A Philosopher's Ruminations

    Advaita Vedanta like Neo-Platonist philosophers Plotinus and Philo believe that the One is the source of the Many but in such a way that there is no change or loss of perfection in the causal transaction. However unlike other Vedanta schools of philosophy and Neo-Platonism; Advaita believes that the One cannot become the Many without ceasing to be what it is and yet it is the source of the world of diversity. These two ways of thinking are reconciled by denying the reality of the ‘Many’, the world of diversity is merely an appearance that seems to create differences within a difference-less and homogeneous entity - Brahman. Brahman is the source of the world only in the sense that it is the basis or the substratum of the world-illusion; which would thus not exist without Brahman - illusions always being one thing appearing as another they always require a substratum. Without a rope there would be no rope-snake illusion. The principle of the world appearance is however Brah...

  When we talk about purpose we mean an activity that has a beginning and an end and a finite number of steps in between in and through which a task can be accomplished. So when we ask about the purpose or reason for the existence of the world we mean to inquire about why the world began to exist and when and how that purpose can be fulfilled which would be the end of history or the universe as such. There cannot be such a thing as an eternal task which we can see in Sisyphus’s story would render all activity pointless. There is also another sense of purpose in the sense of an immanent end which is not incompatible with eternity of the world. I shall elaborate that both these senses of purposefulness are rejected by Indian philosophers and then I shall explain in what sense liberation (moksha) is the purpose of our existence and the ultimate human good. Advaita Vedanta believes that the world is an appearance of the true ultimate reality Brahman. We have been trapped in the univers...

  Sri Citsukha was an eminent Advaitin scholar in the 13 th   Century A.D. His most important works are: 1. Adhikaranamanjari: a brief summary of contents of the adhikaranas in Sri Sankara’s Brahmasutra Bhashya. 2. Abhiprayaprakasika: A commentary on Sri Mandana Mishra’s Brahmasiddhi 3. Bhavaprakasika: a commentary on Sri Sankara’s Brahmasutrabhashya where he reconciles the differences between the Vivarana and Bhamati Schools. 4. Bhavadipika: a famous commentary on Sri Harsha’s Khandanakhandakhadya (sweetmeat of refutations). 5. Tattvaprakasika: a commentary on Sri Suresvara’s Naishkarmaya Siddhi. 6. Vivriti: a commentary on Sri Anandabodha’s Nyayamakaranda. 7. Vivati: a commentary on Sri Anandhabodha’s Pramanamala. 8. Tatparyadipika: a commentary on Sri Prakasataman Muni’s Panchapadika Vivarana. 9. Tattva Pradipika: an original treatise the purpose of which is to defend Advaita and criticize the viewpoints of its opponents. The first section of this work contains a systematic...

Sankhya is one of the earliest philosophical schools of India, traditionally said to be established by Rishi Kapila whose original work Shastritantra is unfortunately lost today. The earliest sources we have today of this school is Sankhya Karika of Isvara Krishna which has a commentary on it by a great erudite scholar Vacaspati Mishra, his work is known as Tattva Kaumudi. Apart from that there are Sankhya Sutras with two commentaries one by Aniruddha known as Vritti and the other by Vijnanabhikshu known as Sankhya Pravacana Bhashya. Vijnanabhikshu is the greatest exponent of this system in latter times. PRAKRITI Prakriti is the cause of the manifest universe, both material and psychological. It is a state of equilibrium of the three Gunas: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. These three though denoted by the term Guna are not qualities, they are rather feeling substances, the ultimate reals. Prakriti is a generic term for these three. Sattva denotes lightness or freedom, rajas restlessness a...