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From: A.Bharat (kbharat_at_giasbg01.vsnl.net.in)
Date: Wed Oct 27 1999 - 01:50:01 PDT
The simplest answer to your query is that ,whatever Sri Radhakrishnan may say,it is not possible to reconcile the views of Advaita and Vishishtadvaita,for the following basic reason: Vishishtadvaita posits three entities,Brahman,Jiva and Prakriti,all three real,and present one within the other comprising a single body,whose soul is the innermost entity,Brahman. Advaita says,on the other hand,that out of these,only Brahman exists,and the other two are fictitious- <Brahma satyam,Jagan mithyA,JIvO Brahmaiva nAparah- iti VEdAnta DinDimah> It however posits a fourth entity MAyA which neither exists nor does not exist- but only "appears to exist" Since this is a transitive construction,one has to say "to whom?" it appears.Certainly not to the JIva which itself is a creature of MAyA; it can't be to Brahman who is pure knowledge and hence can't be accused of "seeing things".so it seems to hang in the air. Vishishtadvaita can't fit it into its well-defined system either.So one doesn't see any kind of reconciliation as you mention. EmberumAnAr TiruvaDigaLE SaraNam! BHARAT