Re: Conception of God
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namaste
You bring up an excellent point that needs some ~run way~ to explain… there are two words that you have used: advaita + vedānta . With or without knowing many think this is the only school that encapsulates advaita. Now when I use this word I am defining it by the following:
- a+dvaita = not + dual , not divided.
People come to the conclusion that this means ‘not two’ and that is fine, but as usual within our sanātana dharma this term has a deeper
significance – but before we go there, let me finish this thought.
One needs to be mindful that the advaita + vedānta that you are discussing is that which is advocated by ādi śaṅkara. We know this by the words you have offered. He has had a most positive and profound affect not only in India but around the world.
Yet this notion of advitīya also has other schools that are slightly different ( but not contesting) advaita vedānta. One that I am referring to is the advitīya view found within kaśmir śaivism. Its views differ in many places. I will not list them out at thistime, but will comment just on the notion on the view of advitīya.
Within kaśmir śaivism this advitīya takes on the notion of wholeness¹ or pūrṇapātrapratibhaṭa meaning fullness or a full vessel i.e. overflowing , supreme.
The notion of ‘not two’ is mildly interesting, but it sends one off on another path of counting ‘me’ and everything else. It gets involved in concepts that have defined advaita vedānta as māyā-vāda and this has caused too much mischief for many and this was not the intent of ādi śaṅkara. Todays mind got involved and enamored by what is real, not real, illusion , all these things that tend to be intellectually interesting, but was mis-understood , being dealt with more than needed ( so says rāmaṇa mahaṛṣi).
So what’s that point yajvan ? Well within kaśmir śaivism this wholeness is none other then śiva. This fullness is non-different from He who is supreme. Within His name we see this. Śiva’s name is rooted in śī , ‘in whom all things lie’.
Śiva ( some prefer to call paramaśiva) is this fullness so there is no issue of personal or impersonal; no issue of nirguṇa¹ or saguṇa¹. There is no brain cramp because the harmony that is created via knowing all is śiva.
Who cares if I see the top half of a ice-berg or the bottom half? I know from top to bottom it is an iceberg. Like that, within kaśmir śaivism there is no brain cramp, no consternation of personal, impersonal, pure awareness or active awareness, or vacuum awareness. Because all is within Him how can there be any angst of what is or is not ?
So, one’s adoration can go unfettered to the Supreme. In fact there is no issue to even consider the quality of śiva as viṣṇu ; Why so ? Viṣṇu’s name is rooted in viṣ ‘all-pervading’, so where can there be any distinction of these śiva & viṣṇu – in whom all things lie must be by definition ‘all pervading’. Where is the issue ? I see none. Yet we will find many intransigent (unwilling to compromise) that they differ.
In any case, this point of view of pūrṇapātrapratibhaṭa is one way to mitigate any consternation you may be experiencing.
iti śivaṁ or 'may there be welfare (for all)!' , or all is essentially Śiva.
words/references
- nirguṇa - without qualities; if I wrote nirguṇā it would be defined as 'having no cord or string ' - I hope one sees the association between the two.
- saguṇa - with qualities; and if I wrote saguṇā it then would me ' with cord or string'
- Ādi śaṅkara we know as śaṅkara bhagavatpāda.
- ādi = first, beginning
- Śaṅkara = śaṃkara = causing prosperity , auspicious , beneficent. This is another name for śiva or rudra.
- bhagavatpāda = bhagavat+pāda bhagavat is glorious , illustrious , divine + pāda or pādāḥ is added to proper names or titles in token of respect.
- With this case pāda it is then a ray or beam of light (considered as the foot of a heavenly body).Yet what is this 1st or beginning? He was the first Śaṅkarācārya, as he set up the maţha-s (some write as mutt's, math's) across India.
- wholeness - where will we find this notion of fullness called out ?
bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad (bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad) , chapter 5.1.1 called om kham brahma-brāhmaṇa. Also in the opening hymn of the isāvāsya upaniṣad we find the same hymn once again called out:
oṁ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate |
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamīvāvashiṣyate ||
That is whole; this is whole;
From that whole this whole came;
From that whole, this whole removed,
What remains is whole.
Are there other places the notion of wholeness/ fullness is called out ? Yes, we find this notion ( with different words) used in the mālinīvijayottara tantra ; I will add the verse/hymn if there is interest.
And another place ? Yes, this notion of pūrṇatā ( fullness) , bhūman, wholeness , can be found within the chāndogya upaniṣad
Last edited by yajvan; 21 September 2014 at 10:36 AM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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