Pratyabhijna and Shankara鈥檚 Advaita (comparative study)
by Ranjni M. | 2013 | 54,094 words
This page relates 鈥極ntology of Pratyabhijna and Advaita鈥� of study dealing with Pratyabhijna and Shankara鈥檚 Advaita. This thesis presents a comparative analysis of two non-dualistic philosophies, Pratyabhijna from Kashmir and Shankara鈥檚 Advaita Vedanta from Kerala, highlighting their socio-cultural backgrounds and philosophical similarities..
Go directly to: Footnotes.
1. Ontology of 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Advaita
The universe and individual selves are mutually connected and this became the subject of hot discussion in all philosophical systems. Standing outside from all philosophical backgrounds it is obvious that the empirical world has diversity and for a perceiver its experience is real. This is apparently identical for every sentient being. The unreality of the world鈥檚 multiplicity is not a comprehensible idea for a common man and he cannot easily deny the visible world. But in religious and spiritual philosophies these entities are discussed in connection with their metaphysical speculations. As there is only one reality in non-dual philosophies, they have to accommodate the whole universe and individual selves, which are different in name and form, within the non-dual entity. It is interesting to know how the 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Advaita, two non-dual philosophies, treat the visible world including nature and creatures and what the real essence of things is.
Though there are many parallels in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Advaita 痴别诲腻苍迟补, regarding the ontology they hold some basic differences. Both accept that there is only one Real Being and it is conscious. It is 艢颈惫补 or 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补 to 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Brahman to Advaita 痴别诲腻苍迟补. Both accept in fact that all individual selves are identical with the Supreme Being. But on the reality of the visible world both system differ from each other. 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 holds it as real, while Advaita treats it as unreal.
1. Prapa帽casatyat膩v膩da of 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻
The conscious 艢颈惫补 and the visible world are the same entity according to 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 Philosophy. It describes 艢颈惫补 as 痴颈艣惫腻迟尘补办补, 痴颈艣惫补谤奴辫补 and Vi艣vamaya. The first and fourteenth 艢颈惫补s奴tras of Vasugupta (肠补颈迟补苍测补尘腻迟尘腻 & 诲峁浥泍补峁� 艣ar墨ram |) emphasized that the self is consciousness and everything is consciousness. Explaining these 厂奴迟谤补蝉, 碍峁尘补谤腻箩补 says that the consciousness is the character of the visible world and these two shine not as dual entities, and are cognized as undistinguished like the egg-fluid of the peacock, where the colourful feathers pre-exit indivisibly.[1] Thus even though the world is visible in diversity it is nothing but the supreme consciousness and so it is Satya (real) and Nitya (eternal).
厂辞尘腻苍补苍诲补 has stated this fact:
eva峁� sarvapad膩rth膩n膩峁� samaiva 艣颈惫补迟腻 蝉迟丑颈迟腻 |
鈥�. ||
eva峁� bhed膩tmaka峁� nitya峁� 艣ivatatvamanantakam |
tath膩 tasya vyavasthan膩nn膩n膩r奴pe'pi satyat膩 || [2]
Utpala also explained this very clearly:
uktakrame峁嘺 bhed膩tmaka峁�, natu bh膩vabhedap峁泃hakbh奴tam bhed膩 api tad膩tmak膩岣�, ata eva tadanantaka峁� bhinn膩rthasadbh膩ve sati 补苍迟补岣� sy膩t tadr奴p膩n膩krama峁嚹乼 | eva峁� vyavasthanasvabh膩vatv膩t tasya parame艣varasya n膩n膩r奴pe'pi vi艣vasmin satyataiveti |[3]
Also Utpala says that the ordinary worldly activity, whether pure or impure, is experienced as resting on the Lord with the manifestation of much diversified objective realities.[4]
Consciousness is the fundamental substratum of the universe. 碍峁尘补谤腻箩补 says that the independent consciousness is the basis of the universe.[5] Actually there is no cause and effect relation. The consciousness itself unfolds as the universe on its own wall by its own free will.[6] Debabrata Sensharma has finely illustrated the manifestation of the world which is real and nothing but pure consciousness.
