[Advaita-l] On the nature of muula avidya

[V Subrahmanian]

On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 2:09 PM, Anand Hudli <anandhudli at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Even in darkness, there is no experience of "nothing" but an
> experience of "something". This "something" gives rise to the notion,
> " I do not see anything". Hence, even this Darkness is "bhAvarUpa"
> like the mUlAvidyA that our AchAryas have described.
>

Namaste.

A few years ago a scholar in Sringeri told me that a certain person (name
withheld) has been propagating among his followers the misconceived idea
that 'tamas' (darkness) is 'tejo'bhAvaH' *तेजोऽभावः *(absence of light) and
that such is not the view of the traditional Acharyas.  I am reminded of
that when I read your above clarification.

Regards,
subrahmanian.v

>
> chitsukha in his tattvapradipika shows that the ajnAna defined thus
> has a basis in shruti:
>
> tama AsIt.h, mAyAM tu prakR^itiM vidyAdityAdyAgamopi tatra pramANam.h | na
> cha tamaH shabdena jnAnAbhAvaH kathyate | nAsadAsItyabhAvaM vyAvartya tama
> AsIditi pratipAdanAt.h |
>
> The shruti statements, "Darkness was" (Rig Veda nAsadIya sUkta), and "mAyA
> is understood to be prakR^iti (nature)" (shvetAshvatara upaniShad), also
> affirm that ajnAna (as bhAvarUpa). By the word "darkness", an absence of
> knowledge is not stated because (the shruti) excludes (such an) absence by
> declaring "Non-existence (asat) was not there" and "Darkness was."
>
> It is apt that we are discussing Darkness and Light during this
> festive season of lights.
>
> Regards,
>
> Anand
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