Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 28

Refutation of Advaita Vedänta...
one absolute transforms into many such as agent and action etc., also indicates duality. This is because one absolute never transforms itself into many without the assistance of others, which means acceptance of duality between the assistant and assisted.28 The well-known example of shell and silver given by the Advaita Vedantins to prove the ultimate falsity of the phenomenal world and oneness of Brahman, itself proves the existence of the shell and the silver as two different entities. In the same way, the statement of Advaitins that Brahman is one without a second and the world is just appearance 24 proves the duality of Brahman and the phenomenal world which is different from Brabman.25 It is also not tenable to argue that one unitor self-identical Brahman appears as the plurality of phenomena just as in dream a plurality of facts is experienced though it is one Consciousness that only exists and is felt and thus existence of on absolute Brahman is not contradicted by perceptual experience. This is because even in dream as in wakeful experience, theconsciousness of action is different from that of the agent because dreamcontents are produced by different memory impressions.88
The viewpoint that the indeterminate (nirvikalpa ) cognition which cognises existenc of Brahman cannot be accepted as source of our experience, because we never perceive what is not determined by space, time and what is not other than the knowing self. On opening our eyes we perceive specific existence determined by space, time, otherness and the like.91 Granting that indeterminate cognition is a kind of valid source of knowledge, it must be accepted that, it will not only take note of what Brabman is, but, will also take note of what Brahman is not and thus, it leads to dualism of Brahman and non-Brahman. a 8 Even the argument that perception bas no power to deny the Reality, it only affirms, is baseless because affirmation always implies negation, a thing cannot be affirmed to be yellow without denying that it is black. Thus, affirmation and negation which are presented together are the positive and negative aspects of a single Reality. Our perceptual experience instead of proving one Brahman, proves difference to be as integral to Reality as identity. 89
23. S, S, P, p. 6-7. 24, "Anirvācyāvidyādvita yasacivas ya prabhavato vivarta yasyaite viyadanilatejo avanayah,
Yatascābhūdviśvam caramacaramucc āvacamidam namāmastadbrahmäparimitasukhajñāna
mamytam"-Bhāmati-Mangala verse-1, quoted in S. S. P., P. 2. 25. S. S. P. p. 2. 26. A, S. p. 158. 27. S. S, Pp-4, 28. S. M. p. 82, 29. S. M. p. 79.