Question on method

[K. Sadananda]

Anand Hudli worte:
> >
>   Here is my $0.02 worth opinion.
>
what followed was worth million times more than 2cents.  I enjoyed reading his
analysis.

Apparently the arguments came related to apourusheya aspect of the Vedas.
Ramakrishna wrote:
"shrisha replied that since un-authord-ness cannot be dis-proved beyond doubt,
it must be accepted!"

shrisha's statement borders to belief rather than knowledge.  Belief being what
it is, there can be no further questions.

Here there are two aspects one related to the apourusheya aspect of the Vedas -
the second the basis for the acceptance of the statement.

The topic Ramakrishna raised is the generalization of the argument of shrisha
and that itself is one problem - can anything that cannot be disproved beyond
doubt be accepted - as a fact or as a belief.

Anand has brought the means of knowledge and among all of them except for the
sabdapramaana, every one of them depends directly or indirectly on perception or
perception based knowledge,  and hence need not be beyond contradiction.
sabdapramaana is based on experience of the seekers, such as Ramana Maharshi
etc. that which cannot be negated by any other means of knowledge.  In a way it
is beyond the logic yet it is not illogical.  It cannot be proved by logic, but
that does not mean it is disproved.
The greatest example is the sushupti, the deep sleep state.  Everyone sleeps
(beyond doubt), but who is the sleeper is question cannot be addressed with
logic. (Some of these aspects I discussed in the article Dennis White mentioned
and which I presume he will be posting along with his discussions).

A related statement that anything disproved by logic - need not be discarded as
false.  In all these the experience counts.  The truth of that experience
confirmed by the sabdapramaana becomes the basis of the knowledge.  Here the
essential scriptural pramana which is Apourusheya aspect is the mahaavaakyaas.
When experience reinforced with understanding of the state through sabdapramaana
becomes knowledge that cannot be contradicted. (here any knowledge that can be
contradicted is not true knowledge - see kenopanishad statement - those who
understand it understand it not!)

Here knowledge cannot be contradicted. Experiences yes.  Knowledge analyzes the
truth of experiences. Even contradictory experiences can be explained by
knowledge. Experience can be negated.  But knowledge cannot be negated.  This is
the one that is beyond doubt, that is beyond logic, since doubt itself is the
mental notion - astiiti naastiiti idam pravR^itiH - We are experiencing the
truth all the time, yet knowledge of the experience is not real and true
knowledge is not there since there is no absolute faith in scriptural
declaration of the mahaavaakyaas.  Logically we are all convinced - atleast the
advaitic group - yet knowledge is beyond logic although it is not illogical.
(this is where the chittasuddhi is emphasized)

Coming to apourusheya aspect of the Vedas - that they were un-authored (I mean
texts themselves) is illogical based on our experiences.  Just because we do not
know the authors beyond doubt does not mean that itself a basis to accept that
it is apurusheya. That statement is illogical.  By this kind of logic, lot of
texts in this world can become apourusheya!

Here comes my understanding based what appears to me to be logical.

This knowledge that cannot be negated is the apourusheya aspect of the Vedas.
That is why they become sabdapramaana.  The mahaavaakyaas exemplify the essence
of that non-negatable knowledge in a cryptic form.  Everything else is negatable
and therefore is not true knowledge - these include all the puurvameemansa as
well as well as the aspects of vyaavahaarika satya that can not negated.

In the final analysis the statement of shrisha need to be modified - that which
is beyond negation should be accepted as knowledge or truth.

Hari Om!

Sadananda

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What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift
to Him. - Swami Chinmayananda
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K. Sadananda, Code 6323
Naval Research Laboratory
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