[Advaita-l] Adwaita and God.

[srikanta]

Dear Sunil Bhattacharji,
I donot understand why you are so workedup with the discussions in the
Emails.I was just pointing out and explaining,that GovindaBhagawath pada
was not an reincarnation of Patanjali.These are mere stories.Shankara
might have called GovindaBhagawathpada as "incarnation"of Patanjali,as it
is customary in our culture to repect our preceptors as
calling"Brahaspati"?Can we cite this as a proof.Please donot bring stories
into our discussion.Sorry to say that these stories take us away from real
discussions.
1)You have said that Gaudapada was called"pracchanna Bauddha"(a crypto
Buddhist).This is totally wrong and a misconception.This allegation is
made with mischief by half-boiled scholars,without knowing deeply the
principles and concepts of Buddhism and Vedanta.I am sure you would not
have made this comment if you have studied depply and understood clearly
Buddhism and vedanta.
2)I know "shunya"is not void as some mean it.It means "Devoid".This is
like inexpressibility in Vedanta.For Buddha the final answer is
Silence.That is why Nagarjuna defines it as free from the four pronged
notions,as "It is(asti),It is not(nasti),It both is and is
not(asti-nasti),and finally It is not,not"(nasti nasti).The
Pratityasamutpada theory(the theory of conditional co-origination) which
means:
for a seed to grow it needs,mud,water,fertilisers etc.When the sprout
comes up,the seed is not the sprout,but,at the same time it is not
different from the seed.It cannot come up without the aggregates of the
resources like mud,water,fertilisers etc.So every thing is changing
without leaving their mark.So Nagarjuna concluded,there is no inherent
nature in anything in the world."sarve nissvabhavah"is the conclusion of
Buddha.This is against the "sarvasthithva vadins"who believe in the
existence of the external world.Then the Vaibhashikas said that the
external world can only be inferred by the mind.But,the mind has no
nature.Asanga wrote the "Abhidharmasutras",and later,his half-brother
Vasubandhu expanded the 'Yogachara Vijnanavada".Later,Dignaga wrote the
"alambana pareeksha"which denies the existence of the external world.This
has been examined in the "bauddha pariksha"section of Brahmasutrabhashya
of Shankara,by bringing in the oppsite view of Sarvasthitvavadins to prove
that the external world exists."Na abhavah,upalabdeh"(the external world
of objects exist,as they are experienced.)The Vaibhashikas and
Sautrantikas have been at logger heads as discussed in detail in
Madhava's(vidyaranya?)"sarvadarshana sangraha".In Vijnanavada,it is shown
that,neither the objects exist,nor the mind.These are brought by Gaudapada
to prove that the various schools of Buddhism are in opposition to each
other.Even today,these Philosophical debates are conducted in Buddhists
camps.Gaudapada says in his Karika in the "Alata shanti prakarana,:
Bhutasya jatimichchanti vadinah kecideva hi!
abhutasyapare dhirah vivadantah parsparam!!
This 'Vadinah"refers to the two schools of Sarvasthitvavadins and the
vijnanavadins of the Mahayana.Asparsha yoga or ajathavada is the
explanation given by Gaudapada in Vedanta.This is different from Buddhism.
3)In Hinayana(lower vehicle) which believes in the existence of the
external world,when an individual dies,it is like blowing off a
candle.Just as,when a candle is extinguished it goes in neither
direction,there is annihilation(Buddhism by Rhs Davids).In opposition to
this,Mahayana answers in maintaining silence which is the highest
truth.(maunam eva bauddha desana).In truth,the Buddha didnot teach
anything.
4) As far as "Bhagawadgita"is concerned it is a Primer for Hindu
religion.I started my Bhagawadgita lessons much earlier in my young age,by
listening to His Holiness Sri Swami Chinmayanandajis,discourses,in
"Geethajnanayagna"conducted by him.To understand Vedanta,one has to study
deeply and study various other books like Shankara
Bhashyas,Upadeshasahasri,Upanishad Bhashyas and other related books and
also Prakaranas,both vedantic as well as belonging to other darshanas like
Sankhya,Busddhism,Jainism,Yoga etc.otherwise our knowledge of Vedanta will
remain hazy and very confusing.all these doubts arise because of not
devoting our time for the study of these scriptures and assimilting them.
5)Dear Bhattacharji,I nay not exaggerate when I say that I have perused
the books on Buddhism you are mentioning.I devote most of my time in
studying them,and on comparative philosophies.Otherwise,I would not have
entered into this discussion.

6)Finally,you have not said about you.If Iam correct,from your name I
think you are a Bengali,since  the suffix,Bhattacharjee is common among
Bengalis.Gaudapada also belongs to Gaudadesha,which in Bengal.
Regards,
Bhava Shankara Desika me Sharanam.                     N.Srikanta.