Page Text
________________
[ 4 ]
Free Will, spontaneously raises and sinks within its own bosom varied objects which are identical with itself and during the whole process its self-character remains totally unaffected.
It is not necessary to enter into a detailed enunciation of what Utpala and the other Kashmirian philosophers have said in connection with the nature of the Self. The little we have said will suffice to convince one that the view of the Self as presented by Utpala is substantially distinct from what is propounded in the present work by his successor Udayanācharya.
It is usually assumed, and on this assumption is based the present work, that all the Buddhists were deniers of the doctrine of Self. This is of course not historically correct, for we are aware that the doctrine of PUDGALA was not altogether unknown in Buddhist Literature. In earlier times the Sammitiyas & Vajjiputtakas appear to have advocated this doctrine. The Vajjiputtakas were one of the earliest seceders & he
nce the doctrine was very old. In the Samyutta Nikaya' (III. 25) there occurs a Sūtra known as the TEIT
, where there is an account of the burden, its bearer, its being taken up & laid down. The burden being the five-fold Skandha, its bearer represents the Individnal or Pudgala, & the taking up & laying aside of this burden stand for desire & its cessation. It is evident that this Sutra speaks of a Personal Self, althugh Buddhaghosa, Vasubandhu Chandrakirti, & Yasomitra have tried to explain it away; & Uddyotakara is justified in considering this sutra as representing the doctrine of Personal Self.
Though Udayana was certainly not familiar with the doctrines of canonical Buddhism, not perhaps
| SR No. | 010032 |
| Book Title | Atmatattva Viveka |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Udayanacharya |
| Publisher | Udayanacharya |
| Publication Year | |
| Total Pages | 217 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari |
| File Size | 13 MB |