World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

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words, it is a free reference of the subject to the subject in an enjoying consciousness. In the psychological introspection, there was an awareness of a relatedness of the object to the subject. In spiritual introspection, this has to be negated. This is understanding as knowing by enjoying. Bhattacharya says, "....it is enjoying understanding of the object. I"4 This, therefore, is knowledge in the realm of philosophy of spirit. That is why this knowledge is described as a free reference of the subject to the subject itself in an enjoying consciousness. But if we analyse this enjoying consciousness still further, we find that in the act of enjoying itself something over and above the self is also enjoyed. That something else may be either a body-physical or mental, or other selves with whom the self stands in some relationship. It may also be an over personal self to which a reference is made in religious consciousness. In the enjoying consciousness of I in which body is also enjoyed, there is, hi a sense, an enjoyment of individuality. Such a consciousness is expressed in our saying, "I am such and such". The consciousness of individuality somehow gives to the self an objectivity; his subjectivity, therefore, becomes infected with objectivity and as such does not remain pure subjectivity. Likewise, when I am conscious of otherselves in my enjoying consciousness of I, I am aware of myself in relation to others. This is not pure subjectivity.
A higher type of subjectivity would be consciousness of an overpersonal reality. The reason is obvious. In the first two cases, subjectivity is affected either by the awareness of objects or by the awareness of otherselves. It is true that in both these cases 'the body' or 'the other self is a shadow of I because it is felt in the l-consciousness. This also is true that the shadow also does have its effects on the I-consciousness. But in the enjoying consciousness where the subject as I has an awareness of an over-personal reality. The I itself becomes a shadow. Malkani has described "this knowledge as knowledge by self-abnegation and not by self-denial". When I is denied, we get pure subjectivity - the Absolute.
Now before we proceed to discuss the nature of philosophizing of Krishnachandra, we find it advisable to throw light on his method of philosophizing which helps us in having a correct understanding and appreciation of his approach to conception of philosophizing. Vedāntic method of philosophizing can be at best characterised as 'Neo-Vedāntic Conception of Philosophizing'.
Gopinath Bhattacharya observes, "Philosophy is the elaboration of different kinds of spiritual experiences. The abstractions of the high-grade metaphysics are based on spiritual experience and derive their whole value from the experiences which they symbolise. No metaphisical concept is entirely intelligible without reference to the spirit."15 Mere rational consistency is no guarantee for ontoiogical certainty. The task before the
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