A Brief History of Indian Religions a b c d (c.1200 BCE) (c.800 BCE) << Buddha >> (c.400 CE) (800–1200 CE) a – Vedas b – Upanishads c – Bhagavad-Gita d – Vedanta
A Brief History of Indian Religions
a b c d
(c.1200 BCE) (c.800 BCE) << Buddha >> (c.400 CE) (800–1200 CE)
a – Vedasb – Upanishadsc – Bhagavad-Gitad – Vedanta
The Great Pumpkin–2 Is the same pumpkin as ?
‘What do you mean by ‘the same’’?
The same – substantially identicalThe same – similar, related through causal continuity
The Great Pumpkin–3 The Advaita Vedanta answer
PUMPKIN-HOOD has the attributes X, Y, and Z five days agoPUMPKIN-HOOD has the attributes X*, Y*, and Z* today
The Advaita Axiom
REALITY = that which is not subject to any modification
Axiom : REALITY Immutability
Philosophical Argument
If P is true, then Q is true. P is true. Therefore, Q is true.
If the empirical world is mutable, then it is not REALITY.The empirical world is mutable.
Therefore, it is not REALITY.
The Paradox of Change
Question: precisely what changes?
If x is REALITY, we cannot say that x has changed because x by definition is unchangeable.
If x is not REALITY, we cannot say that x has changed for change is understood as a transformation of ‘something’.
Advaita Resolution
•You cannot logically spell out how change is possible.
•Conclusion: There is no change at the deep ‘level’ of Reality.
A Standard Complaint
“Surely you don’t mean to suggest that I am sleepwalking through this lecture?”
Advaita Response
Empirical and Transcendental
Empirically we perceive change (yes ‘really’ my headache hurts) Transcendentally there is no change (yes REALLY there is no headache)
An Everyday Analogy
DescriptionI saw the sun rise this morning.
[My head is aching.]
InterpretationThe earth’s rotations causes the appearance of the sun’s movement.
[There is an appearance of a headache.]
Are you real?
REALITY = that which is immutable
UNREALITY = that which is a logical contradiction
Conclusion: The empirical you are neither REALITY nor UNREALITY
The Analogy of Being
Serpent : Rope
(is the serpent REAL or UNREAL?)
= the empirical world : REALITY
How ‘real’ is a rainbow?
The rainbow is real. People have written poems and novels about rainbows. The rainbow has real effects.
The rainbow is not REAL. The rainbow passes away.
The Great Pumpkin–4 The Buddhist answer
There is no such ‘thing’ as PUMPKIN-HOOD
P (Then) P1 P2 …………………………… P (Today)
The Buddhist Axiom
The three marks of existence
An-atman (not-self)A-nitya (impermanence)Duhkha (suffering, unsatisfactoriness of life)
A standard complaint
The subjective unity of experience
Five impermanent aggregates
The self is an emergent product