Systems of Indian Philosophy

Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

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THE SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
The functions that the Sankhya philosopher assigns to buddhi and ahankara will be assigned to soul by Gandhi (raiher by the Jaina philosopher) and the latter must have noted that the former's way of speaking paves the way for the Advaita Vedāntist's dismissal of a soul's individuality as an illusory appearance. For buddhi and ahankára represent the essence of ar individual's individuality, and if they have nothing to do with soul the conclusion certainly follows that soul has nothing to do with an individual's individuality; and this conclusion coupled with the thesis that all physical phenomena whatsoever are illusory naturally leads to the Advaita Vedānta position that the sole existing reality is one soul. Of course, Gandhi must have also realized that the functions attributed by the Sănkhya philosopher to buddhi and ahankāra cannot be the functions of a physical entity (as buddhi and ahankāra allegedly are), for to concede that possibility will mean embracing materialism. Be that as it may, Gandhi made an honest attempt to place before his audience the picture of an Indian system of philosophy that is partly idealist, partly realist, partly materialist. And if it is the realistic aspect of the Sānkhya teaching that chiefly receives Gandhi's attention it is not because Gandhi was himself a realist but because the 'classical Sānkhya' is actually a realistic system of philosophy on the whole. One more point. Gandhi well observed that in an Indian system of philosophy the metaphysical and ethico-religious matters invariably go hand in hand, but he also knew that the importance attached to these two in different systems is differently proportioned. And consequently in his exposition of a system of Indian Philosophy Gandhi would endeavour to remain loyal to the spirit of the original in this respect. Thus he treated Sankhya as a philosophical system chiefly devoted to theoretical problems while touching upon the problems of practice as well; (on the contrary, he treated the Yoga of Patanjali as a philosophical system chiefly devoted to practical