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Indian Metaphysics (PHL2C0 ) indian metaphysics (PHL2C0 ) sTUDY MATERIAL second semester CORE COURSE MA PHILOSOPHY CBCSS (2019 ADMISSION onwards) UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION Calicut University P.O, Malappuram, Kerala, India 73 35. 190406 SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDY ATERIAL SECOND SEMESTER MA PHILOSOPHY (2019 ADMISSION) CORE COURSE : PHL2C06 : INDIAN METAPHYSICS Prepared by : Sri. Ratheesh. D, Assistant Professor on contract (Philosophy) School of Distance Education University of Calicut. Scrutinized by: Dr. Balamurali.P.B Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram PHL2 C06- INDIAN METAPHYSICS (Core) Credit 5 Unit 1 Upanishads - Metaphysics Nature of reality- Brahman-Atman-Creation-Degrees of Reality. Unit II Jainism-Metaphysics Reality and Existence,-Ontology- Jiva – Ajiva Unit III Buddhism –Metaphysics The four noble truths, eight fold path and The Doctrine of Dependent Origination Unit IV Sankyha yoga -Metaphysics Reality – Prakrthi-Purusha- Theory of evolution Unit V Schools of Vedanta Sankara’s Advaita System- Visistadvaita and Dvaita School of Distance Education Reference: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan ;Indian Philosophy Vol I and II; . C.D Sharma ;A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy Hiriyanna; Essentials of Indian Philosophy ; Datta and Chatterjee ;Indian Philosophy S.N. Das Guptha ;Indian Philosophy (relevant vols) PHL2C06-INDIAN METAPHYSICS Page 2 School of Distance Education INDIAN METAPHYSICS The term Indian philosophy may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in India. Indian philosophy has a longer history of continuous development than any other philosophical tradition, and philosophy encompasses a wide variety of schools and systems. Almost every school of Indian philosophy is associated with a religious sect, including the six orthodox (astika) schools (darshanas) like, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, PurvaMimamsa, and Vedanta; and the heterodox schools (nastika) which include Buddhism, Jainism and the materialistic Carvaka school.All the schools of Indian philosophy are characterized by some common themes. Indian philosophy conceives of man as spiritual in nature, and relates him to a spiritual or metaphysical concept of the universe. Indian philosophy is intimately associated with practice in everyday life. It takes an introspective approach to reality, concerning itself with knowledge of the inner life and self of man (atmavidya), rather than with the nature and structure of the physical world. Indian philosophy is predominantly idealistic. Intuition is often accepted as the only method for knowing the ultimate truth; truth is generally not known intellectually, but must be realized.The Indian metaphysics is expressed through a rich variety of thoughts and practices that have developed over more than three thousand years. There is no single Indian metaphysics, but rather a plurality of ways of understanding and relating to Being from a stock of widely held ideas reflected in the Vedas, and particularly in the classical systems of Hinduism, Budhism, and Jainism. Metaphysics becomes thematic at various levels and in different contexts, in debates concerning the status of certain concepts as the soul, God, substances, universals, time, change, permanence/impermanence, one and many, etc. PHL2C06-INDIAN METAPHYSICS Page 3 School of Distance Education UNIT-1 UPANISHADS- METAPHYSICS The Upanishads are ancient texts from India that were composed orally in Sanskrit between about 700 B.C.E. and 300 B.C.E. There are thirteen major Upanishads, many of which were likely composed by multiple authors and are comprised of a variety of styles. The Upanishads makes enquiry into a number of perennial philosophical questions concerning the nature of being, the nature of the self, the foundation of life, what happens to the self at the time of death, the good life, and ways of interacting with others. The word Upanisads is derived from the root ‘sad’ which means (i) to sit down (ii)to destroy (iii)to loosen. ‘Upa’ means nearby and ‘ni’ means ‘devotedly. The word therefore means the sitting down of the disciple near his teacher in a devoted manner to receiving instruction about of the highest reality which loosens all doubts and destroys all ignorance of the disciple. Gradually the word came to signify any secret teaching about reality and it is used by the Upanisads in this sense(rahasya or guhyavidya). The muktikopanisad gives the number of the upanisads as 108. But ten or eleven upanisads are regarded as important and authorities on which Shankaracharya has commented. They are as follows: Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukhya, Chandogya, Brahadaranyaka, Aitereya and Taittiriya. The Upanishads contain some of the oldest discussions about key philosophical terms such as ātman (the self), brahman (ultimate reality), karma, and yoga, as well as samsāra (worldly