Re: The arbitrariness of constituent elements.
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namasté PI,
Originally Posted by
Pietro Impagliazzo
One thing crossed my mind...
After a first glance at the study of Samkhya and understanding the interactions of elements and how they originate, interact and affects us, in the end it all just seems very arbitrary to me, and by arbitrary I don't mean limiting, but clearly defined and focused.
Let's take the element manas for example. Couldn't it just don't exist? And perhaps another element take its place, with other implications and interactions?
Couldn't the whole existence we are aware of be completely different on planes where different elements, elements we can't even begin to grasp, act as a supporting medium?
So, can we conclude that there are universes (if we can even still use this word) that are completely different from ours from the ground up?
Please offer your insights on the tattvas (~elements~).
you mention,
They are not outside of us, yes?
Regarding tattva-s
In the śāṁkhya view of Reality there are 25 tattva ( some say 24, others 26); In śaivism (I study trika¹ śaivism ) there are 36 tattva.
tattva is composed of tad and tvam , that (art) thou. What is tad? Brahman. It also means ~that-ness~. The notion here is brahman is the most subtle and most essential essence of all creation - seen and not seen. Hence tattva = the essence of anything; the most 'elemental'. So people have come to call it 'elements' which is close but not the best fit.
tattva also = tata-tva. This tata is defined as extended , stretched , covered over by. And the logic is all is brahman - all extended and covered by brahman. This tata can also be tāta meaning chief, superior. And we see how this applies to brahman.
But what of this tva ? This word is defined ( 3rd derivative) as 'thy' or' your'. Yet for me the interesting defintion is tvad, meaning one or several (many) . This then says brahman (tata) is one (tavd) or many (tvad). What does that infer? That brahman is both the fullness of the Supreme , the absolute level of Being, and the diversity ( the many) of creation.
praṇām
words
trika is a triad, a group of three divisions of kaśmir śaivism: āgama, spanda and pratyavbhijñā śāstra-s or āgama-s some say tantra-s.
Last edited by yajvan; 09 December 2010 at 11:45 AM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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