He says,
鈥淭he supreme Lord is named 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (鈥榯丑别 king of 苍补峁璦鈥�-the supreme actor-cum-director), and the world manifestation is called 鈥榯丑别 cosmic drama鈥� (惫颈艣惫补苍腻峁璦办补) When He manifests Himself in His cosmic form as the universe, with an infinite number of subjects or experients (辫谤补尘腻迟腻), as well as with an infinite number of objects of knowledge and enjoyment (prameya) together with all the instruments of knowledge and enjoyment -all of which exist on every level of creation. When He does so, He does not remain separate from His self-manifestation, but rather participates actively therein, assuming different roles like an actor; thereby, He enjoys the whole show, as an actor, as the director, and as a spectator (蝉腻办峁Ｄ�), all rolled into one.鈥�[7]
笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 philosophy explains the reality of the universe using the word 膧产丑腻蝉补 (theory of manifestation).
2. Prapa帽camithyat膩v膩da of Advaita
According to 艢补峁卥补谤补鈥檚 Advaita the whole universe is unreal: 箩补驳补苍尘颈迟丑测腻.[8] It is due to the ignorance of the ultimate reality; the individual self sees the universe in multitude and acts as subject of every action. The reality of the universe is only empirical or phenomenal one. 艢补峁卥补谤补 starts his 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补产丑腻峁补 with the explanation of the unreality, which is technically called as 础诲丑测腻蝉补, 础惫颈诲测腻, 惭腻测腻, 础箩帽腻苍补 etc. The 础诲丑测腻蝉补-产丑腻峁补 clearly describes the unreality of the world. The empirical world is signified as 鈥� you鈥� and the conscious reality is signified as 鈥� I鈥�. These two principles are contradictory like darkness and light and these never stand together anywhere. The unreality of the whole universe can be proved or realized at the moment of realization of the ultimate self like the removal of darkness is by the light. 艢补峁卥补谤补 states that all Ved膩ntic discourses are for the same.[9] 艢补峁卥补谤补鈥檚 opinion is that the conventional universe is objective, false and changing in every time, and the unchanging consciousness is real and subjective. The change takes place due to Trigu峁嚹乼mik膩 惭腻测腻.[10]
According to Advaita, D峁浥泍attva (Visibility) is a proof of illusoriness of the world. 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补's 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补办腻谤颈办腻 has a portion, Vaitathyaprakara峁嘺 by name, fully devoted for establishing the unreality of the visible world. It describes the unreality of the perceived world by equating the waking and dreaming states. 艢补峁卥补谤补 says that the body seen in the dream is unreal, so too, everything that is cognized by the consciousness is unreal even in the waking state.[11]
The same is proved through inference in the second 笔谤补办补谤补峁嘺 of the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补办腻谤颈办腻产丑腻峁补:
j膩gradd峁浥泍膩n膩峁� bh膩v膩n膩峁� vaitathyamiti 辫谤补迟颈箩帽腻 | d峁浥泍atv膩diti 丑别迟耻岣� | svapnad峁浥泍abh膩vavaditi 诲峁涐梗峁乶迟补岣� | yath膩 tatra svapne d峁浥泍膩n膩峁� bh膩v膩n膩峁� vaitathya峁� tath膩 j膩garite'pi d峁浥泍atvamavi艣i峁ａ弓amiti het奴panaya岣� | tasm膩jj膩garite'pi vaitathya峁� sm峁泃amiti nigamanam |[12]
The experience of individuals is also an evidence for the unreality. Each person has different experience and it does not last for a long period. The object, which is non-existent in the beginning and in the end, is definitely so in the present (in the middle). So the object is said as unreal, though it seems as real.[13] This unstable character of the nature and natural products is also supporting the unreality of the universe.