existence), moksa (enlightenment), purusa (person), and prakrti (nature)—all of which would continue to be central to the philosophical vocabulary of later traditions. Nature of Reality The ultimate reality was described in the hymns of Vedas as being One (Ekam Sat) that realized itself in multiple things. The Upanishads refer to this same reality as both Atman and Brahman. But the concept of Atman in these books is obscure. In Rig Veda it is taken to mean ‘breath’ or ‘vital essence’ which is also the general meaning of soul. The Atman, cannot be said to have the common attributes that people ascribe to it. The self is beyond the qualities and attributes. Besides, it is also generally thought that the reality of self can become an object in the case of introspective experiences. But whatever becomes an object relates to the not self and all the things that are known as actual in the world are different from self. PHL2C06-INDIAN METAPHYSICS Page 4 School of Distance Education The person who looks into other eyes or into the mirror or looks at himself into the water, he sees just a picture that is not the self. Such a self undergoes changes, and is amenable to disease and death. Atman and Brahman are inseparable because they are one. The Atman has two sides: one side of it is connected with universal truth that is known as Brahman and the other side relates to human body. The relation to body however doesn’t change its eternality for while at the Jiva level it undergoes changes, at the rest of levels it remains same. The truth of man is Atman and Atman is nothing but Brahman. According to Upanishads at the first Atman is the empirical self but gradually it develops to bodily self and then through the dream and deep sleep it finally changes into absolute. Thus the two concepts that are of paramount importance in the Upanishads are Brahman and Atman. The Brahman is the ultimate reality and the Atman is individual self (soul).Brahman is the material, efficient, formal and final cause of all that exists. It is the pervasive, genderless, infinite, eternal truth and bliss which does not change, yet is the cause of all changes. Brahman is the infinite source, fabric, core and destiny of all existence, both manifested and un- manifested, the formless infinite substratum and from which the universe has grown. The word Atman means the inner self, the soul, the immortal spirit in an individual, and all living beings including animals and trees. Ātmanis a central idea in all the Upanishads, and "Know your Ātman" their thematic focus. However, Brahman and Atman are the terms used in the Upanishads to stand for the ultimate reality. It manifests itself as the subject as well as the object and transcends them both. The same reality is called from the subjective side as ‘Atman’ and from the objective side as ‘Brahman’. The two terms are used as synonyms. “He, who is this Brahman in man, and who is that in the sun, those are one’. The true self has been the main topic of investigation in the Upanisads. Brahman The word ‘Brahman’ is derived from the root ‘Brh’ which means to grow, to evolve. In the beginning it meant sacrifice, then prayer and then it acquired its present meaning of ultimate reality. It is the ultimate cause of the universe which spontaneously bursts forth as nature and soul. Brahman connotes the highest Universal Principle, the Ultimate Reality in the universe. It is the material, efficient, formal and final cause of all that exists. It is the pervasive, infinite, eternal truth and bliss which does not change, yet is the cause of all changes. Brahman as a metaphysical concept refers to the single binding unity behind diversity in all that exists in the universe. PHL2C06-INDIAN METAPHYSICS Page 5 School of Distance Education In the Chandogya Upanishad, it is cryptically described as ‘Tajjalan.’ Tajjalan means that (tat) from which the world arises (ja), into which it returns (la), and by which it is supported and it lives (an). In the Taittiriya Upanishad, Brahman is described as that from which all beings are born, by which they live, and into which they are reabsorbed. The evolution of the elements is given in this order. From Brahman arises ether, from ether air, from air fire, from fire water and from water earth. But the real theory of evolution is given in the doctrine of five sheaths (koshas) in the Taittiriya. The lowest level is that of matter. Annam Brahma(annamaya) matter is unconscious and dead and cannot account for life. It is purely on the physical plane. Brahman cannot rest content with matter. The purpose of matter is fulfilled only when life is evolved. The highest state of matter is therefore life. Though matter cannot account for life, yet there can be no life without matter. The inorganic matter must be transformed into organic life. Hence the second state of evolution is life. Prana is Brahma(pranamaya). Now we are on the biological plane. The vegetable life emerges first but the vegetable life must lead to the animal life.
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