Book Title: World of Philosophy
Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
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running vehicle, and he feels that the trees are running. Thus by the conditioning of the past experience of mind and the defect of ignorance, experiencing of an unreal thing as if it is really existing, is 'adhyasa'. Here Shri Shankara gives examples from every school of philosophy and harmonises.
"DofEGRE RRETH sfa af" Some thinkers explain this illusion in the following way. •
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The act of running is imposed on trees that are not really running This act of running, which was observed elsewhere, (may be in a deer, or some other animal) is, due to the defect of the observer, seen in a tree. This is the explanation given by the 'anyatha khyativadigal' for “illusion". The ‘anyatha khyativadigal' are Naiyyayikas. Some Buddhists say that whatever is there inside us is seen in the external world. In their view, everything comes into existence only if it is understood or recognized. If it is not recognized and understood, it has no existence. Hence understanding or awareness itself is being'. The internal knowledge or Vijnana' itself has appeared in the form of external world. In the present example, their explanation is that the trees are conceptualised by intellect; and going in a moving vehicle is also conceptualised by intellect; similarly the running of the trees is also conceptualised by intellect. These thinkers are called atma khyativadigal.
The Naiyyayikas argue that a thing which is found somewhere else is seen here; but that which is seen is not the one which is found nowhere. Hence Shri Shankara refers to the statement of both Bouddhas and Naiyyayikas. Thus, further,
केचितु यत्र यदध्यासः तद्विवेकाग्रह निबन्धनो ब्रमः ।। Illusion is explained by Purvamimamsakas in a different way. In their view nothing in this world is an illusion. Illusion is non-existent. But we see illusions. When we sit in a vehicle, trees appear to be running; oasis is seen in a desert; when we revolve a fire-brand it looks like a circle. Are not these illusions ? For this Shri Shankara presents explanation as follows.
While going in a vehicle when we look outside, trees are seen. This is the direct knowledge of trees. Similarly as we are sitting in a moving vehicle, we experience the act of motion. This is yet another direct knowledge. Though these two experiences are different, as we have not become conscious of them separately, we feel that both of them are one and the same. Further, both of this direct knowledge has two different objects or things of experience. As the differences between the two experiences - the knowledge of trees and the knowledge of movement are mixed up and taken as one experience, we have the illusion of trees running on both sides. When we look at
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