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What is mAyAvAdam?
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: What is mAyAvAdam?
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From: nparker@crl.com (Nathan Parker)
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Date: 23 Feb 1995 20:39:39 -0800
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From nparker@crl.com Thu Feb 23 23: 29:33 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access (415) 705-6060 [Login: guest]
[ Article crossposted from alt.religion.vaisnava ]
[ Author was Nathan Parker ]
[ Posted on 23 Feb 1995 20:34:14 -0800 ]
Sri Sadanandaji has addressed the fact that there are a lot of people who
have great misunderstandings about what is the mAyAvAda philosophy, called
by some as advaita. So, as a public service, I am providing the following
information on what is mAyAvAdam. Our moto as always is "If the shoe fits,
wear it. Otherwise, give it to the neighbor." So with that in mind I
humbly offer you the following:
According to mAyAvAdI philosophers, vedAnta refers to the SArIraka
commentary of SaNkarAcArya. When impersonal philosophers refer to vedAnta
and the upaniShads, they are actually referring to the commentaries of
SaNkarAcArya, the greatest teacher of mAy AvAdI philosophy. After
SaNkarAcArya came sadAnanda-yogI, who claimed that the vedAnta and
upaniShads should be understood through the commentaries of SaNkarAcArya.
Factually this is not so. There are many commenatries on vedAnta and the
upaniShads mad e by the vaiSNava AcAryas, and these are preferred to those
of SaNkarAcArya. However, the mAyAvAdI philosophers influenced by
SaNkarAcArya do not attribute any importance to the vaiSNava
understandings.
There are five different sects of vaiSNava AcAryas - the
SuddhAdvaita, viSiShTAdvaita, dvaitAdvaita, dvaita and acintya-bhedAbheda.
All the vaiSNava AcAryas in these schools have written commentaries on the
vedAnta-sUtra, but the mAyAvAdI philosophers d o not recognize them. The
mAyAvAdIs distinguish between Krishna and Krishnas body, and therefore
they do no recognize the worship of Krishna by the vaiSNava philosophers.
Lord Caitanya admitted that SaNkarAcArya was an incarnation of
Lord Siva, and it is known that Lord Siva is one of the greatest devotees
(a mahajana) of the bhAgavata school. There are twelve great authorities
on devotional service, and Lord Siva is one of them. Why, then, did he
adopt the process of mAyAvAdI philosophy? The answer is given in Padma
purANa, where Lord Siva states:
mAyAvAdam asac-chAstraM
pracchannaM bauddham ucyate
mayaiva kalpitaM devI
kalau brAhmaNa-rUpiNA
"The mAyAvAdI philosophy is veiled Buddhism." In other words, the
voidist philosophy of Buddha is more or less repeated in the mAyAvAdI
philosophy of impersonalism, although the mAyAvAdI philosophy claims to be
directed by the Vedic conclusions. Lord S iva, however, admits that this
philosophy is manufactured by him in the age of Kali in order to mislead
the atheists. "Actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead has His
transcendental body," Lord Siva states. "But I describe the Supreme as
impersonal. I also explain the vedAnta-sUtra according to the same
principle of mAyAvAdI philosophy."
In the Siva purANa the Supreme Lord says:
dvAparAdau yuge bhUtvA
kalayA mAnuSAadiSu
svAgamaiH kalpitais tvaM ca
janAn mad-vimukhAn kuru
"In the beginning of the dvApara-yuga, directed by My orders, many
sages will bewilder the people in general by mAyAvAdI philosophy."
In the padma purANa Lord Siva personally tells BhagavatidevI:
SRNu devI parakShyAmi
tAmasAni yathA-kramam
yeShAM SravaNa-mAtreNa
pAtityaM jNAninAm api
apArthaM Sruti-vAkyAnAM
darSayaL loka-garhitam
karma-svarUpa-tyAjyatvam
atra ca pratipAdyate
sarva-karma-paribhraMSAn
naiSkarmyaM tatra cocyate
parAtma-jIvayor aikyaM
mayAtra pratipAdyate
"My dear devI, sometimes I teach mAyAvAdI philosophy for those who
are engrossed in the mode of ignorance. But if a person in the mode of
goodness happens to hear this mAyAvAdI philosophy, he falls down, for when
teaching mAyAvAdI philosophy, I say that the living entity and the Supreme
Lord are one and the same."
SadAnanda-yogI, one of the greatest mAyAvAdI AcAryas, has written
in his book, vedAnta-sAra: "The Absolute Truth of eternity, knowledge and
bliss is Brahman. Ignorance and all products of ignorance are
non-Brahman. All products of the three modes of ma terial nature are
covered by ignorance, and all are different from the supreme cause and
effect. This ignorance is manifested in a collective and individual
sense. Collective ignorance is called viSuddha-sattva-pradhAna. When
that viSuddha-sattva-pradh Ana is manifest within the ignorance of
material nature, it is called the Lord, and the Lord manifests all kinds
of ignorance. Therefore He is known as sarvajNa." Thus according to
mAyAvAdI philosophy, the Lord is a product of this material nature, and
the living entity is in the lowest stage of ignorance. That is the sum
and substance of mAyAvAdI philosophy.
