Advaita Tradition in Indian Philosophy: A Study of Advaita in Buddhism, Vedanta & Kashmira Shaivism

300 Pages·2007·10.845 MB·English

by  Chandradhar Sharma

THE ADVAITA TRADITION
IN INDIAN PHILOSOPHY

The
Advaita Tradition
in
Indian Philosophy
A STUDY OF ADVAITA ENT BUDDHISM,
VEDANTA AND KASHMIRA SHAIVISM
Chandradhar Sharma
M.A, D.Phil ., D.Litt ., Acharya .
Formerly Professor of Philosophy
University of Jabalpur
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Revised Edition: Delhi, 2007
First indian Edition: Delhi, 1983,1996
© PROFESSOR CHANDRADHAR SHARMA
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ISBN : 978-81-208-1312-0
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This sacrificial fire of knowledge is enkindled for your
worship, O Lord ! You are all and all is yours, so yours is
dedicated to you for your joy, O Lord !
Though unity with the Lord is eternal and dedication to
Him is temporal, yet the Lord, pleased with dedication,
may reveal His Luminous Body of Bliss !

Preface
The present work undertakes a comparative and critical study of
Shünyaváda, Vijñánaváda, Advaita Vedánta and Káshmíra Shaivism
which are the four main systems of Advaitaváda or spiritual non­
dualism or absolutism in Indian philosophy. It is based on my
study of the original sources and on my lectures to the post­
graduate classes in the Bañaras Hindu University and in the
University of Jabalpur for more than three decades. On almost
all fundamental points, I have either quoted from the original
texts or referred to them, to enable the interested reader to
compare the interpretations with the texts. In the exposition and
evaluation of these systems, I have tried to be fair and impartial
to them and to present many difficult and obscure points in as
clear and correct a manner as I could. During the course of the
treatment here, specially of Vijñánaváda and of Gaudapáda-káriká,
some of the interpretations are my own and there are some points
of importance which may be called new. As my approach has been
comparative and critical, I have discussed in detail the points of
similarity and of difference among these systems. It is hoped that
this book will be found useful not only by the post-graduate students
of Indian philosophy but by all those who are interested in
Buddhism, Vedánta and Káshmíra Shaivism and who want a clear
and accurate exposition of the development of the Advaita tra­
dition in Indian philosophical thought.
In the chapters dealing with Maháyána Buddhism and Advaita
Vedánta of my book A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy, I have
incorporated substantial material from my thesis on ‘Dialectic in
Buddhism and Vedánta’ approved for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy by the University of Allahabad. A good amount of this
material and some other relevant material from my thesis on ‘The
Reign of Dialectic in Philosophy—Indian and Western’ approved
for the degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Allahabad
have been incorporated in the present work.