[Advaita-l] What is the difference between Maya and avidhya ?T

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Namaste Venkatraghavanji,

On Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 9:20 PM, Venkatraghavan S <agnimile at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
> You may be slightly frustrated at the answers in line below, so apologies
> in advance!
>
Far from it. :) No apologies needed. Thanks.


> "However, all that is perceived has to be explained. So jnAnI having
> sharIra as prArabdha, he is seen to take care of it as sharIradharma."
>
> Explained to whom?
>
To one who perceives.

> Only to the ajnAni. As you correctly say, he is "seen to take care of it".
> In actuality there is no seeing or taking care.
>
True.

> >>
> >> This distinction of
> >> jIvanmukti and videhamukti are all from vyAvahArika standpoint only.
> >
> >
> > His upAdhi would limit the jnAnaphala based on his level of niShThA,
> hence the categories even for jnAnIs and videhamukti as a stage where
> upAdhi no longer limits in any way.
>
> Again these are only vyAvahArika constructs.
>
When jivanmukti itself is a vyAvahArika construct, all this upAdhi talk and
videhamukti and nityamukti too is.

> I am not wedded to them, but if you see any merit in preserving them, I
> see no harm in it.
>
I am just explaining where the sampradAya is coming from and I see merit in
sampradAya saying it.

> > Once again, the very idea of jnAni "considering" something indicates
> jIvabhAva, individualization, which means avidyAlesha.
>
> The use of "considering" was only a figure of speech. I don't have any
> qualms accepting avidyAlesha, but again that is only a vyAvahArika
> construct.
>
So is every other construct vyAvahArika including nityamukti. The very word
mukti even in nityamukti indicates that baddha was prApta in vyAvahArika
and is negated in vyAvahArika.


> I do not believe avidyA to be abhAvarUpa. So I am fully in agreement with
> your arguments for yatkinchit bhavarupa.
>
> My point is we are anyway going to do apavAda of it, so why split hairs.
>
True, but technically, splitting hairs is needed else baudha shunyavAda
will also stand to be right.

praNAm,
--praveen