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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Thus for Kant, the Phenomenon is a realm of knowledge and the noumenon viz. God, self etc., is a realm of faith. It may be asked. If the noumenon cannot be known where is the need to have faith in it. To make morality possible - says Kant. Though faith in the noumenon does not yeild knowledge, such a faith makes life perfectavers Kant.
Now what remaing to be done is a brief comparision. All knowledge of the sensible world according to Advaita is the result of Superimposition or adhyāsa. Knowledge is of two types absolute (Svarūpa Jnāna) and relative or empirical/pragmatic knowledge (Vrttijñāna). The Absolute knowledge is transcendental and non-relational; it has no real relation with the sensible world in as much as the latter according to Advaita is the creation of Avidyā. Infact we can talk of Advaita epistemology only in terms of Vrtti-Jñāna, as the Svarūpa Jñāna is equated with Brahman.
According to Vācaspati, Svarūpa Jñāna otherwise called pure consciousness is an independent and ever existing reality. It is not a product of anything. It is immutable (nirvikāra), indivisible (akhanda). It is undifferantiated and indeterminate (nirvisesa).
On the other hand, Vrtii-Jñāna or empirical knowledge or mental knowledge is but the modification of the internal organ as illumined by the self. It may be correct or wrong. It is real because it is presented; it is false because it is denied in the end. It has a conditional status. All knowledge and all the śāstras thus belong to the realm of nescience (avidyā).
How to come into grips with the ultimate reality? It is of course through antahkarana-Vrtti says Vācaspati. The antah-karana Vrtti, which is of the nature of intelligence residing in the agent, when carried on with relentless mediation on the ultimate truth, (Brahman) results in the intuition of Brahman. This view is technically called Prasamkhyāna. According to Kant, there is only one kind of knowledge. And that is knowledge of the sensible world, which is a harmonious blend of percepts and concepts. No knowledge of the nomenon is possible. Thus the final out come of Kants Philosophy is agnosticism. We are for ever doomed and there is no way of knowing thing-in-itself, But according to Vācaspati, Brahman with Māyā, is the cause of phenomenal reality viz., the universe. So is accordign to Kant when he says that the Noumenon is the cause of the Phenomenon.12 What appears is the Noumenon and what it appears is the Phenomenon. Therefore there should be a distinction between Reality (noumenon) and appearance (Phenomenon). According to Kant, we have no mens of correcting error. Hare Advaita comes in to correct Kant by saying that Brahman, the ultimate reality can be known by being it.
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