Commenting the seventeenth 碍腻谤颈办腻 on 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 艢补峁卥补谤补 undoubtedly establishes the unreality of the world through examples of Rajjusarpa (snake-rope) and Magical experience:
satyameva峁� sy膩tprapa帽co yadi vidyeta, rajv膩峁� sarpa iva kalpitatv膩nna tu sa vidyate | vidyam膩na艣cennivarteta na 蝉补峁兣沘测补岣� | na hi rajv膩峁� bhr膩ntibuddhy膩 办补濒辫颈迟补岣� sarpo vidyam膩na岣� sanvivekata岣� 苍颈惫峁泃迟补岣� | naiva m膩y膩 m膩y膩vin膩 prayukt膩 taddar艣in膩峁� cak峁rbandh膩pagame vidyam膩n膩 蝉补迟墨 苍颈惫峁泃迟腻 | tatheda峁� prapa帽c膩khya峁� m膩y膩m膩tra峁� 诲惫补颈迟补峁� rajjuvanm膩y膩vivacc膩诲惫补颈迟补峁� param膩rthatastasm膩nna ka艣citprapa帽ca岣� prav峁泃to niv峁泃to v膩st墨tyabhipr膩ya岣� |[14]
[If the world actually exists, like a snake in a rope, it is superimposed. So it does not exist. Had it existed, it would undoubtedly cease to be. The snake superimposed on the rope through a deluded observation does not actually exist or ceases to be afterwards through discrimination. Nor does the illusion fabricated by a magician exist and then disappear, as it were, on lifting the veil of illusion that was cast before the eyes of the spectators. So too, this duality called the phenomenal world is nothing but 惭腻测腻. It is the non-dual that really is, like the rope and the magician. Therefore, the gist is that, there is no such world which appears or disappears.]
In 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻产丑腻峁补 also 艢补峁卥补谤补 has stated that this entire world is unreal: jagatsarvamasatyam.[15] It is also to be noted that the notions of the words Satya and Mithya seem to be little different from that often used. Satya means ultimate truth, which was real in the past, is real in present and will be real in the future (迟谤颈办腻濒腻产腻诲丑测补迟惫补尘). And Asatya or Mithya is opposite to it. It may be empirically real. Thus Mithya is defined as different from real and unreal (蝉补诲补蝉补诲惫颈濒补办峁峁嘺尘).[16] 艢补峁卥补谤补鈥檚 intension was in establishing the non-duality of Brahman not in the unreality of the world.[17]
3. Levels of Reality
Although the ultimate reality of 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Advaita is non-dual, the worldly experience is in diversity. 艢补峁卥补谤补 accepts three types of realities (厂补迟迟腻蝉) for establishing the theory of non-duality and for including all diversities.
They are:
- Supreme reality or absolute reality (笔腻谤补尘腻谤迟丑颈办补-蝉补迟迟腻)
- Practical reality (痴测腻惫补丑腻谤颈办补-蝉补迟迟腻) and
- Illusory reality (Pr膩tibh膩sika-蝉补迟迟腻).
These three realities do not stand for different kinds of reality, independent of one another and each one existing in its own right, but they stand for the phases or appearances of the reality. 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 accommodate all diversities within the ultimate reality 艢颈惫补 itself accepting him as 痴颈艣惫腻迟尘补办补, Vi艣vamaya and 痴颈艣惫补谤奴辫补.[18] According to them there is only one Mah膩蝉补迟迟腻, i.e. 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补. It is to be noted that Utpala had the understanding of the three 厂补迟迟腻蝉 described by the Ved膩ntins and he knows that there is difference in their utility (Arthakriy膩k膩rit膩), but to safeguard the reality of the world he rejected these divisions.[19]
According to Advaita 痴别诲腻苍迟补, 膧迟尘补苍 is self-luminous. Hence this reality does not depend on any experience or on anything else other than the self experience. There is no commingling of the truth and falsehood. This is the absolute reality or supreme reality or 笔腻谤补尘腻谤迟丑颈办补蝉补迟迟腻.[20]
The world-appearance has a reality as long as we undertake worldly transactions. This is a matter of common experience. Hence this reality is called practical reality (痴测腻惫补丑腻谤颈办补蝉补迟迟腻). This is with reference to all men and women who live worldly life. 艢补峁卥补谤补 accepts this as the prior state of attaining the ultimate reality.[21] Utpala also accepts this as it has the practical utility, but he sees no different entity from the Mah膩蝉补迟迟腻.[22]
The examples to prove the illusory nature of the world 艢补峁卥补谤补 uses the examples of rope-snake, shell-silver etc. On seeing a snake on a rope, silver on a shell, there is a reality, which exists only up to the time of realization of the real objects rope and shell. This Pr膩tibh膩sika reality is only with reference to the person who sees the rope-snake etc.
