chaitanya can be
> recast to mean prabhAvacChinna chaitanya / shabdAvacChinna chaitanya etc
> >>,
>
> There is perhaps no need to recast anything. The present rendering covers
> practically all the commonly  met with experiences. We are perhaps
> considering exceptions. Hence a general reference to what has been
> clarified would  be enough to cover such exceptions
>
> Regards
>
> Chandramouli.
>
>
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> On Tue, May 11, 2021 at 1:22 PM Venkatraghavan S <agnimile at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Namaste
>> I was going to suggest this well. The object that is perceived is not the
>> physical object itself but light / sound emanating from it.
>>
>> Thus without needing the postulation of the mind to move towards a
>> physical object elsewhere, one could postulate that the light / sound
>> itself is the viShaya. Thus all the terms related to viShayAvacChinna
>> chaitanya can be recast to mean prabhAvacChinna chaitanya / shabdAvacChinna
>> chaitanya etc.
>>
>> Thus, the viShaya adhiShThAna chaitanya can still be the prakAshaka,
>> there is difference between paroksha and pratyaksha on account of the
>> prabhA / shabda making contact with the eyes, there is possible for bhrama
>> because of ajnAna in the viShaya (light/sound) avacChinna chaitanya.
>>
>> And as Sri Chandramouli says, this aligns with the anubhava of not
>> experiencing the exact quantum of distance in the perception of sound and
>> light even when one knows in general that it is far / near.
>>
>> That is simpler I feel and requires less items to postulate such as the
>> mind being able to travel back in time to see distant galaxies etc. While
>> it may be true for yogis, to say that everyone does that naturally does not
>> sit well.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Venkatraghavan
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 11 May 2021, 08:17 H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l, <
>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Namaste.
>>>
>>> The following could perhaps form the basis for a resolution of the issue.
>>>
>>> What is cognized through vision is the rUpa (color) of the Vishaya. It
>>> could be considered as the light enveloping the object or emanating from
>>> it
>>> (in the case of lightning for example) as the case may be. While ‘being
>>>  distant’ is also perceived in the cognition, the actual location is not
>>> when the distance is large. Same with shabda or sound. While the sound is
>>> cognized as well as it being ‘distant’, exact distance is not involved in
>>> the cognition.
>>>
>>> We can now consider ‘where’  the cognition takes place when all the three
>>> involved in the cognition; namely antahkarana vritti,rUpa or light
>>> enveloping/emnating from the object, and shabda or sound emanating from
>>> the
>>> object;  all three are in motion, and the distances between the objects
>>> and
>>> the experience are large.The location where visual cognition takes place
>>> can be considered as the location where the rUpa or light enveloping the
>>> object or emanating from it is coincident with the antahkarana vritti
>>> issuing forth through the eyes. Similarly for the cognition of sound.
>>> These
>>> locations need not be the same as their origin. When distances involved
>>> are
>>> negligible compared to their speeds, location of cognition will be
>>> practically the same as the object. When distances are large, they could
>>> be
>>> quite different.
>>>
>>> This explains the reason for cognition taking place at different times in
>>> case of lightning and thunder for example. This would also cover
>>> anomalies
>>> in respect of cognition of very distant stars/planets etc.
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> Chandramouli
>>>
>>>
>>> >>>>>>>
>>> >>>>>>>
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