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

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Sri Venkatesh Murthy Ji,



Reg  << But it is good for the Jnani to keep good Vaasanaas and kill only
the
bad Vaasanaas. Otherwise we cannot see examples like Adi Sankara. If
he had zero Vaasanaas how could he work continuously and travel and
preach Advaita?

If a person has zero Vaasanaas and zero desires he becomes like a dead
person appearing to be living. It is not Jeevanmukti but JeevanmRti to
other though he may be realized. Therefore it is good to keep good
Vaasanaas like worship of God, conversation with good people, showing
compassion and helping others Paropakaara and so on. What is JMV
saying on Sattwika Vaasanas like this? >>



 Very intersesting question. And one that is quite often pointedout by
other schools of thought to highlight the futility of aiming for advaitic
“moksha”. Consider what happens to the jnani after the fall of the current
body, at the time of death. He is no longer going to have another body. In
which case he cannot engage in any of the activities you have pointed out
above. Then why aspire for jnana at all?? A serious issue. One should take
a view before starting on sAdhanAs so as not to be dismayed later. You had
yourself asked Sri Sadananda Ji what is the point in aspiring for jnana if
one is to be born again and again even after attaining jnana. On a lighter
side, my sister always tells me she does not want moksha but wants to be
born again and again to enjoy life.



 We have instances of many bhaktas who did not want from the Lord moksha
but prayed for a boon to be reborn again and again as bhaktas so as to
enjoy His glory. Many take to upAsanAs to reach Brahmaloka and not aspire
for jnana here itself.



To get back to your question, not all jnanis aspire for jivanmukti either.
Some do. A jivanmukta does not become like a dead person appearing to be
living. He attains to the status obtaining after death (being Brahman)  even
while living in the current body. That is what JMV states.



Regards.