[Advaita-l] 'I do not know' is bhāvarūpa ajnana

[Praveen R. Bhat]

​Namaste Raviji,

On Mon, Jun 12, 2017 at 8:44 AM, Ravi Kiran via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>
> If it be accepted, bhAvarUpa ajnAna in sushupti ( and not the mere absence
> of jnAna,
> constitutes ajnAna ) based on the logic presented here, though one's
> experience in sushupti itself ( during sushupti) is no experience of jnAna
> or ajnAna, whatsoever, how it be explained that, one's getting the
> akhandakaravritti, in jAgrat, can possibly remove this bhAvarUpa ajnAna in
> sushupti? what is the yukti presented in that case ?
>

​The ajnAna in different states has the same locus; in Mandukya too, this
state is called as suShupti which manifests in other two states as well.
Therefore, to remove suShupti ajnAna, waking state knowledge is sufficient.

Should not, one resort to samAdhi practices ( as mentioned in some
> prakarana granthas), to destroy
> this bhAvarUpa ajnAna in sushupti, and getting advaita jnAna in jAgrat
> alone, does not suffice ?
>

​Could you please quote any statement that says that samAdhi destroys
ajnAna. AFAIK, samAdhi is recommended as a means to manonAsha and
vAsanakShaya.
​

> Also, how does this reconcile with other Sruti texts (on sushupti
> experience) in chandogya, Brihadaranyaka...
>
> सलिल एको द्रष्टाद्वैतो भवति, एष ब्रह्मलोकः सम्राडिति हैनमनुशशास
> याज्ञवल्क्यः, एषास्य परमा गतिः, एषास्य परमा संपत्, एषोऽस्य परमो लोकः,
> एषोऽस्य परम आनन्दः; एतस्यैवानन्दस्यान्यानि भूतानि मात्रामुपजीवन्ति
>
> It becomes (transparent) like water, one, the witness, and without a
> second. This is the world (state) of Brahman, O Emperor. Thus did
> Yājñavalkya instruct Janaka: This is its supreme attainment, this is its
> supreme glory, this is its highest world, this is its supreme bliss...
>
​Bhashyakara introduces this mantra by saying यत्र पुनः सा अविद्या सुषुप्ते
वस्त्वन्तरप्रत्युपस्थापिका शान्ता, तेन अन्यत्वेन अविद्याप्रविभक्तस्य
वस्तुनः अभावात् , तत् केन कं पश्येत् जिघ्रेत् विजानीयाद्वा  and later in
the section so: ​तेन न पृथक्त्वेन व्यवस्थितानि करणानि, विषयाश्च ; तदभावात्
विशेषदर्शनं नास्ति ; He specifically says that the avidyA that projects
other objects is quietened, not completely absent, due to the lack of the
sense organs and objects being separate from each other, one cannot see,
smell, etc. All आनन्द talked about is anyway the स्वरूपानन्द only, so even
if it is mentioned in सुषुप्ति, it is the आनन्दमयकोष that reflects it.

​gurupAdukAbhyAm
,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति, तं केन विजानीयात्। Through what should one know
That owing to which all this is known! [Br.Up. 4.5.15] */​