Indian Philosophy

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

Page 29

The Relation of Cause and Effect
The sphere of causal relation bas extended even beyond that, an extension one might designate ‘unworldly'. This type of causal relation does not seek to account for the occurrence of physical events nor is it particularly concerned with that doctrine of rebirth or another world. For in connection with this there takes place an entirely different type of consideration -- that is, the consideration as to how and through what means such a situation can possibly be created that the difference between what is this worldly and what is other -worldly loses meaning. The causal relation touching upon this unworldly level is in fact the causal relation concerned with the task of spriritual purification,
Thus the three stages of thought-evolution pertaining to causal relation have turned philosophical speculation too into a performance conducted on three levels. The first level chiefly covers the this-worldly discussion concentrating on matters economic and erotic; the second leved chiefly covers discussion on matters economic and erotic as also that on other-worldly matters taken care of by religion directed towards thiogs worldly; lastly, the third chiefly covers discussion on matters spiritual - that is, matters pertaining to emancipation - which are taken care of by religion directed against things worldly. Thus both the doctrine of rebirth and the doctrine of emancipation having found place within the body of philosophical speculation it has assumed a novel shape altogether.
The cases illustrating these stages and levels are found scattered throu. ghout the literature belonging to the period preceding the age of philosophizing.
3 How the Vedic Aryans were jolly and seekers of this-worldly pleasure has been
shown by Winternitz in his History of Sanskrit Literature on the basis of the hymns devoted to Indra, Agni etc. See pp. 68, 80, 86-7.
In Brahmanical texts : (1) The this-worldly stage--Putrakāmo yajeta', 'Vrstikāmo yajeta', 'Rajyakāmo yajeta' etc. (2) The other-worldly stage—'Svargakämo yajeta' and the acts like śrāddha (= feast for manes) etc, that prove beneficial at the time of stay in the Dakşiņāyana region. (3) The stage devoted to emancipationUpanişadic utterances 'Brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati' etc.
In Praśnopanişad the fifth question enquires about the benefits to be derived from a meditation-till-death over the word 'Om'. While answering it Pippalada says that a meditiation over each of this word's constituent-letters respectively leads to the attainment of the region of men, the intermediate region, and the region of Brahman. Thus in this hymn all the three stages have found mention at one single place.
When the Magadhan king Ajätasatru enquired from Buddha about the observable benefits to be derived from monkhood then the latter enumerated so many of such benefits; and of these some are this-worldly, some other-woldly.
In the Jaina tradition too it is suggested that chanting a religious hymn and similar acts yield benefits like this worldly ones, other-worldly ones, etc.