[Advaita-l] Free will, hell (and heaven) according to Advaita Vedanta

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

[was Re: [Advaita-l] The 'Snake-and-ladder' game - The Spiritual path]

In an effort to salvage something useful from that other misbegotten 
thread...






On Fri, 10 Aug 2018, Kalyan via Advaita-l wrote:

>
> भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया।।gita 18.61।। 18.61 O Arjuna, the Lord 
> resides in the region of the heart of all creatures, revolving through 
> Maya all the creatures (as though) mounted on a machine! English 
> Translation Of Sri Shankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary By Swami 
> Gambirananda
>
>

> 18.61 Arjuna, O Arjuna-one whose self is naturally white (pure), i.e. 
> one possessing a pure internal organ. This follows from the Vedic text, 
> 'The day is dark and the day is arjuna (white) (Rg. 6.9.1). Isvarah, the 
> Lord , Narayana the Ruler; tisthati, resides, remains seated; hrd-dese, 
> in the region of the heart; sarva-bhutanam, of all creatures, of all 
> living beings. How does He reside? In answer the Lord says: bhramayan, 
> revolving; mayaya, through Maya, through delusion; sarva-bhutani, all 
> the creatures; as though yantra-arudhani, mounted on a machine-like man' 
> etc., made of wood, mounted on a machine. The word iva (as though) has 
> to be thus understood here. Bhramayan, revolving, is to be connected 
> with tisthati, resides (conveying the idea, 'resides৷৷.while 
> revolving').


The analogy is to a spinners wheel and to the samsara chakra. The weaver 
set the wheel in motion and Ishvara sets the universe into motion but 
after that they appear to move on their own.

There is a spark of divinity in all the beings  but owing to the veil of 
Maya the ignorant do not know it.  So they are subject to this wheel-like 
samsara.  They meet their rewards both good and bad and are born and 
reborn accordingly with the regularity and precision of a machine. 
Throughout it all Shri Narayana is there in the reegion of the heart and 
if the jiva can come to know his essential identity with Him he can break 
free of samsara.

There is free will.  It is not Ishvara who is casting the jivas hither and 
yon but the force of the actions they themselves choose to do or not do.

By contrast, a Muslim friend of mine who is the son of an Imam and had 
himself a thorough education in Islamic doctrine explained to me that no 
one can so much as lift their hand without the will of Allah.  Submission 
(the literal meaning of Islam) to Allah is the paramount goal of all 
people.

Madhva has said that certain atmas are intrinsically Tamasic.  They were 
created by Ishvara in that way and will remain that way.

'it is these types of Gods I call puppetmasters.


> Regarding eternal hell -अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः।



> प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ।।gita 16.16।।


>
> 16.16 Aneka-citta-vibhrantah, bewildered by numerous thoughts, 
> confounded variously by thoughts of the kind stated above; 
> moha-jala-samavrtah, caught in the net of delusion-moha is 
> non-discrimination, lack of understanding; that itself is like a net 
> because of its nature of covering; enshrouded by that; prasaktah, 
> engrossed; kama-bhogesu, in the enjoyment of desirable objects, being 
> immersed in that itself; they patanti, fall, owing to the sins 
> accumulated thery; asucau, into a foul; narake, hell, such as Vaitarani. 
> [Vaitarani: It is the most terrible place of punishment; a river filled 
> with all kinds of filth-blood, hair, bones etc., and running with great 
> impetuosity, hot and fetid. The other hells are Tamisra, Andhatamisra, 
> Raurava, Kumbhipaka, and so on.]
>
> तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्।
>
> क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु।।gita 16.19।।
>
>
> 16.19 Because of their defect of unrighteousness, aham, I; ksipami, 
> cast, hurl; ***ajasram, for ever***; all tan, those; who are dvisatah, 
> hateful of Me; kruran, cruel; and asubhan, who are evil doers; 
> samsaresu, in the worlds-who are on the paths leading to hell; who are 
> the nara-adhaman, vilest of human beings, who are opposed to the right 
> path, who are hostile to the pious people; eva, verily; asurisu, into 
> the demoniacal; yonisu, classes-tigers, loins, etc., which are full of 
> evil deeds. The verb cast is to be connected with 'into the classes'.
>

You are being dishonest once again. Where does a word meaning eternal 
occur anywhere here?

Heavens and Hells of various types exist and are the reward of behaviour 
good and bad consciouslly committed by the Jiva.  There is no question of 
Ishvara casting them into there willy-nilly as in some other religions. 
Furthermore residence in both svarga and naraka is only so long as 
karmaphala dictates.  Once that is exhausted, the jiva beings the rounds 
of rebirth once again.  Neither state is eternal.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>