Realistic Reasoning and the Unreal World
Gaudapada's Use of Nyaya Methodology to Argue for Illusionism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/rosa.36474Keywords:
consciousness, early Advaita, early Nyāya, illusionism, realism, reasoningAbstract
The ancient Indian philosopher/theologian Gaudapada (probably fifth century ce) is credited with having founded the school of Advaita Vedanta. He unfolds his doctrines in four separate but related treatises which tradition has always transmitted under the title Gaudapadiya-karika. Gaudapada's treatises evince a persistent tendency towards illusionism; he uses logic to argue for the unreality of the perceivable world. Especially in book 4, he develops his argument that the world was never created, that therefore it is an illusion or magic, maya, and that it is only our perceiving consciousness. What is most baffling is the fact that in order to develop his arguments against the reality of the world, he uses the logical terminology and methodology of the early Nyaya, a school whose outlook on the world is realistic and thus the exact opposite of the outlook Gaudapada is espousing. This article will try to discuss and resolve the seeming contradiction between Gaudapada's illusionism and the realism of early Nyaya.
References
Angot, Michel. 2009. Le nyaya-sutra de Gautama Aksapada. Le nyaya-bhasya d'Aksapada Paksilasvamin: L'art de conduire la pensee en Inde ancienne. Edition, traduction et presentation. Paris: Les Belles Lettres.
Bartley, Christopher. 2015. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy: Hindu and Buddhist Ideas from Original Sources. 2nd edn. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Bhattacharya, Vidhushekhara (ed.). 1989 (1943). The Agamasastra of Gaudapada. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
Bijlert, V. A. van. 1983. Review of Adisesa: The Essence of Supreme Truth (Paramarthasara). Sanskrit Text with Translation by Henry Danielson. Philosophy East and West 33 (1): 99-100. https://doi.org/10.2307/1398671
--2016. Bewustzijn boven taal en dualiteit: De Indiase filosoof Gaudapada en zijn bronnen. Amsterdam: VU University Press.
Bouy, Christian. 2000. Gaudapada L'Agamasastra: Un traite vedantique en quatre chapitres. Texte, traduction et notes. Paris: Edition-Diffusion de Boccard.
Chattopadhyay, Uma. 2009. Dishonoured by Philosophers: Upamana in Indian Epistemology. New Delhi: D. K. Printworld (P) Ltd.
Danielson, Henry. 1980. Adisesa: The Essence of Supreme Truth (Paramarthasara). Sanskrit Text with Translation and Notes. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Diels, H. 1964. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker: Griechisch und deutsch. 11th edn. Ed. W. Kranz. Berlin: Weidmann.
Fitzgerald, James L. 2012. 'Philosophy's "Wheel of Fire" (alatacakra) and its Epic Background.' In Francois Voegeli, Vincent Eltschinger, Danielle Feller, Maria Piera Candotti, Bogdan Diaconescu, Malhar Kulkarni (eds.), Devadattiyam: Johannes Bronkhorst Felicitation Volume: 773-807. Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Oxford, Wien: Peter Lang.
Jones, Richard H. 2014. Gaudapada: Advaita Vedanta's First Philosopher. A Plain English Translation of the Gaudapada-karikas with Notes and Essays. Jackson Square Books.
King, Richard. 1995. Early Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
--1999. Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
--1999a. Orientalism and Religion: Postcolonial Theory, India and 'the Mystic East'. London and New York: Routledge.
Kirk, G. S., J. E. Raven, and M. Schofield. 1983. The Presocratic Philosophers. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ruben, Walter. 1966 (1928). Die Nyayasutra's: Text, Ubersetzung, Erlauterung und Glossar. Leipzig: Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft (Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus Reprint Ltd).
Schopen, Gregory (ed.). 1989. 'The Manuscript of the Vajracchedika Found at Gilgit.' In L. O. Gomez and J. A. Silk (eds.), Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: 98-145. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.
Ten Principal Upanisads with Sankarabhasya, in Original Sanskrit. 1978. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
Thakur, Anantalal (ed.). 1997. Gautamiya-Nyayadarsana with Bhasya of Vatsyayana. New Delhi: Indian Council of Philosophical Research.
Vaidya. P. L. 1960. Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita with Haribhadra's Commentary Called Aloka. Darbhanga: Mithila Institute.
Vaidya, P. L. 1963. Saddharmalankavatarasutram. Darbhanga: Mithila Institute.
Vetter, Tilmann. 1978. 'Die Gaudapadiya-Karikas: Zur Entstehung und zur Bedeutung von (A) Dvaita.' Wiener Zeitschrift fur die Kunde Sudasiens und Archiv fur Indische Philosophie 22: 95-131.
Vimsatika, Vasubandhu. Sylvain Levi. 1925. Vijnaptimatratasiddhi: Deux Traites de Vasubandhu. Part 1: Text. Paris: Librairie Ancienne Honore Champion, Editeur.
