Questions on Indian idealism

Bhadraiah Mallampalli vaidix at HOTMAIL.COM
Wed Dec 20 22:29:13 UTC 2000


>From: Satya Upadhya <satya_upadhya at HOTMAIL.COM>

I do not intend to disturb your flow. I am finding your postings extremely
educative in scope and content.

>The choice of the theme is evidently based on the assumption that atomism
>being the most advanced form of the theory of of the nature >of matter, the
>refutation of atomism means the demolition of the >concept of matter as
>such. The concept of matter thus eliminated from >philosophy, Dignaga--like
>Vasubandhu--feels safe about his commitment >to the view that ideas and
>ideas alone are real. This is the way in >which he defends his subjective
>idealism

A physician may know that humans are made of flesh, bones etc, but still
loves a person of opposite sex. In this case the form is still associated
with the idea even after the object has been atomised. I believe the object
and/or its form is associated with every idea, though there may be
ideas/objects for which no corresponding mapping may be readily known in an
expressible language.


>--> In particular, i draw your attention to the claim that Dharmakirti's
>"sahopalambha-niyama" argument (the claim that one can  >never jump out of
>the circle of one's own ideas and reach the object >directly, and hence
>what one knows is invariably only one's ideas and >never the things outside
>the mind), designed to strengthen his >idealism, has a counterpart (to a
>great extent) in the philosophy of >Bishop Berkely.

Piece of cake. Please check following for what it is worth..

http://homes.acmecity.com/friends/harmonica/301/compk0.html

That was based on Br.U. I.V.5-10, and argues that the "unknown" is also part
of the game as a protection system. Once the unknown gets into the scene
there is no limit to how ideas can change.

In fact the biggest mystery of mankind is that life would be so confusing if
a coffee cup in the hand suddenly becomes a news paper; but people are quite
comfortable when ideas in their mind change every fraction of a second. That
is because, as per the argument of Br.U, when ideas change unexpectedly the
prANA protects by itself becoming the unknown idea.

Bringing the "unknown" into the equation systematically, and placing it at
an "appropriate place" (this is important!) (as per the rules of yajna, may
I add?) into the scheme of things, has been a clever strategy of Vedicists.
It can do wonders in unexpected ways.

I am not partial to advaitists, though I take advaitic positions for my
convenience.

Regards
Bhadraiah
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