message to my friends

[Saxena, Subhanu]

Some observations on what Shankara means by logic and intellect:

Shankara in his Bhashya states "Naanena mishena shushka tarkasya atra
aatmalaabha sambhavati"  This aatman is not to be attained by dry logic.
He goes on to say: "Srutyanugriheeta eva hyatra tarkaha anubhaangantwena
aashriyate" Meaning "logic and reasoning that is in consonance with
Sruti AND THE UNIVERSAL INTUITIVE EXPERIENCE is what is meant here" ie
the use of logic has to be founded on that anubhava that is available to
us all when we have cast of the notions of being an agent distinct from
an object.

It is also important to recognise that all discussions of intellect and
right means of knowledge are a concession to the empirical standpoint
fashioned by Avidya.  Trust your instincts that, once you have seen
through the haze pf Pramana-prameya vyavahara, and all misconceptions
have been sublated, then that eternal Sakshi will shine of its own
accord.


Regards

Subhanu


> ----------
> From:         f. maiello[SMTP:egodust at DIGITAL.NET]
> Reply To:     List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
> Sent:         Wednesday, August 12, 1998 7:46 AM
> To:   ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU
> Subject:      Re: message to my friends
>
> Vidyasankar Sundaresan wrote:
> >
> > The problem is this - if the answer that is given by the intellect
> and by
> > logic is not the Truth, and also if Sri Shankaracharya uses
> "impeccable
> > logic" - how does one decide that a particular logic is impeccable
> except
> > through the use of the intellect? And how about the concept of
> "viveka"?
> > Isn't it a reference to the right use of the intellect?
> >
> > The question I ask is not only not unfair, it is one of the most
> important
> > concerns within all Vedanta. To say that the jagat is in me, again
> raises
> > the same questions, which have been asked for thousands of years
> now. As I
> > see it, the beauty of Advaita teaching is in using logic and the
> intellect
> > to ultimately overcome logic and the intellect. This does not mean
> that
> > you simply ignore logic and intellect.
> >
> > If one throws out logic and intellect completely, it is worse than
> > throwing the baby out with the bathwater - it is a refusal to even
> bathe
> > the baby in the first place. That is not very useful, is it? You
> bathe
> > the baby, then you throw out the bathwater.
> >
>
> I have used logic and intellect to the pont where it has become
> evident
> that logic and intellect are seen as major obstacles and diversions
> with
> respect to abiding in the Self.  Of course viveka, sravana, and manana
> are crucial in the course of one's training, but there comes a point
> where
> all systems of discrimination, categorization, and value judgments
> have
> to
> be abandoned.  And this doesn't imply recklessness or the endorsement
> of
> intellectual inertia.  Quite the contrary.  It's enlightening the
> whole
> mind, through pure chidakasa; through the dissolution of the egoic
> knot
> in the Heart.  And it isn't either unfair to expond such among
> advaitins.
> Granted, the time for adopting this approach is critical, and I'm not
> making light of that.  And one of the sure indicators that one has
> reached
> this threshold [being also an indispensible prerequisite] is the
> criteria
> that one possesses an effortlessly sustained proclivity for devotion
> toward
> all sentient beings, as well as toward life itself.  As Giri once
> mentioned
> (paraphrasing here), by default the jnani performs bhakti and seva.
> It
> is
> simply inherent in pure Being itself, which is automatically
> *intrinsically*
> wholistic, universal, and magnanimous.
>
> namaste
>