[Advaita-l] How can the reality of brahman be proven?

[H S Chandramouli]

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> ​Namaste.
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> On Fri, Apr 6, 2018 at 4:44 PM, kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
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> << The existence of anything is proven by 'knowledge of its existence' -
> That 'pot exists there' is proven by my knowledge its existence through a
> pramaana. Otherwise, its existence itself is 'indeterminate' of
> anirvachaneeyam. Hence a conscious entity has to be there to prove that
> there is the existence of the pot or the existence of the world as the pot
> or the world does not declare that I exist. >>
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> << As for as I am concerned, I am the only the subject in the whole world
> to prove that the pot exists or the world exists. >>
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> << Now the problem reduces to two aspects. 1. How do I prove that I exist
> and I am conscious and 2. How do I prove that existence-consciousness that
> I am is infinite or Brahman. >>,
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> The post jumps here to Shastra. Since the context here is how far we can
> go with reasoning alone, I thought the reasoning could be extended further
> with a consideration of “subject”. Our understanding of “subject” is always
> with a qualification, namely I am hearer. I am seer, I am thinker, I am
> decision maker, I am knower etc.  Of all these, who is the unqualified
> “subject”??  Do we have any idea whatsoever of the “subject” with the
> least number of qualifications which would enable us to consider such an
> entity as the real “subject”. Thus “subject” has now become the pramEya or
> “object”. We do find such an entity as present in our experience of
> sushupti. We are absolutely sure of our existence therein. We are sure of
> our sentience therein.There are no “qualifications”. Since we know that
> they are equally so in all our other states as well, like jAgrat and dream
> states, we conclude they are not “attributes” or “qualifications” of the
> subject, but  are the very nature of the “subject”. However we still do
> not know what exactly it is. It remains “ajnAta” or “not fully known”. The
> same holds good in all the three states, jAgrat/dream/sushupti. Its
> “infiniteness” is also indicated because it is not “limited” by anything in
> sushupti, dEsha/kAla/vastu.  We consider such a “vastu” as Atman/Brahman.
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> We can go thus far through reasoning alone. While this reasoning alone can
> at best be a postulate, that it IS so is asserted only by shruti. Further
> shruti does not require it to be accepted as a matter of faith. In fact it
> is not useful that way. But Shruti also details the methodology by which
> such a conclusion can be confirmed as true through anubhava which is the
> final authority on the issue.  That is the ultimate in Sidhanta.
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> Regards
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