The Advaitist

Then what about Perception, Memory, Conscience and Will? This necessitates another higher level of subtle Reality - Manas or Mind or Mental Plane. The necessity for postulating this Reality arises from the fact that we observe on occasions that the Atman, which is all-pervading, does not perceive an object even though the object is in contact with the sense-organ which is the instrument of perception by which the Atman perceives. This is especially common when we are deeply engrossed. Similarly for memory. In the Sutras it is described as follows: "The appearance and non-appearance of knowledge [Jnana], on account of the Soul [Atman] with the senses [Indriyas] and the objects [Arthas] are the marks (of the existence) of the Mind [Manas]." Atman (Soul) is the basis of all experience, while Manas (Mind) is only an instrument for experience; but there must be as many Manaiisi (Minds) as there are Atmanas (Souls); therefore, they are infinite in number.

Then what about consciousness? Consciousness involves two entities - the perceiver and the perceived. This condition of "I-ness" or "Self" or "Soul" is what is now addressed. Where does this reality reside? This necessitates another higher level of subtle Reality - Atman or Self where consciousness resides. That Atman is a universal, all-pervading reality is seen from the fact that it pervades the body as a whole; therefore, it is infinite in scope, without parts, unproduced, incapable of destruction and, therefore, eternal. The Sutra says: a. The ascending life-breath [Prana], b. the descending life-breath [Apana], c. the closing of the eye-lids [Nimesa], d. the opening of the eye-lids [Unmesa], e. life [Jivana], f. the movement of the mind [Manogati], g. and the affections of the other senses [Indriya-antaravikarah], h. and also Pleasure [Sukha], i. Pain [Duhkha], j. Desire [Iccha], k. and Volition [Prayatna] are marks [Lingani] (of the existence) of t...

But then what about Sound? The  Special Quality sound is not inalienably associated  with any of the four elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air. Sound can be associated with any one of them but the removal of sound does not change the basic nature of fire. Thus there must be a more subtle reality to account for Sound which is an objective reality. And this is Akasha, which is by definition an all-pervading, eternal continuum, a medium of interaction of interacting Paramanus. The five Realities are known as bhUtas - "that which is". But then how does one account for past, present, future? This necessitates another higher level of subtle Reality - kAla or Time. But then how does one account for the spatial orderliness of periodic events? This necessitates another higher level of subtle Reality - Dik or Space.

All Paramanus have certain General Qualities in common, but that does not enable us to isolate and comprehend the ultimate variables out of which all things are made. Paramanus are thus classified based on  four special qualities (Vishesha-s): a. Odor / gandha b. Flavor / rasa c. Form / rUpa d. Touch / sparsha Therefore to classify the different kinds of matter it is necessary to find that form of matter from which: a. odor cannot be eliminated b. flavor cannot be eliminated c. form cannot be eliminated d. touch cannot be eliminated without destroying its very basic nature. Only Paramanus are considered real because they are eternal. They are those: a. which originate odor b. which originate flavor c. which originate form d. which originate touch The different basic classes of matter are thus: a. Earth which possesses: odor, flavor, form, touch b. Water possesses: flavor, form, touch c. Fire possesses: form, touch d. Air possesses: touch The movement is thus from the gross to the...

Dravya produces other Dravya. Guna produces other gunas. Karma is not necessarily produced by Karma. Dravya does not destroy either its cause or effect. Gunas are destroyed both by cause and effect. Karma is destroyed by Karma. Dravya possess karma and guna and is regarded as the material cause (samavAyi). Gunas inhere in dravya, cannot possess further gunas, and are not by themselves the cause of contact or disjoining. Karma is devoid of guna, cannot remain at one time in more than one object, inheres in dravya alone, and is an independent cause of contact or disjoining. Dravya is the material cause of derivative dravyas, guna and karma. Guna is also the non-material cause of dravya, guna and karma. Karma is the general cause of contact, disjoining and inertia in motion.

