* When we do philosophy, we ar like savages, primitive people, ‘who hear expressions of civilized men, misunderstand them and then draw the strangest conclusions from them" Ludwig Wittgenstein Philosophical Investigations, 1 194 “We want to understand something which is alteady in plain view Fot, sis is what we seem in some sense not to under stand... Something that we know when no one asks us, but no longer know when we are supposed to give an account of it is something that we need to remind ourselves of. (And it is ‘obviously something of which for some reason it is difficult to remind oneself)" Ludwig Wittgenstein Philosophical Investigations, 1.89 ‘What is that, namely, the Real (satyam)? That which is other than the senses and the vital breaths, tht isthe actual (sai) That which is the senses and the vital breaths, that is the other (vam) This is what is designated by the word "satya ” Kausttakt Upanisad,16 Whatever was in the past, is there now and will be in the future, that is “Om” Brahman). Whatever else is beyond these three times, that is also “Om” ‘Mandiatya Upanisad, | || Advaita A Contemporary Critique Srinivasa Rao Diboteka last Filovolh wu 1926024408 Indian Gguncil of Philosophical Research OXFORD ‘Uasvinsit PRESSOXFORD fo University Press isa departnent ofthe University f Oxford ‘efuthers the Univers’ abject of excellence mreseare scelarship. and education by pblsing wortwide Ono iss registered trademark of ‘Oxford Univesity Pres in he UK and in etal eer aunties Publi andi by ford Unive Pe ‘OCA bry Bing 1a Singh Road New Deh 1200, na (© Indian Coun of Philosophical Reseach 2012 ‘The moral ight of the author ave been assed is published in 202 Aight reserved No prof tls publestion may be reproduce stored in rseal system, tanseited any fr by ay means, without the pot permission in wring oF Oxon Unvesiy Pesto a expres permed by lab cence unde terms ageed wth the appeoplte ‘eproeaphics hts onpnition Enguies concen reproduction outside "Oe scope of te above shoud beset othe Rights Deparment Oxted “Unies Pras, a the ares above Yo ms not elt thi won ate en and yout impose this same cnaton om any eater Isa 1x 9789x9798 ‘ypsetin Times 184 yet bythe author ‘Printed in nda by GH Pas PL, New DBS 10 029 coll. 21842 init 39238 i Contents Preface 1. Orthodoxy and Tiadition 2 Advaita Doetine: Preiminares 3. Logical Possibilities 4 Rope-Snake Mlusion 5. On Sublation 6 A Page fiom Rip Van Winkle 1. Sadavadvilaksona und Asat 8 On gnorance 9. Experiencing Falsiy 10 Differing Pint of View 11 Seeing Differenly 12. The Aiman-Brahman nquities 13 OnAnaiman 14 The Nature of he World 158i Absolute Point of View 16, “Brahma saya jaganoithya..” 17 Re-stating the Obviows 18, Hoow Ignoraice Hurts Us All 19. On Advaita Notes Select Bibllogramhy Index vii v sl 100 110 nz 130 134 139 145 150 158 168 m4 178 184 209 213 28 219Preface “This will probably be regarded as a stange book on Advaita ‘writen by a very strange thinker by some readers who may find ‘hem both to be very much out of the way. A few among them who believe very firmly in taditional Advaita may also be shocked by most of the discussions and criticisms found here. ‘They might genuinely feel chat both the book and its author are ‘ot at alin keeping with—or even as being totally hostile t— the classical Advaita tadition Hence I begin by setting up a sharp distinction between lifeless, rigid omthodoxies on the one hand and real, living ‘taditions on the her. 1 do this because in India no such sharp distinction between these two is made and consequently totally dead orthodoxies take the full benefit of the situation and themselves as living Uaditions. When this happens in the eld of philosophy which must always be an open-ended ‘nguity, it always becomes an essentially closed endeavour thus resulting in seyete stultfication ofall creative thinking While there has sill boen a certain bit of creative thinking regularly manifesting itself even within the rigidified environ- ‘ment of ll Indian philosophical systems, it has been all too easy forthe Western indologists and philosophers to miss the creative dimgasion completely Consequently they have too teadily depicted Indian schools of philosophy as based on very tigid acceptance of authority ‘Their characterization of Saskara as a theologian who blindly accepts the authority of the Vedic