If, however, we accept the import of the upaniShads directly, it
is clear that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a person with
unlimited potency. For example, in the SvetASvatara upaniShad it is
stated that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of everything
and that He has multiple potencies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is
transcendental to the cosmic manifestation. He is he origin of all
religion, the supreme deliverer and the possessor of all opulences. The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is just like the sun, profusely
distributes His energies while situated beyond the cloud of this material
cosmic manifestation. He is the master of masters and He is the Supreme
of the supremes. He is known as the greatest Lord, the Per sonality of
Godhead. His energies and potencies are multiple and variously
distributed. It is also stated that viSNu is the Supreme and that saintly
persons are always anxious to see His lotus feet (Rg veda 1.22.20). In
the aitareya upaniShad it is als o stated that the cosmic manifestation
came about when the Lord glanced over material nature (1.1.1-2). This is
also verified by the praSna upaniShad (6.3).
In the negative descriptions of the Lord which occur in Vedic
literature (as in apani-padah) there are indications that the Lord has no
material body and no material form. However, He does have His spiritual
transcendental body and His transcendental fo rm. Because the mAyAvAdI
philosophers misunderstand His transcendental nature, they explain Him as
impersonal. The Lords name form, quality, entourage and abode are all in
the transcendental world. How can he be a transformation of this material
natur e? Everything connected with the Supreme Lord is eternal, blissful
and full of knowledge.
In effect, SaNkarAcArya preached mAyAvAdI philosophy in order to
bewilder a certain type of atheist. Actually he never considered the
Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, to be impersonal or to have no
body or form. It is best for intelligent perso ns to aviod lectures on
mAyAvAdI philosophy. We should understand that the Supreme Personality of
Godhead viSNu is not impersonal. He is a transcendental person, and the
basic principle of the cosmic manifestation is His energy. mAyAvAdI
philosophy canno t trace the energy of the Supreme Lord, but all Vedic
literatures give evidence of the Supreme Lords various energetic
manifestations. viSNu is not a product of material nature, but material
nature is a product of viSNus potency. The mAyAvAdI philosophe rs
understand viSNu to be a product of material nature, but if viSNu is a
product of material nature, He can only be counted amongst the demigods.
One who considers viSNu to be a demigod is certainly mistaken and misled.
How this is so is explained in bh agavad-gItA: "Deluded by the three
modes, the whole world does not know Me who am above the modes and
inexhaustible. This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes
of material nature, is difficult to overcome, but those who have
surrendered unt o Me can easily cross beyond it." (Bg. 7.13-14)
When explaining the first aphorism of the vedAnta-sUtra, SaNkara
most unceremoniously tried to explain that Brahman, or the Supreme
Absolute Truth, is impersonal. He also cunningly tried to switch the
doctrine of by-product into the doctrine of change. For the supreme
Absolute Truth, there is no change. It is simply that a by-product
results from His inconceivable powers of action. In other words a
relative truth is produced, out of the Supreme Truth. The Supreme
Absolute Truth, Brahman, is immutabl e, and when we find a by-product -
the living entity or this cosmic manifestation - it is a transformation,
or a by-product of the Supreme. It is like milk being transformed into
yogurt. In this way, if we study the living entities in the cosmic
manifes tation, it will appear that they are not different from the
original Absolute Truth, but from Vedic literatures we understand that the
Absolute Truth has varieties of energy and that the living entities and
the cosmic manistation are but a demonstration o f His energies. The
energies are not separate from the energetic; therefore the living entity
and cosmic maniestation are inseparable truths, part of the Absolute
Truth. Such a conclusion regarding the Absolute Truth and the relative
truth should be acc eptable to any sane man.
The Supreme Absolute Truth has His inconceivable potency, out of
which this cosmos has been manifested. In other words, the Supreme
Absolute Truth is the ingredient, and the living entity and cosmic
manifestation are the by-products. In the taittrIya u paniShad it is
clearly stated, yato vA imAni bhUtAni jAyante: "The Absolute Truth is the
original reservoir of all ingredients, and this material world and its
living entities are produced from those ingredients."
Unintelligent persons who cannot understand this doctrine of by
products cannot grasp how the cosmic manifestation and the living entity
are simultaneously one and different from the Absolute Truth. Not
understanding this, one concludes, out of fear, tha t this cosmic
manifestation and the living entity are false.
