Change and the changeless

Gummuluru Murthy gmurthy at MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA
Tue Nov 4 14:07:06 CST 1997


On Mon, 3 Nov 1997, Charles A. Hillig wrote:

>
>      Well, would YOU say that the characters in a movie are, in fact, the
> screen?
>      Actually, isn't the screen itself the only reality?
>
>
>                                     With Blessings,
>
>                                           Chuck Hillig
>

Namaste.

While the screen and the characters in the movie is a good analogy, I am
not entirely sure it fits the advaitic thinking fully.

It does not allow the jeeva [in this analogy, the characters in the
movie] to merge with the Absolute [in this analogy, the screen]. It
stresses the non-reality of the jeeva. But it does not show the
fundamental precis of the advaita that the jeeva without upAdhis is
the Brahman. How could that be accommodated in the screen and movie
character analogy ?  Yet, I see this analogy being used effectively
by Nisargadatta and others.


Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
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Yadaa sarve pramucyante kaamaa ye'sya hr^di shritaah
atha martyo'mr^to bhavatyatra brahma samashnute   Katha Upanishhad II.3.14

When all the desires that dwell in the heart fall away, then the mortal
becomes immortal, and attains Brahman even here.
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