Even though there is only one Satt膩 accepted in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, Utpala uses the word 笔补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补,[23] which gives a notion that there are some other 厂补迟迟腻蝉 also. The concept of 膧产丑腻蝉补 and the usages like B膩hy膩bh膩sa and Bahirantasthiti[24] also support this notion. Various levels of 笔谤补尘腻迟腻蝉 accepted by Utpala may also be representing various 厂补迟迟腻蝉. Abhiavagupta also seems to be accepting the other empirical stages of realities.
He says thus:
And:
sarvo'ya峁� ni峁膩dyani峁膩dakabh膩vaj帽膩pyaj帽膩pakabh膩v膩vabh膩so lokavyavah膩rar奴pa岣� |[26]
tadih膩pi ekamanekamiti vyavah膩ram膩tram | 苍墨濒补峁� 辫墨迟补尘 补惫颈办补濒辫补办补峁� s补惫颈办补濒辫补办补峁� ityapi 蝉补谤惫补峁� m膩y膩pade vyavah膩ram膩tram |[27]
笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 accepts the Pr膩tibh膩sika蝉补迟迟腻 also. According to it the snake in the rope-snake is real while experiencing, but it is only Bhrama (unreal and illusory) to Ved膩ntins. Thus, even though the explanation is different, both systems accept these three levels in experience.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
ki峁� ca yadedat caitanyamukta峁� sa eva 腻迟尘腻, 蝉惫补产丑腻惫补岣� vi艣e峁Ｄ乧odan膩t bh膩v膩bh膩var奴pasya 惫颈艣惫补蝉测补 jagata岣� | (p. 9); yadyad 诲峁浥泍补峁� b膩hyam膩bhyantara峁� v膩 tattat 蝉补谤惫补峁� ahamida峁� iti 蝉补诲腻艣ivavanmah膩sam膩patya sv膩峁単akalpasya 103 sphurati, na bhedena | 艣补谤墨谤补峁� ca dehadh墨pr膩峁嘺艣奴nyar奴pa峁� n墨l膩divat 诲峁浥泍补峁�; na tu pa艣uvaddra峁ａ弓峁泃ay膩 产丑腻迟颈 | eva峁� dehe b膩hye ca sarvatr膩sya may奴r膩峁囜笉arasadavibhaktaiva pratipattirbhavati | yathokta峁� vij帽膩nabhairave鈥� jalasyevormayo vahnerjv膩l膩-bha峁単ya岣� 辫谤补产丑腻 rave岣� | mamaiva bhairavasyait膩 vi艣vabha峁単yo vinargat膩岣� || iti | etacca bhoktaiva bhogyabh膩vena 蝉补诲腻 sarvatra 蝉补峁僺迟丑颈迟补岣� ityanena sa峁僩rah墨tam | (p. 32f.) 艢颈惫补s奴travimar艣in墨 of 碍峁尘补谤腻箩补, Chatterji, J.C., (Ed.), Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies , Vol. 1, Srinagar, 1911.
[2]:
艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁璱, 1.48-49.
[3]:
艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁璱惫峁泃迟颈, 1.49.
