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Copceprion of reality in Mahāyāna Buddhism
103 fornis, it is discovered that all the different forms of the univerce are not rcal differences of the soul at all, but different manifestations of One Real Power', hence it has always been impossible to speak adequately, to name correctly or to think correctly of this One Soul, the real essence of things, which is unchangable and indestructible. We therefore name it the True Essence or the True likeness' or the 'True Reality'. 4
Ašvaghosa like Upanişadic thinkers believes that this reality is essence of all things and originally anly one. This Reality has no attribute and it can only be somehow pointed out in speech as Thatness'. Discribing the relation between this Absolute Reality and Phenomena (world), Asvaghoșa, declares that they are not two different realities posited against each other. In the ultimate analysis they both are one and the same. Phenomena is nothing but appearance of Reality, Absolute has two aspects viz. conditioned and un conditioned. The un-conditioned Absolute tainted with ignorance manifests itself as a conditioned suchpess. This phenomenal world of subject-object duality is the result of this conditioned suchness. Absolut itself owing to inffiuence of ignorance appears as this manifold world of Phenomena. The relation between them is like that of the ocean to its waves. Ašvaghoşa says that "just as calm waters of the ocean on account of wind, appear as waves, so does consciousness on account of ignorance appcars as finite intellect. Just as clay is transformed into various kinds of pottery.one consciousness manifests itself as so many finite intellects. The Absolute is non-dual but the phenomenal world of objects is appearance or illusory. This manifold world of Phenomena arises on account of ignorance. Ignorance is cause for all such confusion. This ignoraaco colours the true Reality in the finite mind. As there is an influence at work there arise false im perfect ideas. Ašvagaosa, "beautifully illustrates the influence of ignorance in the following manner "clothes have no scent but if any one smoked them with incense, the clothes would then be perfumed like the incense, so it is with influences. The True Reality is pure and has really no confusion colouring it, but ignorance in man colours his views, so there is confused state", 7 Asvaghosa accepts two kinds of truth, one conditioned by ignorance (empirical) and the othor uncondi. tioned (transcendental) which is free from impurities caused by ignorance. Purified conditioned suchness is un conditioned suchoess. Really speaking ultimately, there is no difference between Absolute and phenomena. Phenomena arise from false notions of the mind. If the mind is independent of these false ideas then phenomena disappear. When truc knowledge 4. Awakening of Faith by T. Rechard, Pp. 46-47. 5. Ibid., P. 56. 6. Ibid., pp. 51, 54. 7. Ibid., P. 59.
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