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Important Madhva Works
83
and impossible to conceive that the self could be misconceived as not-self. The so-called creation of illusory appearance by magic, in imitation of real things, is only possible because real things exist; it is on the basis of real things that unreal illusions appear. Dreams also occur on the basis of real experiences which are imitated in them. Dream creations can take place only through the functioning of the subconscious impressions (vāsanā); but there is no reason to suppose that the world as such, which is never contradicted and which is truly experienced, is illusory, like dream creations. Moreover the Lord is omniscient and self-luminous, and it is not possible that He should be covered by ignorance. If it is argued that the one Brahman appears as many through a condition (or upadhi) and that He passes through the cycles of birth and rebirth, then, since these cycles are never-ending, Brahman will never be free from them and He will never have emancipation because His association with upadhi will be permanent. It is no defence to say that the pure Brahman cannot have any bondage through conditions; that which is already associated with upadhi or condition cannot require a further condition for associating the previous condition with it; for that will lead to a vicious infinite. Again, the thesis of the existence of a false upadhi can be proved only if there is a proof for the existence of ignorance as an entity; if there is no ignorance, there cannot be any falsehood. Again, as upādhi cannot exist without ignorance, nor ignorance without upadhi, this would involve a vicious circle. According to the hypothesis omniscience can be affirmed only of that which is unassociated with a false upadhi; so that, if the pure Brahman is itself associated with ignorance, there can never be emancipation; for then the ignorance will be its own nature, from which it cannot dissociate itself. Moreover, such a permanent existence of ignorance would naturally lead to a dualism of the Brahman and ignorance. If it is held that it is by the ajñāna of the jiva (soul) that the false appearance of the world is possible, then it may be pointed out that there is a vicious circle here also; for without the pre-existence of ajñāna there is no jīva, and without jiva there cannot be ajñāna; without ajñāna there is no upādhi, and without upādhi there is no ajñāna. Nor can it be held that it is the pure Brahman that appears as ignorant through illusion; for, unless ajñāna is established, there cannot be illusion, and, unless there is illusion, there
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