[Advaita-l] BhAvarUpa ajnAna/avidya Part 6 (6) Concluded

[V Subrahmanian]

Namaste Anand ji,

Many thanks for the very apt quotations pertaining to the topic.  These are
to be preserved and read along with the article on BhAvarUpa AjnAna.  I
shall incorporate them in my master copy.

While the first quotation gives a perfect, complete definition, the second
one clarifies that the 'bhAvarUpatva' does not even imply its reality, 'as
real as Brahman', as it is mistaken by those who oppose the concept.

Warm regards,
subrahmanian.v

On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 9:17 PM, Anand Hudli <anandhudli at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Thanks for the informative series on bhAvarUpa ajnAna.
>
> As ChitsukhAchArya says, "अनादित्वे सति भावरूपं विज्ञाननिरस्यं अज्ञानमिति",
> while 1) having no
>
> beginning (anAdi), that which is of a 2) positive nature,bhAvarUpa, (not
> merely absence
>
> of something else) and which is 3) dispelled by knowledge (vijnAnanirasya)
> is called ajnAna.
>
> He also makes it amply clear that this bhAva rUpa ajnAna should not be
> confused to be
>
> really existing. To be precise, it is anirvachanIyA, ie. cannot be
> categorized as existent
>
> or nonexistent. However, in practice, as a courtesy (upachArAt), it is
> spoken as
>
> bhavarUpa, to distinguish it clearly from purely nonexistent entities such
> as a hare's horn.
>
>  भावावविलक्षणस्य अज्ञानस्य अभावविलक्षणत्वमात्रेण भावत्वोपचारात्
>
>
> Now, a question arises regarding mUlAvidyA. mUlAvidyA is the cause of
> adhyAsa or
>
> superimposition of the non-Self on the Self, or the incorrect understanding
> of the Self.
>
>