Saturday 16 March 2013

Understanding Sankara: Essays by Richard De Smet


Understanding Sankara: Essays by Richard De Smet, edited Ivo Coelho (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2013) is just out of the press. Price Rs 800. A few copies are available with me at a special price. 



CONTENTS



Preface                                                                                                       xi

Introduction                                                                                              1
1.      Early Position                                                                              1                                                            1                                                                                                                                      
2.      Rejection of the Māyāvāda Interpretation                              9
3.      Causality and Creation                                                            15
4.      The Mature Interpretation of the Final Years                      17
5.      Conclusion                                                                                   21

I. STUDIES

1. Language and Knowledge of the Absolute according
to Śaṅkara                                                                                               32
1.      Introduction                                                                               32
2.      The Semantic Polyvalence of Words                                     37
3.      The Meaning of Propositions (vākyārtha)                           42
4.      The Apophatism of Theological Language                           45
5.      The Rules of Recourse to the Implied Sense (lakṣyārtha) 48
6.      The Mental Operation Characteristic of Implication          50
7.      The Exegesis of the Vedāntic Identifications of the Absolute              51
8.      The Exegesis of the Vedāntic Definitions (lakṣaṇa) of
the Absolute                                                                              57
9.      Conclusion                                                                                68

2. The Fundamental Antinomy of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya’s
Methodology                                                                                           75

3. Śaṅkara’s Non-Dualism (Advaitavāda) (1964/68)                                         83
1.      The Current Interpretation of Śaṅkara’s Teaching              84              
2.      Śaṅkara’s Key-Distinction between Primary and
Secondary                                                                                  85
3.      Its Systematic Application                                                                          86
3.1.       The primacy of true knowledge                                  86
3.2.       The primacy of Śruti                                                     86
3.3.       The primacy of transcendental experience               88
3.4.       The primacy of monastic renunciation                                          88
3.5.       The primacy of jñāna-kāṇḍa                                                          89
3.6.       The primacy of the indicative assertions in
            jñāna-kāṇḍa                                                                  89
3.7.       The primacy of the propositions indicating
           Brahman                                                                          90
3.8.       The primacy of the ‘great sayings’                             91
3.9.       The primacy of the svarūpa-lakṣaṇas                                           91
3.10.    The primacy of the highest meaning (paramārtha) 92
4.      Appraisal                                                                                   93

4. Theological Method and Vedānta                                                  99

5. The Logical Structure of ‘Tattvamasi’ according to
Sureśvara’s Naiṣkarmya Siddhi                                                        111

6. Māyā or Ajñāna? A Textual Analysis                                         122

7. Questioning Vedānta                                                                      129

8. Chinks in the Armour of Avidyā                                                   139

9. Contemplation in Śaṅkara and Rāmānuja                                147
1.      Contemplation in Śaṅkara                                                    147
1.1.    The nature of contemplation                                       147
1.2.    The role of divine grace                                               150
1.3.    The goal of contemplation                                           152
2.      Contemplation in Rāmānuja                                                 153
2.1.    The nature of contemplation                                       153
2.2.    The role of grace and love in contemplation            155
2.3.    The goal of contemplation                                           156

10. Spiritual Values of Advaita Vedānta and Social Life            158
1.      Difference between vidyā and a-vidyā, Vidyā and a-Vidyā 159
2.      The Linguistic Cribwork of Śaṅkara’s Writings                162
3.      The Meaning of Tattvamasi and Unreciprocal
Identity (Tādātmya)                                                               164
4.      Conclusion                                                                              169

11. Forward Steps in Śaṅkara Research                                        173
  1. Śaṅkara: Strictly an Interpreter of the Jñāna-Kāṇḍa
of the Śruti                                                                              174
2.      A Quest for Supreme Values                                                178
3.      An Intercrossing of Three Levels of Language                  186
4.      The Intellectual Dynamism of Srī Śaṅkarācārya               188

12. The Buddha, Meister Eckhart and Śaṅkarācārya                       on ‘Nothing’       191
  1. The Negativism of Siddhārtha Gautama Śākya
(muni), the Buddha                                                                191
1.1.    A possible reconstruction of the sambodhi              191
1.2.    The neg-ontology of the Buddha                                196
2.      The Apophatism of Meister Eckhart                                   198
2.1.    The objects of Eckhart’s negativism                          200
3.      The Negativism of Srī Śaṅkarācārya                                   202
3.1.    The linguistic cribwork of Śaṅkara’s writing           202
3.2.    The tādātmya relationship                                           204
4.      Conclusion                                                                              205

13. Radhakrishnan’s Interpretation of Śaṅkara                          208

14. Radhakrishnan’s Second Presentation of                             Śaṅkara’s Teaching   229
1.      Gauḍapāda and Śaṅkara                                                        230
2.      The Sources of Śaṅkara’s Doctrine                                     231
3.      The Role of Ignorance in Brahmajijñāsā                           232
4.      The Role of the Great Sayings (Mahāvākyas)                   233
5.      The Status of the World                                                        236
6.      The Individual Soul                                                               240
7.      Mokṣa or Liberation                                                              242
8.      Conclusion                                                                              243

15. The Creative Word in Śāṅkara Vedānta                                 245
1.      Śaṅkara and the Wishing Word of the All-Maker             246
2.      The All-Maker as Providing Reality to its Effects            248
3.      The Causality of the Creative Word                                    250
4.      Conclusion                                                                              252
Appendix on the Egyptian Tradition about the
Creative Word                                                                        253

