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Y. S. Shastri
to worldly life and enjoyment. Fools choose the path of pleasure and remain tied to the wheel of Saṁsāra (mundane life), subject to the repeated births and deaths. They go rouod and round like the blind led by the blind. This path leads one to the misery of Samsāra. The path of Good (sre yas) is the real path, which leads to self-realization, immortality, permanent happiness, which is the goal of life. 2
Mundaka Upanişad makes distinction between the two kinds of knowledge, bigher and lower (Parā and Apara). Lower knowledge consists of the study of the scriptures and the secular sciences, it is related to worldiy matters and the higher is the koowledge of the indestructible Brahman i.e. Supreme self. The higher knowledge is that by which the immortal Brahman is koowo.3 1o Bịhadaranyaka, it is said that, Brahman is of two kinds, having form (mūrta) and the formless (amürta), the actual and the beyond.4 This, having form or saguna Brahman is ultimately discarded in favour of formless Brahman, which is adjudged as real of the real.5 Again we are told in the Katha Upanişad that Reality is eternal among the reals. These statements are clearly an indication of plurality of truths understood by the Upanişadic sages. It is clearly mentioned here that except Brahman or Ātman everything else is empirical, transitory and not real. Išāväsya Upanişad tells us that the face of truth is covered by a golden disc. (Hira. nmayena pätrena Satyasyäpihitam mukham-1šāvāsya-15).
Here the word 'apihita' is used in the sense of cover (Sanvrti). The real truth is coveed by the phenomenal truth. It also envokes the Sun god to reveal the truth.? The phenomena, this apparent world is empirical, not real ultimately, and paramārtha Satya is only Brahman or Ātman which is to be realized.
These two types of distinctions of the Upanişads are the basis for tho transcendental and empirical distinctions of later thinkers of Jainism, Buddhism and Advaita Vedānta.
Jaipa Conception :
The history of distinction between Vyavahāranaya (partial view point) and Niscayanaya (complete view point) in the Jaina philosophical literature is found in one of the earliest Jaidāga nas, viz. Bhagvati Sūtra 8 It states that Vyavahara gives only partial knowledge of a thing or reality. It is liko grasping only black colour in a black bee, while Niscayanaya is grasping all the five colours in it. In other words Vyavahāra is that point of view
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