Indian Philosophy

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

Page 47

LECTURE THREE
WORLD : THE NON-CONSCIOUS ELEMENT
Generally speaking, the term 'world' denotes both the conscious and non-conscious elements, but since in the next lecture we are independently going to speak of the conscious element we are presently taking the term "world' to stand for the non-conscious element alone.
What is the nature of the world ?', 'What and of what nature are the causes that go to originate this world ?, "What is the order followed by the originating causes while creating the world out of themselves ?', And whether this creation-process proceeds on automatically or there exist such elements independent of these originating causes as to guide the activity of these causes ?' —questions like these must have occurred to man's mind simultaneously or one after another. In order to seek answer to these questions efforts were made in diverse directions. With the help of the various philosophical viewpoints which came to be established as a result of these efforts and which have already been a topic of discussion among scholars we shall try to understand as to what different types of conside. ration the philosophers have bestowed on the nature of the world.
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The Carvaka Viewpoint as to the Nature of the World
Those seeking to search for the originating 'cause of the world are found to have displayed two chief tendencies; the first tendency looks for some one element in the form of the originating-cause lying at the root of the world while the other one looks for a multiplicity of such elements in the form of such an originating cause. The first tendency is chiefly visible in the Upanişads while the second in the Sramanic traditions like Buddhism, Jainism etc. However, whether one is looking for some one root-cause or for several such ones one must take one's start from the objects amenable to sense-perception. Hence whoever be the philosopher he first of all makes sure as to what and of what type are the objects amenable to sense-perception. Here lies the common foundation of the two tendencies in question. Apparently, keeping in view just that portion of the world which is amenable to sense-perception certain philosophers took the world to be made up of five bhūtas, five dhātus or five skandhas and on the basis of that assumption started offering all further clarification, Earth, water, fire, air and ether (=ākāśa)--these five are called bhūtas. These very entities are called skandhas; and the words 'dhātu' and 'kaya' too are employed in this very sense. Subsequently, the word "dravya' has been employed to denote the same. The four elements earth etc. being amepable