Thus consciousness is identical with existence because it is real
and persists in all cognitions. But the sanmAthra, existence, being
perceived becomes an object of consciousness and hence cannot be
identical with it and only different from it. Advaitin meets this
objection by saying that it has already been shown that the
difference cannot be the object of perception nor can it be defined
by any pramANa. Hence existence cannot be proved as an object of
consciousness as it is not expereinced through any pramANa and hence
it is identical with it.
Existence is svathassiddha, self-proved, being consciousness. If it
depends on any other proof it will become an object of experience
like a pot. It is always manifest while it exists and does not need
any other consciousness to reveal it except itself. A thing by which
everything else is illumined does not require an external agent for
its own manifestation, like a lamp.
But at the time of perception of a pot, there is only the knowledge
that this is a pot. The cognition of the pot, anubhuthi, comes
later. The pot is illumined by the indriyARthA sannikarsha, the
contact of the indriya, eye, with the object, pot.The anubhuthi, 'I
know the pot,' follows later and according to the school of
MimAmsakas, the BhAttAs,
( followers of KumArila Bhtta) this cognition is not through
perception but by anumAna, inference. Thus the anubhuthi , being the
object of anumaAna, becomes jada, insentient and not self
illuminating, ajada, as claimed by the advaitin.
Advaitin contends that this ajadatvam pointed out by the opponent is
not in any way a violation, vyabhichAra, of the self-illumination of
the sattha.That is, the cognition 'I know the pot,' is also
illumined by the consciousness which is identical with the sattha.
Hence its jadathva is not the criterion. For instance the experience
of sukha is also not cognised at the first moment but only when the
consciousness that ' I am experiencing sukha' arises. Moreover the
sattha, consciousness is the cause of all jnAna, cognition, it cannot
cognize itself as the tip of the finger cannot touch itself.Therefore
anubhuthi cannot be known through inference or through any other
cognition. Hence anubhuthi, conscousness which is the cause of all
cognitions is self- proved.
Consciousness is eternal and so has neither beginning nor end. There
can be no prior or posterior nonexistence as that could be cognised
only by conscousness which would have been nonexistentat that time.
Consciousness is devoid of all plurality, being unoriginated. That
which is eternal must be one only and not many. All that is non-self
is excluded from the self and hence the Self, that is consciusness,
cannot have any other knower but itself.
Neither the concept of knower as 'aham jAnAmi, I know,' can said to
be the attribute of consciousness because knower is an object of
consciousness, in the form of awareness that 'I know.' The concept of
knower, jnAtrthA is bhraAnthimoola, illusory like the silver in
nacre.Every cognition like 'I am a man' etc. is the product of the
ego, which itself is unreal and hence cannot be the attribute of
consciousness. In sushupthi,deep sleep or murcchA, swoon when the
ego is absent, the consciusness is present,as otherwise there would
not have been the awareness 'maamapi aham na jnAthavAn, I did not
know even myself, and hence the ego functions only through body, mind
and intellect. Therefore the witness-self,sAkshi is different from
the ego. Even though it is jada, insentient, the ahamkara, ego,
reflects the consciousness which is changeless, and creates an
appearance as though it is the ego. This is just like the moon being
reflected in the water, miiror etc. and creates an illusion that it
is in them. It may be doubted as to how the self illumined
consciousness can be illumined by insentient objects like ego. In
actual practice we see that the rays of the Sun or of a gem falling
on the hand manifest the light which is not existent there.
The MahApurvapaksha is concluded with the words,' thasmAth
paramArTHathah nirasthasamasthabhedhavikalpa-
nirviseshachinmAthraikarasakutasTHanithyasamvid Eva bhrAnthyA
jnAthrjnEyajnAnarupaviviDHavichithrabhedhA vivarthatha ithi
thanmoolabhoothAvidhyAnibarhaNAya nithya
suddhabuddhamukthasvabhAvabrahmAthmaikathvavidhyAprathipatthayE sarve
vEdaAnthAh Arabhyantha.'
Therefore in reality, only the consciousness which is devoid of all
differences,changes and attributes, which is the permanent Reality,
appears as the manifold differences of knower,known and knowledge. So
to remove the avidhya which is the cause of the appearence of
diversity the study of vedantha should be started to get the
knowledge of Brahman which is by nature suddha, purity itself,
buddha, intelligence and muktha, everfree.
.
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Yahoo! Groups gets a make over. See the new email design.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/XISQkA/lOaOAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |