Class notes from 7/13/09 & 7/20/09

Class Date: 7/13/09 and 7/20/09
Chapter: 5
Page#: 95-100
Paragraph #: Chapter start
Recorded version:
Summary:

7/13/09 and 7/20/09

Chp 5- Pg 95


Overview of chapter 5:

This chapter relates to vividhmat samiksha which is examining various other philosophies or darshans apart from Jain darshan and making a decision as to their veracity (truthfulness).

Is adhikar mein panditji bataate hai ki sansar mein bahut dukh sehne ke baad kadachit hamein manushya adi paryay mila hai aur usmey bhi abhut mushkil se shraddhan adi karne ki shakti mili hai. To is situation mein yadi agrahit mithyatva ke poshan se naye grahit mithyatva kare to fir hamara mukt hona almost impossible hai.

Jaise koi patient ho- if he is suffering from an illness that has significantly destructed his immune system or health. Then with great difficulty he regains some immunity and on seeing that he absolutely stops caring and instead abuses his health, then his immune system will deteriorate further to the point of no return.

Just like the doctor would examine a patient and educate him about what could potentially harm his health further, similarly panditji here explains the potential causes of mithyatva shraddhan and through logical explanations, advises us to remain away.

Hindu Philosophy:

Before getting started with Adwait Brahm, some background into Hindu philosophy.

Hindu philosophy is is divided into six āstika schools of thought, or darshanas which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures and three nāstika schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme. Additionally, the astika schools consider bhagwan as srushti ka karta whereas the nastika schools do not.

The āstika schools are:
Sankhya
Yoga
Nyaya
Vaisheshika
Mimamsa
Vedanta

The nāstika schools are:
Buddhism
Jainism
Cārvāka

These nine philosophies form the nine gems of the Sanātana Dharma.

Adwait Brahm:

Adwait Brahm is a part of the Vedanta school of thought. Adwait means A+ Dwait. Dwait means dual, A is negation- meaning non dual or monoistic. Adwait essentially refers to the indivisibility of the self from the whole (Brahman).

According to this philosophy, the only reality is Brahm and the universe is a manifestation of that reality. The formation of the universe is similar to creation of web by the spider. The material for the web comes from the spider and when the purpose is served, goes back into the spider. Similarly all cosmic energy is Brahm. This energy transforms into matter by interacting with panch mahabhut to form universe.

Brahman is the only reality. Other than Brahman, everything else, including the universe, material objects and individuals, are false. Brahman is at best described as purest form of knowledge. Brahman is often described as neti neti meaning "not this, not this" because it cannot be correctly described as this or that. Brahman is also beyond the senses, it would be akin a blind man trying to correctly describe color.

When you look into the mirror you see yourself standing behind the mirror, but there is no one there. Similary, the universe and everything we see is not the object itself, but its image and the image is unreal or maya.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_vedanta

The above is a good link to get additional information about what Adwait Brahm is, but in summary, this philosophy propounds the oneness of everything. Everything is Brahm; brahm is the only reality, everything else is maya; There are no separate objects, everything is one with Brahm.

Counter arguments to Adwait Brahm:

Yahaa, different prakar se prativadi kehte hai ki sabhi padarth ek hai (brahm)- panditji prove karte hai ki padarth aur unke svabhav nyare hai.

Following are the ways that sabhi padarth can be thought as being one:

