[Advaita-l] A note on ‘Avidya lesha’ 'अविद्यालेशः’ (Part 2)

[Anbu sivam2]

SathsangathVe nissangathwam
nissangathvE nirmOhathwam
nirmOhathvE nischalathathwam
nischalathathvE jeevan mukthi

(surrender to the Lord/Guru and remain with Him and you attain jeevan
mukthi)

Baja gOvindham baja gOvindham
gOvindham baja mooda mathE
samraapthE sannihithe kaalE
nahi nahi rakshathi dukringkaraNE

(This doesn't even need a hint!)

2010/3/31 V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>

> Namaste Sir,
>
> Our revered Acharya Shankara Bhagavatpada chose to open His commentary to
> the Brahmasutra by writing on 'adhyAsa', even before dwelling on the svaUpa
> of Atma.  He pointed out that the cause of samsara is avidya and it would
> be
> most benefiting the mumukshus to know the svarUpa of avidya.  This is
> because since Atma / Brahma is a 'siddha vastu', all that  one needs to do
> is to aim at removing the covering called avidya.  By doing that the Atma
> will be experienced within oneself by oneself.
>
> All that the Guru and ShAstra do is to help us remove this aavaraNa,
> covering. Towards this end much deliberation is required on anAtma too.  Of
> course, equally much exposition of the Atma svarUpa too is required.  When
> one is able to see the contrast between anAtma and Atma, one can easily
> recognize the anAtma and put all effort to disidentify from it.  Towards
> this end the pUrvaachAryas have invested a lot of their time, effort and
> intellect.
>
> Sir, you have done well by showing those great statements to the members
> here.  May I request you to start a series of posts elucidating the purport
> of these vAkya-s to benefit all of us?  That would amount to true Vedanta
> chintanam.
>
> It appears to me that you have seen only the title of the post not read the
> contents.  If only you had spent a little time reading through the entire
> post, you would have noticed that all the quotations from Shruti, SmRti,
> SUtra and Shankara there are about Atma Jnana, Atma Jnani and Atma Jnana
> Sadhana.  Is that not 'drawing the attention of mumukshus'?
>
> Thank you Sir, for drawing our attention to the topic of avidya vs vidya.
>
> Best regards,
> subrahmanian.v
>
> 2010/3/31 annasmurthy . <annasmurthy at sify.com>
>
> > From: H.N.Sreenivasa Murthy
> > Pranams to all.
> > Respected Sir,
> >
> >       Won't you feel it is more beneficial to draw the attention of the
> > mumukshu to vidya instead of dealing with avidya? Too much of information
> > on
> > all these  matters which have to be finally discarded, of what use it?
> >       I would request you, a reputed scholar on advaita who studied
> Vedanta
> > at the feet of a great teacher, help us to cognize the following
> statements
> > of
> >  Sri Shanakara within oneself by oneself :
> >     (1) AtmA hi nAma svarUpam ||
> >          [Brahmasutra : 1-1-4]
> >     (2) paramAtmA hi sarvEShAm AtmA ||
> >           [ bRuhAdAraNyaka; 2-4-6]
> >    (3)  aSarIratA hi AtmanaH svarUpam ||
> >             [Chandogya : 8-3-4]
> >    (4) nAsya AtmanO antarbahirvA caitanyAdanyadrUpamasti , caitanyamEva
> tu
> > nirantaramasya svarUpaM ||
> >             [brahmasUtra : 3-2-16]
> >
> >       This will be the greatest help you will be rendering to mumukshus.
> I
> > thank you in anticipation.
> >
> > With respectful regards,
> >  Sreenivasa Murthy
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> > Continued from Part 1
> > >
> > > 1.      In the commentary to the Bhagavadgita 2.16, towards the end,
> says
> > > Bhagavat-pada :  // Therefore, you too, Arjuna, by adopting the vision
> of
> > > the men of realization and giving up sorrow and delusion, forbear the
> > > dualities, heat, cold, etc.- some of which are definite in their
> nature,
> > > and
> > > others inconstant-, mentally being convinced that this (phenomenal
> world)
> > > is
> > > changeful, verily unreal and appears falsely like water in a mirage.
> This
> > > is
> > > the idea. //
> > >
> > > It is to be noted that the Lord and Bhagavatpada know full well that
> > Arjuna
> > > is not an aparoksha Jnani and is only being taught to be a karma yogi.
> > >  Yet,
> > > the above advice to him is given to him.  This shows that even on the
> > basis
> > > of hearing the Tattva from the Acharya and the ShAstram it is quite
> > > reasonable to come to the conviction that the world is not ultimately
> > real;
> > > it is mithyA.  This is the point ChitsukhAcharya is making.  Two more
> > > instances are shown below:
> > >
> > > 2.         In the bhashya for verse 6.26 we find:  // In the beginning,
> > the
> > > yogi who is thus engaged in making the mind established in the Self,
> etat
> > > vasam nayet, should bring this (mind) under the subjugation; atmani
> eva,
> > of
> > > the Self Itself; niyamya, by restraining; etat. it; tatah tatah, from
> all
> > > those causes whatever, viz sound etc.; yatah yatah, due to which, doe
> to
> > > whatever objects like sound etc.; the cancalam, restless, very
> restless;
> > > and
