Charlotte Krause her Life and Literature

SR No.: 001785
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1999
Total Pages: 674
Language: English, Hindi, Gujarati
Classification: Book_English, Biography, & Articles
File Size: 11 MB

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Dr. Charlotte Krause : Her Life & Literature
authority and even pretend to be mere interpretations of the Vedaword, there had risen, in India, since very early times, several independent philosophical doctrines, which not only rejected the Vedic authority, but even directly and openly opposed it. Amongst them, the time-honoured Jaina and Bauddha systems are prominent, not only for their metaphysical depth and grand ethics, but also on account of their historical importance and the influence they exercised on Indian civilization, by their humane and peaceful spirit, which greatly contributed to the abolition of bloody sacrifices and other horrible practices of ancient, indigenous ritualism. Besides, we know the names of several other Non-vedic systems, and also something about their teachings, from the Jaina and Bauddha writings.
Thus, e.g., there was a thinker named Sañjaya Belatthiputta, who is said to have promulgated independent agnostic-relativistic speculations, before the time of Buddha. Declaring experience to be the only authoritative source of valid knowledge, he refused to make any statement in favour of, as well as against, the assumption of an eternal soul, or of another world, leaving the question open. Of great importance is his logical theory of relativity, according to which the existence or non-existene of a thing can be expressed from seven different stand-points, viz., that of existence, that of non-existence, that of existence-non-existence, that of undefinableness, that of undefinableness as to existence, that of undefinableness as to nonexistence, and that of undefinableness as to existence and nonexistence. These same seven modes, we find also in Jaina logic, where, under the name of 'Saptabhargi-naya', or ‘Syādväda’, they act an important part.
Another thinker, named Ajita Kesakambali, went still further, professing decidedly nihilistic-materialistic ideas. He denied the reality of transcendental powers and subjects, which Sanjaya had dared to doubt only. According to him, nothing is real but the four elements : Ether, Water, Fire and Earth, of which every