Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 106

Conception of Māyā ..
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we accept it as an explanatory factor of all appearances, the question why or how it defles the pure Absolute, how the Absolute becomes impure and takes the form of manifold world of phenomena are still upanswered, if its impurity is due to past deeds, then are these deeds free acts of the Absolute ? What makes it to do bad deeds in the beginning? There seems to be no clear-cut answers to all these questions in the Vijñanavāda School of Thought.
This doctrine of illusion is closely connected with the theory of error. It is a commonly accepted misconception that Vijñānavāda upholds the atmakhyāti which means that error is the super-imposition of the form of cognition on the so-called external object, such as I am the Silver.' But this allegation does not apply to Vijñanavada of Asanga and Vasu. bandhu. Asanga, by calling illusion or Bhrāpti as neither existent nor nonexistent, advocates the theory of non-discribability of error.36 His theory of error is very similar 10 anirvacantyākhyāti of the Advaita Vedāptin, even though he does not use the world anirvacaniya. The error is indescribable in the sense that it can be called neither real por unreal. It cannot be called totally unreal because it is there as long as an appearance Jasts. It cannot be real because it is contradicted afterwards when the real is known. Error is true as long as it lasts and becomes unreal only when it is contradicted by higher knowledge, 1.6., after realisation of Reality.
Advaita Vedanta of Sankara also offers theory of illusion to solve the problem of relation between Absolute and phenomena, apparent and the real. Advaita Vedanta, like Vijñāoavāda has faced the same problem because according to it, there is only one pure Absolute Reality, one without a secondes and is the only ontological Reality i.c., 57 Brabman. World is mere apparent reality and ultimately there is no difference between Brahman and individual soul.38 Advaita Vedāntios have faced the problems as to how, from the pure non-dual Brahman the impure world of man and things came into existence, how one appears to many without loosing its pure, non-dual nature, how the real appears as the transistory world ? Sankara, the Advaita stalwart thought that without the assun ption of an extraneous principle, which is already found in socdling form in
35. MSA-XI, 15.29. 36. Ekamevadviti yam-Chandog yopanişad-VI. 11-1, The Principal Upanişads with śan kare.
bháşya-Pub. Motilal Banarasidass, New Delhi, 1978, p. 506. 37. Ekamova hi paramärthasatyam Brahma-Taittiriyopanişad-Brahmanandavalli-6. 38. Brahmasatyam jaganmithya jivo brahmaiva näparah-Brhmajñaodvalimala-Works of
Sankarácārya. Vol. 16-Yanivilas Press, Srirangam, p. 224. N.D, T-13