The sun has been producing unlimited energy from time immemorial,
and so many by-products result from the sun; yet there is no change in the
heat and temperature of the sun itself. Despite its being a material
product, if the sun can maintain its origin al temperature and yet produce
so many by-products, is it difficult for the Supreme Absolute Truth to
remain unchanged in spite of producing so many by-products by His
inconceivable energy? Thus there is no question of transformation as far
as the Supreme Absolute Truth is concerned.
In Vedic literatures there is information of a material product
called "touchstone" which simply by touch can transform iron into gold.
The touchstone can produce an unlimited quantity of gold and yet remain
the same. Only in the state of ignorance can one accept the mAyAvAdI
conclusion that this cosmic manifestation and the living entities are
false or illusory. No sane man would impose ignorance and illusion upon
the Supreme Absolute Truth, who is absolute in everything. There is no
possibility of change, ignorance or illusion being in Him. The Supreme
Brahman is transcendental and completely different from all material
conceptions. In the Supreme Absolute Truth there is every possible
inconceivable energy existing. In the SvetASvatara upaniShad it is stated
that the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead is full of inconceivable
energies and that on one else possesses such energies.
By misunderstanding the inconceivable energies of the Supreme, one
may falsely conclude that the Supreme Absolute Truth is impersonal. Such
a deluded conclusion is experienced by a living being when he is in an
acute stage of disease. In Srimad-bhAgava tam also there are statements
to the effect that the supreme atma, the Lord, has inconceivable and
innumerable potencies. (Bhag. 3.33.3) It is also stated in Brahma-sUtra
that the supreme spirit has many variegated and inconceivable energies.
Nor should one think that there is any possibility of ignorance existing
in the Absolute Truth. Ignorance and knowledge are conceptions in this
world of duality, but in the Absolute there is no duality. It is simply
foolishness to consider that the Absolute is co vered by ignorance. If
the Absolute Truth can possibly be covered by ignorance, how can it be
said to be Absolute? Understanding the inconceivability of the Absolute
is the only solution to the question of duality. This is because duality
arises from t he inconceivable energy of the Absolute. By His
inconceivable energies, the Supreme Absolute Truth can remain unchanged
and yet produce this cosmic manifestation with all its living entities,
just as touchstone can produce unlimited quantities of gold an d yet
remain unchanged. Because the Absolute Truth has such inconceivable
energies, the material quality of ignorance cannot pertain to Him. The
true variegatedness which exists in the Absolute Truth is a product of His
inconceivable energy. Indeed, it c an be safely concluded that this cosmic
manifestation is but a by-product of His inconceivable energies. Once we
accept the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Lord, we will find that
there is no duality at all. The expansion of the energy of the Supr eme
Lord is as true as the Supreme Lord. As far as the manifestation of the
Supreme energy is concerned, there is no question of transformation. The
same example can be cited: in spite of producing unlimited quantities of
gold, the touchstone remains th e same. We therefore hear same sages say
that the Supreme is the ingredient or cause of this cosmic manifestation.
Thus this cosmic manifestation is not false, as SaNkarAcArya
maintains. Actually there is nothing false here. The mAyAvAdIs say that
this world is false because of their ignorance. It is the conclusion of
vaiSNava philosophy that this cosmic manifesta tion is a by-product of the
inconceivable energies of the Supreme Lord.
SrIpAda SaNkarAcArya has inceremoniously obscured the Krishna
consciousness described in the puruSa-vedAnta-sUtra by manufacturing an
indirect interpretation and abandoning the direct interpretation. Unless
we take all the statements of vedAnta-sUtra as self-evident, there is no
point in studying vedAnta-sUtra. Interpreting the verses of vedAnta-sUtra
according to ones own whim is the greatest disservice to the self-evident
Vedas.
Actually in the first two chapter of vedAnta-sUtra the
relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord is
explained, and in the Third Chapter the discharge of devotional service is
explained. The Fourth Chapter deals with the relationship which results
from discharging devotional service. The natural commentary on
vedAnta-sUtra is SrImad-bhAgavatam. The great AcAryas of the four
vaiSNava communities (sampradAyas) - namely, rAmAnujAcArya, madhvAcArya,
viSNusvAmI and nimbarka - have also w ritten commnetaries on vedAnta-sUtra
by following the principles of SrImad-bhAgavatam. At present the
followers of all the AcAryas have written many books following the
principles of SrImad-bhAgavatam as the commentary on the vedAnta.
SaNkaras commenta ry on vedAnta-sUtra, known as SArIraka-bhAShya, is very
much adored by the impersonalist scholars, but commentaries written on the
vedAnta written from the materialistic point of view are completely
adverse to the transcendental service of the Lord. Cons equently Lord
Caitanya said that direct commentaries on the upaniShads and vedAnta-sUtra
are glorious, but that anyone who follows the indirect path of
SaNkarAcAryas SArIraka-bhAShya is certainly doomed.
