[Advaita-l] Contradictions between Shankara and his disciples

[S Jayanarayanan]

--- kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com> wrote:

[..]

> I agree with Shree SSS  last statement that any resolution of
> conflict
> should be on the basis if the verdic of Vedas and reason. 
> 
> On the later basis I question the statements that relate to
> naama-ruupa
> to ignorance.  Due to ignorance one can have naama-ruupa but
> naama-ruupa
> does not necessarily implies ignorance.  The issue being a
> jiivanmukta
> can see the plurality involving naama ruupa -which essentially viewed
> as
> aiswaryam -the ignorance is only then taking the plurality as reality
> -
> that is delusion of moha.

Your position is: plurality is perceived by the jIvanmukta (JM), but he
doesn't accept the plurality as a reality. 

I feel: the JM doesn't perceive plurality at all in the first place.
Why? Because perception of plurality is a mental cognition, and the JM
has attained the state of manonAsha, where there is no mind and
therefore no mental cognition. 

> If one looks from the perspective of
> realizes
> soul - and look at the comentary on just on its own basis will be
> misleading. As I see it, Padmapaada's conmentary makes the problem
> worse. 
> 
> I thought basic objection of Shree SSS interms of shankara's vs post
> shankara advaitins' commentaries is regarding the issue of the nature
> of
> ignorance - Shree SSS claim is that post shankara adviatins have
> interpreted it as bhaava ruupa, which became the target for
> subsequent
> criticism by other schools, while Shankara did not consider it to be
> so.
> Any thoughts on that? 
> 

I'm just on the first chapter of the book, so I really don't have any
thoughts on that.

But I don't think SSS specifically says that the post-Shankaran
advaitins are not to be relied upon in any matter, just that they have
contradicted Shankara on certain occassions. In order to get to the
true Method of the VedAnta, one can rely upon Shankara's commentary
along with the sub-commentaries only if there is no contradiction. 

Here is SSS's observation after the previous one:
---
All adherents of truth must agree that one should accept that whichever
system is supported by solid arguments, whether it be Sri Shankara's or
that of a later expositor, must be accepted. And the revered
Commentator himself spoke in this vein in his BR^ihadaaraNyaka
Commentary (2.3.6) when he said: 'Therefore all those who are clever at
thinking up different interpretations of the Veda explain the meaning
of the upanishadic texts differently. Even so, I would accept anything
that represented the true meaning of the Veda. I have nothing against
them personally.' 
[In Italics:] The expression is meant sarcastically, with the idea that
the true meaning of the Veda is not found in this way. Nevertheless,
one should understand that if it had been the meaning of the Veda it
would have had to have been accepted.

(This brings us to Rule #4:) IN CASES WHERE SPECIAL STEPS HAVE TO BE
TAKEN TO ESTABLISH WHAT SRI SHANKARA'S VIEW WAS, THE COMMENTATOR OWN
WORDS ARE TO BE ACCEPTED AS A BETTER AUTHORITY ... THAN AN EXPLANATORY
WORK BY A MEMBER OF HIS OWN SCHOOL [capitals author's].
---

Thus armed with a total of 5 Rules, SSS goes about trying to get at the
heart of the VedAnta.

> Hari OM!
> Sadananda  
> 
> 
> > 
> > There are more examples of contradictions between Shankara and his
> > disciples. SSS explains what can be done to resolve the
> > contradictions:
> > "Where the commentary and the subsidiary explanation conflict, one
> > must
> > resort to the verdict of the Veda and reasoning."
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 
> > Kartik
> > 
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> =====
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