A few fundamental questions to the followers of Shri Swami Satchidanandendra Saraswati Ji

Sudhanshu Shekhar

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Aug 28, 2024, 3:28:36 AM8/28/24

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Hari Om,

This post is intended to get some basic clarity about the positions held by Shri SSS ji on some fundamental points. This would avoid confusion. So, I request SSS ji's followers to answer pointedly on these questions:

Is avidyA triguNAtmikA i.e. composed of three guNAs namely sattva, rajas and tamas? [yes/no]
Is adhyAsa triguNAtmaka? [yes/no]
Is the thought "I am body" triguNAtmaka? [yes/no]
Is pot-abhAva triguNAtmaka? [yes/no]
Is the remover of avidyA, Brahma-vidyA, triguNAtmikA? [yes/no]
Is mAyA triguNAtmikA? [yes/no]
Is avidyA adhyasta? [yes/no]
Is mAyA adhyasta? [yes/no]
Is avidyA nirvishesha-abhAva like horns of hare OR is avidyA savishesha-abhAva like pot-abhAva? [nirvishesha-abhAva/savishesha-abhAva]
Are avidyA and ajnAna identical? [yes/no]
Is shuddha Brahman the locus (Ashraya) of avidyA? [yes/no]
Is shuddha Brahman the vishaya of avidyA? [yes/no]
As per SSS ji's understanding of mUlAvidyA, whether mUlAvidyA is adhyasta? [yes/no]

I request the scholars following SSS ji to answer these questions. As it can be noticed, the questions are objective and hence response can be limited to one word. The reasoning is not required. The intent of the post is to get clarity on the position held by SSS ji on fundamental issues.

Subsequent questions will follow. But the initial response may be restricted to one word per question.

Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.

Michael Chandra Cohen

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Aug 30, 2024, 8:45:02 AM8/30/24

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Namaste Sudhanshuji, I applaud your effort to structure these conversations. However, kindly respond in kind to Prasanth Netiji and Dr. Keralpuraji's previous arguments..

warm regards, mcc

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Sudhanshu Shekhar

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Aug 30, 2024, 9:34:00 AM8/30/24

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Namaste Michael ji.

I think I must have responded to Keralapura Ji's comments in FB when he would have posted that. If not, then I will respond to that.

Also, regarding Prasanth Ji's post, it is a huge thing. I will need to find time to first summarise it and then respond. Will do it sometime when there is enough motivation to do that in lieu of something more beneficial.

Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.

Michael Chandra Cohen

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Aug 30, 2024, 10:25:41 AM8/30/24

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Namaste Sudhanshuji,

Prof. Keralapuraji comment was in response to your post dated, Feb 5, 2022, below. This was your response to Prof. K - same as to Prasanth Neti, ji.

//Sudhanshu Shekhar

Author

Ramanatha Keralapura ji. I will respond in detail later. Appreciate your writeup. Just a quick question. SSS says that dvaita being non-vastu owing to being magical has no requirement of upAdAna-kAraNa. My point is -- then which entity has requirement of upAdAna-kAraNa?//

and your original post:

अस्य द्वैतेन्द्रजालस्य यदुपादानकारणम्।

अज्ञानं तदुपाश्रित्य ब्रह्मकारणमुच्यते।।

(BrihadAraNyaka BhAshya VArtika by SureshwarAchArya)

In this important shloka which is quoted by several AchAryAs of advaita tradition including NeelakaNtha, SureshwarAchArya states the following:-

The material cause of this magical duality is ajnAna. Brahman is said to be cause on account of the superimposition of that ajnAna (in Brahman).

The usage of the word material cause is significant. First of all, it clarifies the material nature of ajnAna. Just as world is triguNAtmaka, similarly its material cause ajnAna, is also triguNAtmaka. It is not asat like horns of hare. Further, being material cause, it is not immutable and hence it is not sat either.

Accordingly, the material cause of this magical duality is triguNAtmaka ajnAna which is neither sat nor asat.

AdhyAsa, being the kArya of ajnAna, cannot be material cause. It is an effect of its material cause ajnAna. Just as sometimes kArya is referred by kAraNa - adhyAsa is also called as ajnAna. For e.g. a jeweller can refer to his stock of ornaments in terms of kilos of gold. But that does not mean that gold and ornament are one and the same. Similarly one needs to understand in case of ajnAna and adhyAsa.

It is a remarkable shloka and due deliberation is needed on this

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Sudhanshu Shekhar

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Aug 30, 2024, 10:55:13 AM8/30/24

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Namaste Michael ji.

Noted. I will respond to Prof. Keralpura ji's comments.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/advaitin/CAAz9PvGaM-u4ZwUDfA%2BfQt_Bafo0w10g_ZhA-fes7V_w41dGdA%40mail.gmail.com.