[Advaita-l] What is the meaning of illusion (according to advaita, obviously)?

[Ananth Padmanabhan]

Namaskar Shyamji
Very well explained. Underlying reality -Brahman-permeates all seen-unseen-known-unknown. Living in and amidst this mithya and identifying ourselves with this Brahman always is the purpose of human life.
 
Pranaams
Padmanabhan> Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:53:36 -0800> From: shyam_md at yahoo.com> To: mayavaadi at yahoo.com; advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] What is the meaning of illusion (according to advaita, obviously)?> > PranAms Suresh-ji> > Our concepts of real and unreal are unfortunately a bit warped. What is unreal> for us is something like mirage water - it seems to be there but if you look> closely it is not. Or perhaps like a man's horns - it is a nonexistent entity -> but lets say a Mount Everest is very much real.> However, as you very well know in Vedanta, "Real" has a technically precise definition - which is that which is unchanged in time, the vastu, which is Brahman. Everything else is mithya - but mithya does not mean unreal, in any of the sense that we just saw.> > Mithya is what is Real, but appears to be other than so.> What is Real is One, but seemingly appears to be many.> Mithya is very much included in the Real.> > So anything I see is a mix of Real and something which is mithya. What is mithya is the name and form, which is purely a subjective notion or perspective.> > I see a piece of wood standing on four legs. It is a table. This "table" is> mithya - not that the table is not "Real", but the particular concept of a table, separate from the wood that it consists of is unreal. Take the wood away and poof- the table is gone as well. Put this table sideways and now it is now wood - it is no longer a "table" Not that the table disappeared, but now the table-ness is no longer present from the standpoint of the subject. So the "table" was always never "out there" but "in here" in me the witnessing subject's mind/intellect.> > Now when I perceive the world, the wonderful manifest srshti, I find> everything has a name and form - standing on the seashore one beautiful morning,> I feel the water kissing my feet, the wind blowing through my hair, the eyes witnessing the Glorious sunrise. All these are names and forms - they are objectively Real in the sense that what I am witnessing IS, it is not fiction,> it is not a illusion, but the "Sun" the "Sea" the "Wind" are all nama-roopa -> they are "in here" as my subjective concepts, and seemingly their Real nature of being Brahman, of being the substratum, seems to be unrecognized.> > Hence the Shruti tells us - This Sun that you see is not just a Sun, it is> indeed Brahman, which again is non-separate from that which you ever are, the eternal knowing witnessing principle, i.e. consciousness - understand this, realize this.>  >  > Hari OM> Shri Gurubhyoh namah> Shyam> > --- On Fri, 12/26/08, Suresh <mayavaadi at yahoo.com> wrote:> > > From: Suresh <mayavaadi at yahoo.com>> Subject: [Advaita-l] What is the meaning of illusion (according to advaita, obviously)?> To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> Date: Friday, December 26, 2008, 1:28 PM> > > Dear Friends,> > I am finding it hard to understand the real meaning of this word. If we take illusion to mean non-existence, then the latter should suffice. Why the word illusion? On the other hand, if illusion refers to 'impermanence,' again, why the word illusion, when a simpler word like impermanence is enough? > > I'd like to know what it means when we say jagat mithya. Does it mean the world is changing, or does it mean the world is non-existent? If the former, how is it an illusion (it could simply mean things are changing)? If the latter, more explanation must follow as to how.> > I hope learned members can shed light on this.> > Suresh> > >       > > _______________________________________________> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita> > To unsubscribe or change your options:> http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l> > For assistance, contact:> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org> > > > > _______________________________________________> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita> > To unsubscribe or change your options:> http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l> > For assistance, contact:> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
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