"Drishti Srishti Vaada", "Bimba Pratibimba Vaada", "Avaccheda Vaada", "Aabhaasa Vaada" - these are the four main doctrines. Here are their highlights:
1. Drishti Srishti Vaada
This is also called "eka jeeva vaada". In this doctrine, there is no such thing as an unknown existence (ajnyaata sattaa). At the very moment of seeing (drishti), there is creation (srishti), not prior, not after. Seeing or knowledge alone is appearing in the form of creation. I am the body, I do not know anything, I am a knower, I am the self, I am Viraata, I am brahman, all these are knowledge alone. Whatever our knowledge is at one point in time, we are that alone. This is a time-dominant philosophy. That which we considered distinct from our self in the time of ignorance, it is our true nature in the time of non-ignorance (vidyaa kaala). For example, there is a dream seer during the dream state. He alone is the one and only soul. Every other soul appearing in the dream is not a different soul, it is just an appearance of another soul. Similarly, the self brahman is the real soul, everybody else who is appearing in the form of I and this are only appearances of souls. But here is the point. In the dream, we do not have the knowledge that these dream souls are appearances. We only get this knowledge after waking up. Similarly, when the soul awakes to the tureeya element, then the duality-filled world is seen as an appearance alone, but not in the state of ignorance. World, soul and Ishvara are the play of the one and only one true seer, the one soul. During the time of ignorance, the "I" which is experienced as a disconnected soul (you aspect) alone is experienced as the brahman (that aspect) in the time of knowledge. The world which creates a difference between the you and that is also the vision of the seer, in other words, non-different than the seen. In this situation, the distinction between the you and that is proven to be ignorance alone. And the non-difference is proven by knowledge.
In drishti srishti vaada, only two realities are accepted - absolute (paaramaarthika) and visible (praatibhaasika). The seer (self or brahman) has an absolute reality whose illusory nature can never be proven. The seen has a visible reality, similar to a dream, even if the seen is heavenly, worldly, anything. Whatever is seen is all an effect of ignorance and are appearing sue to the seer. The triad of means-target-observer is also an appearance just like in a dream therefore it is visible or praatibhaasika. The waking state, like the dream state, is non-essence (a taattvika). This doctrine is followed by the Maandookya Upanishad. By taking its refuge in the Maandookya Kaarikaa, "Ajaata Vaada" has been established.
2. Bimba Pratibimba Vaada
The Vivarana school and Ratnaprabhaakara support bimba pratibimba vaada. In this doctrine, the pure aware brahman is the bimba or the reflected form. In avidyaa or ignorance, its pratibimba or reflection is the soul and in maaya, the reflection is Ishvara. Maaya comprises three gunaas. The adjunct of the soul is ignorance, of the nature of impure or "malina" sattva, therefore the soul has limited knowledge. The adjunct of Ishvara is maaya, of the nature of pure sattva, therefore Ishvara is omniscient. Even though they are both reflections, they are not illusory, they are real. Therefore, the transactional distinction between the soul and Ishvara is real. But the pure aware brahman without adjunct, the reflected form, does not have any space for the distinction between soul and Ishvara. The identity contained in the great statement "you are that" has to do with the reflected form, not with the reflection. If you take ignorance and maaya to be the same thing, then the adjunctless brahman itself will be called Ishvara. So now, take a seeker with all of the six fold qualifications. When, through hearing, contemplation etc., he negates the adjunct of impure sattva, and experiences his reflected form nature (bimba svaroopa), then the distinction of soul and Ishvara goes away, even if it stays from a transactional standpoint.
3. Aabhaasa Vaada
In this doctrine, ignorance with substratum and with appearance (saadhishthaana saabhaasa) is the soul, and maaya with substratum and with appearance (saadhishthaana saabhaasa) is Ishvara. The soul has the adjunct of ignorance and effect, and it is impure sattva oriented. Ishvara has the adjunct of maayaaa and cause, and it is pure sattva oriented. The substratum of the soul is the anvil (kootastha) and that of Ishvara is brahman. Appearance, whether in ignorance or in maayaa, is illusory.
In this manner, there are three things on the side of the soul - the anvil substratum, internal organ-ignorance and the aware appearance (chidaabhaasa) (the reflection of the pure brahman awareness in it). And there are three things on the side of Ishvara - the brahman substratum, maayaa and the aware appearance in maayaa, which is Ishvara.
The anvil with aware appearance is the soul (you aspect), and brahman with Ishvara is the that aspect Ishvara. The identity of the you and that aspects in "you are that" is not literal. The purified form of the soul is the anvil witness, and the purified form of Ishvara is brahman. When you negate the cause and effect (avidyaa and maaya), the anvil itself is brahman, this is the identity between the that and you aspect. Panchadashee, Vichaara Saagara follow this doctrine.
Aabhaasa Vaada accepts three realities: Absolute reality - Both the anvil and brahman have one reality in this. The reflections of soul and Ishvara have a "vyaavaahaarika" or transactional reality, and both these reflections are proven illusory by knowledge. Ignorance has a visible or "praatibhaasika" reality which is destroyed by knowledge, even if the effects of ignorance like the internal organ and body etc. continue to be seen till the praarabdha of the body.
4. Avachheda Vaada
Here, appearance is not accepted. Awareness with a particularized (connected) internal organ is the soul. And awareness with the adjunct of the internal organ is the witness. In this manner, the awareness with particularized maayaa is Ishvara, and awareness with the adjunct of maayaa is brahman. The internal organ is the effect and maayaa is its cause. The literal meaning of the you aspect is soul, and indicated meaning is witness. The literal meaning of the that aspect is Ishvara, and indicated meaning is brahman. The "you are that" statement shows the identity of the witness and brahman.
All these doctrines are meant for the understanding of seekers, and are also meant for the specific level of the seeker. There is no insistence of any particular doctrine from the scripture. Scripture only intends to show the oneness of the self and brahman, and of the world and brahman. In all of these, ignorance and maayaa are kept in the middle, and for all, they are illusory confusions alone. This analysis should be conducted for other great statements also.
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