[Advaita-l] Does the Vivarana argument lead to an existent avidya? SSSS's comment

[Michael Chandra Cohen]

Prakasatman in the Vivarana:

“But we know through presumption (arthapatti) that that which is
beginningless, and false, and the material cause of false superimposition,
and related to the Self, cannot he anything other than Ignorance. The point
being made is that the existence of false superimposition forces us to
presume the existence of false Ignorance as its material cause, since false
superimposition could not arise from any other source. (cited in SSSS, The
Method of Vedanta p759)

--*Sri Swami Satchidanandendra Saraswati’s comment:*

If Ignorance is known, directly through immediate experience, then it ought
not to be a matter of dispute amongst argumentative philosophers. The
sustained attempt (by Prakasatman) to explain Ignorance with the help of
the various means of cognition (perception at M. V. 239, 1-2, inference at
23S, 3, presumption a+ 233,4,5, revelation at 239,6) appears to be
misguided, as it can only end in representing it as existent. There is no
dispute amongst mankind in general that they are subject to ignorance, nor
are they concerned whether such ignorance should be labelled existent or
non-existent. Nor are all the philosophers in contention agreed that they
experience positive, indeterminable Ignorance, conceived as something over
and above individual illusion (and as its cause). Ordinary people of the
world have such experiences as 'I do not know', 'I am in doubt' and 'I am
confused’ and experience non-perception, doubt and wrong perception as
varieties of (ordinary everyday) ignorance, sometimes positive, sometimes
negative, while con tending philosophers, and reflective observers
generally who do not happen to agree with Prakasatman and his school,
openly deny the existence of indeterminable positive Ignorance as taught in
his system. Nor is there any mention, direct or indirect, anywhere in Sri
Sankara's commentaries, of any posi tive Ignorance other than the triad of
non-perception, doubt and wrong perception. This is a point that must be
carefully considered.”