Indian Philosophy

Author(s): Sukhlal Sanghavi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 10

Foreword
When one is out to write something then the question arises whether the writing should follow a popular style or a scholarly style. The ever growing expansion of education, the ever growing number of readers, and the ever growing propagation of lilerature-all these factors incline one to write following a popular style. However, I have adopted the opposite course. For this one reason of course was that the series under whose auspices I was to deliver lectures does not belong to an ordinary category. But another reason that was also before me was that if one is to form a correct idea as to the different question pertaining to philosophy and as to the particular traditions arisen in connection with them, then the aim cannot be achieved in case one remains confined to the very upper-surface of consideration. Thus if one makes no attempt to penetrate into their depth the philosophical topics would ultimately look like something lacking sophistication and sheer humdrum. On the other hand, if one on one's own makes an attempt to penetrate down into those tc pics as deep as possible the scope for acquiring a genuine knowledge as regards them will become wider day by day. And when such topics keep assuming depth a language and a terminology appropriate to them gradually become ever more wellestablished and are also established anew. Such an accumulated material in due course proves to be of much value while undertaking a popular exposition of the subject concerned.
The subtle and subtler discussion pertaining to so many subjects that have place in the scriptural languages like Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit-it is on accout of them that the literature composed in these languages has been able to attain eminence and last long. Certainiy, those writing on different subjects in the western languages like English etc. do not write everything whatsoever merely with a view to keeping it within popular reach. Had they too adopted this course alone the eminence that is today attributed to the western languages and to the literature composed in them would have not been available to them. As a result of this and similar considerations I have discarded in the present lecture-series the easy pathway of writing in a popular style.
However, I am myself of the view that popular literature too ought to be composed. The value of such a literature is not at all little; nay, as a result of such a literature being composed and propagated its readership gradually increases and from within its ranks there arises a class -- albeit small- of such persons eager for knowledge as can comprehend even liter. ature composed in a scholarly style. If the topics discussed in these lectures are presented in an able fashion and they leave no room--or as little room as possible--for misunderstanding, then on the basis thereof some competent person can also give them another form by writing in a popular style.