[Advaita-l] This weekend classes

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

PraNAms to all:
This week end discourses on Livestream. 
Panchadasi class: We are doing Ch II. from slokas 50 on. The
second chapter of Panchadasi deals with panca bhuuta viveka – discrimination of
the five primordial elements. The discrimination or viveka involves the seeing
the underlying the eternal in the changing ephemeral. Shree Vidyaranya is analyzing
the ChaanDogya Up. Ch. 6 – the sad vidya.  Up to slokas 50 he has methodically analyzed the famous statement of the
Upanishad – sat eva soumya idam agara asiit – ekam eva advitiiyam. Following
Shankara he explained the ekam, one, eva alone and advitiiyam, non-dual as
scriptural dismissal of the swagata, sajaati, and vijaati bhedas, differences
of any kind including internal differences, like flowers, leaves, branches etc.
in a tree; differences among the same species, like different types of
trees;  and differences that arise in
different species, like trees, stones etc. Scriptures says what was before
creation was pure undifferentiated existence alone. 
Vidyaranya then dismissed the sunnyavaada that says there
was nothing before creation. Taking nothing as non-existence, he argues how can
there be non-existence exists before creation since it is a contradiction in
terms. If suunyavaada meant by non-existence is same as non-existence of any
particulars and what was there was pure existence, then Vidyaranya says – Welcome
to our camp and may you live long. 
Questions were posed next as puurvapaksha -  where (spatially)  was the existence, and also since the word –
before –agre – is used it implies existence of time before creation leading to
existence and time as implied duality violating the ekam eva advitiiyam
statement. Vidyaranya answers that time is product of creation and before is
only used to teach a student who thinks in terms of time and ask what was there
before creation. Hence it is language that involves duality of question and
answers used to communicate that there was only pure existence without even
space and time since they are products of creation. The analogy of deep sleep
state is provided to show that existence can exist without time and space – as I
am there in deep sleep state since I slept well but I have no concept of space
and time. Both exist only in the waking and dream states where there is a
creation of plurality. 
The next topic of discussion pertaining to creation is
maayaa, which was not explicitly mentioned in the ChaanDogya Upanishad. It only
says – bahushyaam – prajaayeyeti. Let me become many and He became many. Maayaa
is defined as the force or Shakti that makes one to appear as many. Existence
of a force is deduced from the change in the state, even from science point.
Definition of force involves precisely that - which causes a change of state.  Even though maayaa has not been explicitly
specified in the Ch. Up. it has to be inferred as the Parameswara Shakti as the
cause for change of pure undifferentiated existence into existence in many
forms and names. 
Now the next question posed is where was that Shakti?
Vidyaranya argues that Shakti cannot be different from its locus and at the
same time it is not the same as locus. Shakti has no independent existence and
hence it is different from pure sat. It is not of non-existence (asat) since
non-existence cannot be cause for multiplication. Hence it can only be of a
category sat-asat vilakshanam – that is mithyaa. He provides a scriptural
support from Rig. Veda mantra that says the maayaa Shakti is neither sat nor
asat in the sloka 50. 
Naa2sadaaseennO sadaaseet, tadaaneem kimtvabhuuttamaH|
sadyogaattamasaH satvam, na svataH tanniShedhanaat||
Before creation (tadaaneem) na asat aaseet n sat (aaseet).
What was there is pure Sat and ignorance of maayaa which has no independent existence
but is supported by existence.
 
In the next few slokas that we are going to discuss, Shree
Vidyaranya is going to discuss that maayaa is only occupying  part of part-less Brahman. The apparent
contradiction is resolved since Brahman and maayaa belong two different orders
of reality. He uses purushasuukta as well as other mantras in support of his
analysis. 
The Panchadasi class will be from 10:30-11:30AM EST. 
Sunday we will  have
Atmabodha class and Kathopanishat classes. 
The discourses can be heard via http://www.livestream.com/advaita_sadaji
The previous talks are also stored there. 
Hari Om!
Sadananda