> > > therefore asthiram, unsteady; manah, mind; niscarati, wanders away,
> goes
> > > out
> > > due to its inherent defects. (It should be restrained) by ascertaining
> > > through discrimination those causes *to be mere appearances,* and with
> an
> > > attitude of detachment. Thus, through the power of practice of Yoga,
> the
> > > mind of the yogi merges in the Self Itself.  //
> > >
> > > Here again we can see that for a practicing yogi, the means for
> vairagyam
> > > includes considering the objects as ‘mere appearances’.  Even parokSha
> > > jnAnam can result in getting a conviction as to the mithyaa nature of
> the
> > > world.
> > >
> > > 3.      In the commentary to the Mandukya kArikA 3.42 we see the
> Acharya
> > > advising:  // remembering the fact that everything, all duality that is
> > > created by ignorance, is full of sorrow, one should withdraw the mind
> > from
> > > enjoyment…// Here again, this practice of mithyAtva darshanam is for
> the
> > > paroksha jnAni.
> > >
> > >   - Now, the second ‘aakAra’ of avidyaa mentioned by Chitsukhaacharya
> is:
> > >
> > >           ‘The second gives rise to purposeful activity in the world.
> >  This
> > > is removed by direct realization of Brahman. ‘In support of this a
> couple
> > > of
> > > Scriptural and Bhashyam passages are worth noting:
> > >
> > > 1.      The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad teaches: आत्मानं चेद्विजानीयात्
> > > अयमस्मीति पूरुषः । किमिच्छन् कस्य कामाय शरीरमनुसञ्ज्वरेत् ॥ (IV.iv.13)
> > [‘If
> > > a man knows the Self as ‘I am this’, then desiring what and for whose
> > sake
> > > will he suffer in the wake of the body?’]
> > >
> > > 2.      In the Bhagavadgita 3.17 and 18 the Lord says: //. 3.17 But
> that
> > > man
> > > who rejoices only in the Self and is satisfied with the Self, and is
> > > contented only in the Self-for him there is no duty to perform. 3.18
> For
> > > him
> > > there is no concern here at all with performing action; nor any
> (concern)
> > > with nonperformance. Moreover, for him there is no dependence on any
> > object
> > > to serve any purpose.
> > >
> > > 3.      In the Brahmasutra bhashya ( 4.1.9.13  ) the Acharya says:
> > > पूर्वसिद्धकर्तृत्व-भोक्तृत्व-विपरीतं
> > > हि त्रिष्वपि कालेषु अकर्तृत्व-अभोक्तृत्व-स्वरूपं ब्रह्म अहमस्मि ।  न
> इतः
> > > पूर्वं कर्ता भोक्ता वा अहमासम्, न इदानीं, नापि भविष्यत्काल इति
> > > ब्रह्मविदवगच्छति ।  //Quite contrary to what had been previously
> regarded
> > > as
> > > agent and experiencer, I am verily that Brahman, which, by nature, is
> > > neither agent nor experiencer at all in all the three periods of time.
> > >  Even
> > > earlier I was never an agent or experiencer, nor am I so at present;
> nor
> > > shall I be so in future – such is the realization of the knower of
> > > Brahman.//
> > >
> > >   - The third ‘AkAra’ of avidyaa is what is actually related to ‘avidyA
> > >   lesha’ (the earlier two are NOT to be confused with ‘avidyA lesha’) -
> > >  the
> > >   third ‘aakAra’ that projects a semblance of objects capable of
> > appearing
> > > as
> > >   directly perceivable is ‘avidyA-lesha’ or ‘mAyA-lesha.’  This is not
> > >   eradicated in the case of a jivanmukta.
> > >
> > > The supporting BhAshya passages, apart from the one that was already
> > quoted
> > > from the Chandogya Upanishad 6.14.2 are:   From the Acharya’s own
> > > experience, in the Brahmasutra bhashya 4.1.15 :
> > >
> > > *‘’The knowledge of the Self being essentially non-active destroys all
> > > works
> > > by sublating wrong knowledge; but wrong knowledge – comparable to the
> > > appearance of a double moon – lasts for some time even after it has
> been
> > > sublated, owing to the impression it has made.  Moreover, it is not a
> > > matter
> > > for dispute at all whether the body of the Knower of Brahman continues
> to
> > > exist for sometime or not.* कथं ह्येकस्य  स्वहृदयप्रत्ययं ब्रह्मवेदनं
> > > देहधारणं च अपरेण प्रतिक्षेप्तुं शक्येत ?* **For how can one contest the
> > > fact
> > > of another possessing the knowledge of Brahman – vouched for by his
> > heart’s
> > > conviction – and at the same time continuing with the body?’’*
> > >
> > > In the Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashyam (II.8), the Acharya says,
> referring
> > to
> > > Himself:
> > >
> > > //Objection: Because there are many opponents.  You are a monist, since
> > you
> > > follow the Vedic ideas, while the dualists are many who are outside the
> > > Vedic pale and who are opposed to you.  Therefore I apprehend that you
> > will
> > > not be able to determine.
> > >
> > > Reply: This itself is a blessing for Me that you brand Me as sworn to
> > > monism
> > > and faced by many who are wedded to plurality.  Therefore I shall
> conquer
> > > all! And so I begin the discussion.// His original words are even more
> > > striking: *एतदेव मे स्वस्त्ययनम् । अतो जेष्यामि सर्वान्, आरभे च
> चिन्ताम्
> > >  //
> > > *
> > >
> > > To be Continued and concluded in Part 3
> > > **
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