1) Samuday se: Ghoda, hathi aadi nyare nyare hai parantu unke samuday ko sena kehte hai. To aise samuday apeksha se ek kehte honge parantu sena koi vyakti/padarth to hai nahi, keval kalpana hi hai
2) Jaati apeksha se: Ghode to alag alag hai vyakti apeksha parantu aakar adi ki samanta se unhe jaati apeksha ek kaha ja sakta hai parantu jaati unse to bhinn hai nahi
3) Parmanu ke milap se: jal ke parmanu se samudra, ya prithvi ke parmanu se ghat adi bante hai to us skandh ko ek keh sakte hai, parantu vo koi parmanu se alag to hai nahi
4) Ek angi hone se: Sharir ke ang alag alag hai parantu jiska sharir hai vo angi ek hai- is apeksha se lok ki vastu sabhi ang hai aur brahm ek angi hai aisa keh sakte hai. Lekin sharir mein to sabhi ang mein antral bhasit nahi hota- antral ho to ekatva nahi. Parantu lok meing to vastu mein antral pratyaksh bhasit hota hai.
5) Har padarth mein sukshma rupi brahm: Yadi sabhi ang ek dusre se jude hue hai to jaise sharir ka ek ang khichne par sabhi ang khichte hai, usi prakar sabka gaman aadi hona chahiye. Aisa hota hua dikhai nahi deta, lok asthir hota dikhai nahi deta. Yadhi aisa mane ki ang jude nahi, tut kar alag hai to fir ekatva pana kaha raha?
6) Pehle ek tha, fir anek hua, fir ek hua; Aisa bhi maan sakte hai ki pehle sona ek tha, fir kangan adi bane aur alag hua aur fir un kangan ko melt karke ek sona hua is prakar brahm ko bhi jaane. Parantu isme further question hai ki jab anek rup hua tab juda hua tha ki bhinn tha? Yadi juda hua tha to purvokt dosh lagega (gaman adi ka) aur yadi bhinn tha to us kaal ekatva pana nahi raha. Another argument here is that sone ko kangan rup hone par alag kehte hai parantu jaati apeksha to ek hi hai- aisa lok mein nahi kyonki lok mein jad aur chetan rup vastu hai- to vo jaati apeksha bhi ek nahi. Agar unhe ek kahe to jad chetan rup aur chetan jad rup ho jaayega jo nahi ho sakta.
7) Brahm to jaise ka taisa hi hai: Hindu dharm mein aisi manyata hai ki lok create hota hai aur fir nasht bhi hota hai. To yahaa kehte hai ki lok rachan ho ya na ho, brahm to jaise ka taisa hi hai. To panditji arhue karte hai ki lok mein to hum jal, parvat aadi dekhte hai- to ve navin utpann hue ya brahm hi un swarup hue? Yadi navin utpann hue to ve bhinn hai, nyare hai. Aur yadi brahm un swarup hue to brahm jaise ke taise kaha rahe?
8) Brahm ka sirf ek ansh lok rup hua: Yaha prativadi kehte hai ki sabhi brahm lok rup nahi hua, sirf ek ansh hua. To unse kehte hai ki samudra mein ek bund bhi vish ki ho to bhale sthul drashti se nahi, parantu sukshma drushti se to samudra aur vish ki bund alag/anyatha hai. Usi prakar brahm ke us ansh aur bake ke brahm mein anyathapana to hua.
9) Aakash anusar brahm sarvavyapi: Jaise aakash dravya sarvavyapi hai, vaise hi brahm ko samjho aisa prativadi kehte hai. To unhe kehte hai ki aakash ka lakshan to sarvatra bhasit hota hai, parantu brahm ka vaise nahi. Additonally, aakash mein ghat aadi vastu bhi hai- to pratyaksh dikhta hai ki ghat aur aakash alag alag hai, usi prakar lok aur brahm alag alag hai.

Finally, with all arguments defeated, prativadi kehte hai ki brahm to vachan agochar hai, unki mahima aisi hai ki v eek bhi hai, anek bhai hai etc. To unse kehte hai ki vachan agochar hai to nirnay kaise ho? Aur jaisa pratyaksh sabko dikhai deta hai, vo to believe nahi karte aur kalpanik jo hai usey sach prove karne ki koshish karte hai to vo galat hai.

Srushtikartavad ka nirakaran:

Yahaa prove karte hai ki brahm to srushti/sansar ka karta manna bhi mithya hai. Yahaa pehle to maante hai ki brahm to ek se anek rup hone ki iccha hui- to iccha to dukh ka karan hai. Matlab brahm unke ek rup state mein happy nahi isliye anekrup hone ki iccha hui.

Yadi aisa kahe ki iccha aur karya dono ek time pe hua to aisa to possible nahi. Jis kaal iccha hui, us kaal to dukhi hai aur iccha aur karya dono yugpat nahi ho sakte.