Salvation in Indian Philosophy by Moise Ionut;

Author:Moise, Ionut; [Moise, Ionut;]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2020-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Self and the cosmic cycle214

One of the most problematic concepts within Vaiśeṣika’s soteriology is saṁsāra, mentioned only once (VSc 5.2.19), and possibly hinted in few other places (VSc 5.2.14 and VSc 6. 2.18). The problem in conceptualising it stems from the very doctrine of ātman, which, as many scholars note, changed throughout the history of the system. Usually, substances that are all-pervasive (diś, kāla, ākāśa, ātman (VSc 5.2.23), cannot be subject to action, therefore cannot move from one body to another. If this is so, what then is that which moves or transmigrates in ātman in saṁsāra? The short answer to this question seems to be given by VSc 5.2.19 where mind appears to be that which transmigrates from movements such as apasarpaṇa (‘going away’), upasarpaṇa (‘going in’, or ‘near’), namely through the conjunctions with things ‘eaten’ (aśita), and ‘drunk’ (pita), presumably atomic, as is the mind itself.215 Vaiśeṣika’s cosmology builds mainly upon the atomic theory, according to which matter is composed of mahābhūtas, which ultimately are compounded by atoms bearing ‘ultimate characteristics’ (antyaviśeṣa). The process of saṃsāra, therefore, should happen at the atomic level.216 ‘Aśitapītasaṃyoga’ from sūtra 5.2.19 refers to the connection between mind with (the atoms of) food and drink which subsequently ‘conjoins with others entities’ (kāryāntarasaṃyoga), such as ‘semen’ (śukra) or ‘blood’ (śoṇita) which ‘brings forth’ (prabhṛti) the foetus’ (garbha) of a mother’s womb. Mind (manas) enters through a ‘vein’ (nāḍī), which is the carrier of the blood, and which in Indian classical thought is the channel through which the ‘subtle body’ or the ‘subtle physiology’ of the body circulates.217 In Vaiśeṣika, this ‘subtle physiology’ must be identified with the set of nine vaiśeṣikaguṇas which have their locus in manas. The saṁsāric process includes not only the ‘retreating’ of mind (apasarpaṇa) from a certain locus, its ‘conception through a vein’ (nāḍyanupraviṣṭena), or ‘entrance’ (upasarpaṇa) into the garbha218 but also various stages of development of garbha itself, ranging from kalala, arbuda, māṁsa, peśī, and ghana, all of which constitute stages of growth corresponding to the old Vedic rites of passage.219 The conceptual problems of saṃsāra can be overcome only if we admit that the Vaiśeṣikas maintain an allpervasive size of the soul (like ākāśa); yet the problem arises because Vaiśeṣika seems to maintain both the all-pervasive character of ātman (VSc 7.1.28-29), and the individual size (VSc 3.2.16) because, as Candrānanda argues, each soul has individual characteristics, therefore it must be different and plural (VSc 3.2.16–17).220 In both Sūtrapāṭha and VSc we seem to have both views expressed, and Candrānanda must have maintained both oneness and plurality of the ātman rather than the hypothesis launched by scholars as to the evolution of the size of ātman, from ‘thumb-sized soul’221 to ‘omnipresent’.222

Another passage, which hints at the saṁsāric process is the gloss VSc 6.2.18; it is not certain whether the process refers to ātman; the subject of 'conjunction' and ‘disjunction’ dharmic processes therein described is the ‘being’ (jantu) which ‘returns’ (āvartate) like a ‘pot-machine’ (ghaṭīyantra) (VSc 223 6.2.18).223 Ātman, as pure substance, is not mentioned and the omission may be voluntary.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.