a. Paramanu means the smallest possible division of matter beyond which further division results in loss of identifiable components b. Thus according to Vaisheshika, Paramanu consists of the first four Eternal Realities - Earth, Water, Fire and Air. c. By definition, Paramanu is without parts, which means it is eternal - that is it cannot be created or destroyed as: i. Creation would involve the combination of sub-components ii. Destruction would involve the separation of sub-components d. By definition, Paramanu has no magnitude, and is not measurable, for if it could be measured that would mean it has sub-parts which can be measured e. Thus the only thing applicable to Paramanu is its existence

a. The purpose of Vaisheshika is to explain Dharma. b. Dharma is that which gives prosperity (abhyudaya) and ultimate good (niHshreyasa). c. The validity of the Vedas depends on the fact that it leads us to prosperity and salvation. d. Salvation comes as a result of real knowledge, produced by special excellence of Dharma, of the characteristic features of the categories of substance  (dravya), quality (gunas), class concept (sAmAnya), particularity (viShesha), and inherence (samavAya). e. The dravyas are - earth, water, fire, air, ether, time, space, soul and mind, which again are classified into three sub-groups: i. Non-atomic unitary eternal - ether, time, space ii. Composed of indivisible atoms - earth, water, fire, air iii. Eternal - Self iv. Eternal but of Atomic dimension - Manas f. The gunas are color, taste, odor, touch, number, measure, separations, contact, disjoining, quality of belonging to high genus or to species g. Action (karma) means upward movement, downwar...

The principal question that Vaisheshika answers is: "What are the basic realities of Nature?" The sole interest is to analyze and synthesize the world of experience, striving to explain rationally the true nature of things. The method of observation by which the characteristics of the nine Eternal Realities can be known is thus defined as: The Supreme God (results) from the knowledge, produced by a particular dharma, of the essence of       i. the Predicables [Padarthas], ii. Subatance [Dravya], iii. Attribute [Guna], iv. Action [Karma], v. Genus [ Samanya], vi. Species [Vishesha], and vii. Combinations [samavaya] Attribute, Action, Genus and Species exist because of the Substance in which they inhere. Combination is inherently linked with Substance. Substance is the foundation of the Universe and is resolved into nine Eternal Realities.

Vaisheshika teaches that the knowledge of nature of reality is obtained by knowing the special properties or essential differences which distinguish nine Eternal Realities: a. Prithvi - Earth b. Apas - Water c. Tejas - Fire d. Vayu - Air e. Akasha - Ether f. Kala - Time g. Dik - Space h. Atman - Soul i. Manas - Mind When one has knowledge of the distinguishing characteristics of reality, objects of perception  will not evoke feelings of love or fear which are the sources of misery.

Astika (आस्तिक) and nAstika (नास्तिक) are technical terms in relation to Hindu philosophy indicating whether the philosophical schools accept the Vedas as the supreme authority or not, respectively. The six Astika schools (also known as sad darshana) are: nyAya Vaisheshika Samkhya Yoga Mimamsa Vedanta The common theme of all the schools of Hindu Philosophy is the same - to understand the Ultimate Reality - the difference lies in the depth and level of interpretation of the Ultimate Reality. Each of these schools focus on a particular aspect of the whole and answers specific questions. nyAya answers the question "What are the means by which I may gain knowledge about the Ultimate Reality?" vaisheShika (वैशॆषिक) answers the question "What are the various things to be known about the Ultimate Reality?" sAMkhya (सांख्य) is a metaphysical doctrine and tries to answer about the fundamental nature of Existence yoga (योग) links this metaphysical doctrine to t...

Introduction Hindu Philosophical thoughts have their origin in antiquity - for example, as early as the 10th book of Rk Veda,  in the Nasadiya Sukta (RV 10.129), we find the Seer contemplating on the Origin of Universe. However, by the Upanishadic age, dvelopment of various philosophical schools were in full swing. Differences in Philosophy Development Style in East and West Development of philosophical ideas in India, were quite distinct from the way it happened in the Western World. In Greece for example, a philosopher propounded his views. He himself or someone else, documented the ideas and others debated on it. The next philosopher entered the scene and did the same thing and so on. Thus a clear chronology of philosophical ideas is available to the student of history and philosophy. In India, things were different. First of all, there were different schools of philosophy as opposed to a single person, and the inter-school rivalry was intense. Secondly, the entire phil...