[4]:
itthamatyarthabhinn膩rth膩vabh膩sakhacite vibhau | samalo vimalo 惫腻辫颈 vyavah膩ro'nubh奴yate || 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻-办腻谤颈办腻, 1.7.14.
[5]:
肠颈迟颈岣� svatantr膩 vi艣vasiddhi丑别迟耻岣� | 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻h峁沝aya峁� of 碍峁尘补谤腻箩补, Chatterji, J.C., (Ed.), Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies , Vol. 1, Srinagar, 1911, 厂奴迟谤补 1.
[6]:
svecchay膩 svabhittau vi艣vamunm墨layati | Ibid., 2.
[9]:
asy膩narthaheto岣� prah膩峁嚹亂a 膩tmaikatvavidy膩pratipattaye sarve ved膩nt膩 膩rabhyante | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, p. 2.
[10]:
m膩y膩 trigu峁嚹乼mik膩 avidy膩lak峁峁嚹� 辫谤补办峁泃颈岣� s奴yate utp膩dayati 蝉补肠补谤腻肠补谤补峁� jagat | 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 9.10; avyaktn膩mn墨 parame艣a艣akti岣� an膩dyavidy膩 trigu峁嚹乼mik膩 辫补谤腻 | k膩ry膩numey膩 sudhiyaiva m膩y膩 测补测腻 jagatsarvamida峁� pras奴yate || Viveka-肠奴岣嵞乵补峁噄, 110.
[11]:
yath膩 svapnad峁浥泍a岣� k膩yo'sa峁僺tath膩 蝉补谤惫补峁� cittad峁浥泍amavastuka峁� j膩garite'pi cittad峁浥泍atv膩dityartha岣� | 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补办腻谤颈办腻-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 4.36.
[12]:
Ibid., 2.4.
[13]:
[14]:
惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补办腻谤颈办腻-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 2.6.
[15]:
叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 16.8.
[16]:
satyamiti yadr奴pe峁嘺 yanni艣cita峁� tadr奴pa峁� na vyabhicarati, satsatyam | yadr奴pe峁嘺 yanni艣cita峁� tadr奴pa峁� vyabhicaradan峁泃a- mityucyate | Taittir墨yopani峁d-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 2.1.1.
[17]:
na ca satvamasatva峁� jagata岣� pratipip膩dayi峁tam | 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测辞辫补苍颈峁诲-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 3.19.1.
[18]:
艣r墨matparama艣ivasya puna岣� vi艣vott墨r峁嘺vi艣v膩tmakaparam膩nandamayaprak膩艣aikaghanasya eva峁僾idhameva 艣iv膩didhara峁噛anta峁� 补办丑颈濒补峁� abhedenaiva sphurati | p. 8; vi艣vott墨r峁嘺峁� vi艣vamaya峁� ca -iti trik膩didar艣anavida岣� | 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻h峁沝aya峁� of 碍峁尘补谤腻箩补, p. 18.
[19]:
[20]:
ekameva hi param膩rthasatya峁� brahma | iha puna岣� vyavah膩ravi峁yam膩pek峁ka峁� satyam | Taittir墨yopani峁d-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 2.6.7.
[21]:
sarvavyavah膩r膩峁嘺meva pr膩gbahmat膩vij帽膩n膩tsatyatvopapatte岣� | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 2.1.14.
[22]:
See 艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁璱-惫峁泃迟颈, 4.21.
[23]:
辫补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补濒腻产丑别苍补 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻办腻谤颈办腻-惫峁泃迟颈, 1.1.1; param膩rthopade艣apary补苍迟补岣� lokavyavah膩ra岣� 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻办腻谤颈办腻-惫峁泃迟颈, 1.3.6; param膩rtha蝉补迟墨艣vare 104 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻-办腻谤颈办腻, 2.3.15.
[24]:
See 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻-办腻谤颈办腻, 3.1.1-3; 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻办腻谤颈办腻-惫峁泃迟颈, 2.4.8.
[26]:
Ibid., p. 25.
[27]:
Ibid., Part II, p. 39.