---In [email protected], <punditster@...> wrote :
Universal Consciousness and subtle vibration theory is called "spanda" in the Trika philosophy of Kashmere. Trika refers to the three states: waking, sleeping, and dreaming; and a fourth state (turyia) which is beyond the "three cities" - Transcendental Wisdom (srividya). Spanda is the idea being that every thing, substance or entity in that exists has a vibration of some kind; from this vibration come consciousness, mind, ideas, name and form (nama-rupa). Thus everything is sound vibration - no matter how gross or fine.The Indian philosophy that supports this practice is Yoga. In this philosophy of sound the supreme (para) subtle vibration is the first cause, which set in motion the myriad other sounds and hence other sounds - the whole phenomenological universe is sound vibration starting with a single primordial vibration which set the cosmos in motion. So, the whole creation is made up of sound currents; from the original subtle sound vibration down to objects and hence to human speech. The original vibration did not contain any grossness but when entering the plane of relativity takes on a coarseness, experienced as the human word arranged in speech. MMY called this "the science of subtle sounds", which produced "Vac", the Goddess of Speech and "Chit" universal consciousness, as "Saraswati", the Goddess of Knowledege, which is one and includes the whole: Shiva - creation, dissolution, and maintenance. The spiritual exercises of yoga meditation includes silent repetition, "simran" on a seed (bija) by means of repetition (bhajan) and meditation given in initiation by a guru. Bija mantras are not words but subtle vibrations, the most subtle of which are the imperishable letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, which were cognized by the ancient rishis and are revealed to us as devine sounds. According to Swami Sivananda Radha, in order to attain single-pointedness of mind, a mantra can be used in the following ways: by chanting (japa) speaking (vaikhari japa), whispering or humming (upamsu japa) or by writing (likhita japa), or by silent mental repetition (dhyana). >Vac by Andre Padoux, Translated by Jacques Gontier (I left out an accent mark >from the title, and then again from the author, apologies) We do not really know exactly when Shankara and Guadapada lived and died - it's mostly speculation. There isn't even any historical proof that Shankara founded four monasteries in the first place. All we have is some manuscripts that were preserved and an oral tradition. We do know that Shankara quoted Chandrakiriti, the famous Buddhist logician. The distinctions between Advaita and Vajrayana are just too subtle for most causal readers. That's about all I can say at this point. Perhaps if you get time you can explain it in more detail. Apparently both Gaudpada and Shankara were cryoto-Buddhists: Nirvana is Brahman, the pure non-dual consciousness. There may be some finer details to consider, but this is the main gist of the doctrine. The only doctrine to discuss would be the nature of maya as propounded by the Adi Shankara. There is just no reason I can determine that would justify a presupposition that Brahman is the ultimate reality, since it isn't an a priori notion, but everyone can experience the nature of Pure Consciousness, call it what you will. There is just nothing in the Vedic literature that would suggest the doctrine of non-dualism previous to Gaudapada. Madhva, Ramanuja, Vallabha, Nimbarka and Chaitanya all agree on this - all were dualists or quasi dualists. All of the Upanishads were composed after the historical Buddha's passing. And all of the Upanishadic thinkers were transcendentalists. Apparently Gaudapda adopted the Buddhist doctrines that ultimate reality is pure consciousness and that the nature of the world is the four-cornered negation. Gaudapada adapted both doctrines into a philosophy of the Mandukaya Upanisad Karika, which was further developed by Shankara. The Vajrayana similarities are unmistakable, according to Raju and Sharma. Compare: Excerpt from mANDUkya kArikA IV by gauDapAda: "Duality is only an appearance; non-duality is the real truth. The object exists as an object for the knowing subject; but it does not exist outside of consciousness because the distinction of subject and object is within consciousness." Excerpt from vijnApti matratA siddhi by vasAabAndhu: "Reality is Pure Consciousness; external objects do not exist outside thought. Reality can be directly realized by transcending the subject-object duality." - vimshAtika-Vrtti on kArikA Work cited: Raju 1992, Raju, P.T., The Philosophical Traditions of India, Motilal Banarsidass, p. 177. Sharma, Chandrahar, A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy, Rider, p. 245-246.
