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Yoga Disamuccaya
Meaning: - In the immediate moment, the one who is considered to be the self (by the Vaamanavadi) is not real, and with that, he is eternally present, or he is always unreal.
Discussion
Anantar, meaning the previous and subsequent moments, is non-existence, non-being. The one who, according to the Vaamanavadi's opinion, is considered to be the self, meaning the one who believes that the soul is not real in the previous and subsequent moments, but only real in the present moment, has many faults. He has no connection with the previous and subsequent moments of non-existence, therefore his present moment (1) should be eternal, and (2) or it should always be unreal, non-existent - this is the argument here. Both these arguments are flawed, and therefore the theory of momentariness is established. It is like this: -
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(1) The momentarist believes that - the soul and other things are momentary, they are non-existent, unreal in the previous and subsequent moments, and only real, existent in the present moment. If we apply this to the momentarist's own soul, it becomes clear: - Due to the lack of connection with his belief that there is non-existence in the previous and subsequent moments, he himself exists in the present moment. Because he says that he is not real in the previous and subsequent moments, he accepts his existence, his present moment, in the moment between them. Thus, the one who is real in the present moment should be eternal, because it is a rule that whatever is real, is always real due to its reality. Meaning, whatever is real, should always be real. So, the one who is real in the present moment should always be real in the present moment. Meaning, he should be eternal. And thus, by establishing the eternal argument, momentariness is destroyed. (2) Moreover, the one who knows and says that there is non-existence in the previous and subsequent moments, if he himself is not real in the previous and subsequent moments, then how can he know and speak? So, he himself should be real in the previous and subsequent moments, in the present moment in which he is real. Thus, it is experienced that the one who knows that something is momentary is not momentary himself. (See page 81, the verses of Atmasiddhi). So, the soul is not momentary, but eternal. - Therefore, the arguer should either accept the eternal argument, or he should abandon the argument that he is real in the present moment. And if he does that, he will always be unreal, non-existent! Because according to them, he is unreal in the previous and subsequent moments, and if he is not real in the present moment, then he will always be unreal, non-existent.
Is the arguer not momentary?