16. Śaṅkara’s Perspective on Meaning and Truth                       255
1.      Śaṅkara’s Hermeneutical Situation                                     256
2.      Meaning and Truth                                                                 262
3.      Consequences of Śaṅkara’s Interpretation of the Śruti   267
3.1.    Appropriation of this interpretation                           267
3.2.    A turning-point for the Vedānta school                     268
4.      Conclusion                                                                              268

17. The Presuppositions of Jaimini and the Vedāntins                271
1.      Jaimini                                                                                     271
1.1     The pre-Jaimini metamorphoses of the Veda           271
1.2    Jaimini and the authorless Śruti                                 274
1.3    The intrusion of para-textual factors in Mīmāṃsā  275
2.      The Vedāntins’ Diverse Conceptions of Vākya
(Sentence) as Responsible for their Diverse
Interpretations of the Same Scriptures                                276
               2.1    Introduction                                                                   276
               2.2    Śaṅkara                                                                           276
               2.3    Rāmānuja                                                                        280
               2.4    Madhva                                                                           283
               2.5    Vallabha                                                                         283
3.      Conclusion                                                                              284

18. The Dynamics of Contemplation according to        Śaṅkarācārya          285
1.      The Desire to Intuit the Divine Essence                             285
2.      The Starting-Point of the Quest: the Upaniṣads                286
3.      The First Two Steps: Śravaṇa and Manana                       287
4.      From Jñāna to Vijñāna                                                          289
5.      The Third Step: Dhyānam, the Assimilative
Contemplation                                                                        290
6.      The Role of Divine Grace                                                     292

19. From the Vedas to Radhakrishnan                                           295
1.      The Testimonial Method of Śaṅkarācārya (śrutivāda)    295
2.      Other Explorations in the Field of Philosophical
Hinduism                                                                                 298
3.      The Notion of Person                                                             299
4.      The Christian Side in Philosophico-Religious Dialogue  300
5.      Conclusion                                                                              300

20. Śaṅkara’s Non-Dualism (Advaitavāda) (1997)                                             305
1.      The Current Interpretation of Śaṅkara’s Teaching           306
2.      Śaṅkara’s Teaching in his Authentic Writings                  307
2.1.    Śaṅkara’s hermeneutical predispositions                 308
2.2.    His conception of the sentence                                   311
2.3.    His conception of intellection                                     311
2.4.    His interpretation of the five types of definition  
of Brahman                                                                    312
3.      Conclusion                                                                              320

II. DIALOGUE

21. The Correct Interpretation of the Definitions of the Absolute according to Śrī Śaṅkarācārya and Saint Thomas Aquinas                   326

22. Śaṅkara and Aquinas on Liberation (Mukti)                          335
1.      The Desire for Liberation                                                     335
2.      The Conditions of Liberation                                               338
3.      The Effects of Liberation                                                      343
4.      Conclusion                                                                              344

23. Śaṅkara and Aquinas on Creation                                            345
1.      The Cause of the Universe                                                    345
2.      Creation according to Aquinas                                            346
3.      Creation according to Śaṅkara                                             349

24. Advaitavāda and Christianity                                                                           354

25. Robert de Nobili and Vedānta                                                                          359

26. Origin: Creation and Emanation                                               369
1.      The Notion of Origin                                                             369
2.      The Need for Lakṣaṇā or Analogy                                       370
3.      Application to the Notion of Creation                                371
4.      The Step of Purification through Negations (Apavāda)   372
4.1.    No independent pre-existence of the created           372
4.2.    No pre-existence of the matter or of the forms of the created     373
4.3.    No need of instruments or demiurge                          374
4.4.    No need of a temporal beginning of creation           375
4.5.    The end of creation implies no need or desire
in the creator                                                                  376
4.6.    As participated being, the creature is non-Being     377
4.7.    Creative activity is not additive to the divine
Essence                                                                           378
5.      The Positive and Adequate Definition of Creation           379

27. Śāṅkara Vedānta and Christian Theology                              383
1.      The Fulfilment Theorists                                                       383
2.      The Creative Assimilationists                                              386
3.      The Apophatists                                                                     390
4.      Christians in Dialogue with Advaitins                                393
5.      Conclusion                                                                              395

28. From Catholic Theology to Śāṅkara Vedānta and
Return with Fr F.X. Clooney                                                             398
1.      Clooney’s Approach to Comparative Theology                399
2.      Turning to Advaita                                                                 399
3.      The Texture of the Advaita Vedānta Text                          401
4.      Moving towards Post-Textual Truths                                  403
5.      In Defence of Advaita                                                           405
6.      Qualifying for Advaita                                                          406
7.      Towards a Retrieval of Catholic Theology after
Advaita                                                                                    408
8.      Conclusion                                                                              411

III. REVIEWS

29. Review of Mario Piantelli, Śaṅkara e la rinascità del  Brāhmanesimo    414

30. Review of Paul Hacker, Kleine Schriften                                 422

31. Review of Wilhelm Halbfass, Indien und Europa:
Perspektiven ihrer Geistigen Begegnung                                         431

32. Review of Wilhelm Halbfass, Studies in Kumārila
and Śaṅkara                                                                                          437

33. Review of Doctrine de la non-dualité (advaita-vāda) et
Christianisme                                                                                        442

34. Notice of Som Raj Gupta, The Word Speaks to the
Faustian Man                                                                                        446

35. Review of Jose Thachil, The Upaniṣads: A Socio-Religious Approach    448

36. Review of Srinivasa Rao, Advaita: A Critical Investigation 451


Appendices

1. Upadhyay’s Interpretation of Śaṅkara                                      454

2. A Note about Śaṅkara’s Doctrine of Creation                         463

3. Parallel Arguments for the Existence of God in Aquinas
and Śaṅkara                                                                                          485


Bibliography                                                                                         490

Index                                                                                                       501                                                           


No comments:

Post a Comment