Samkara's Theory please!

[Allan Curry]

Namaste,

MC1 at AOL.COM (Michael?) writes:

>Yes, I agree with both your points below. But the question is, is
>Pugliandla's editorializing an accurate representation of Sankara's thinking?
>

I wish I knew, but don't... that's why I was asking!

>Pugliandla states,
>    It is obvious that sublation of a given judgment necessarily results
>    in its being replaced by a new one...
>    . . For Samkara sublatability is the criterion of the
>    ontological status of any content of consciousness;
>    anything that is in principle sublatable is of a lesser
>    degree of reality and value than that which replaces it
>    as a result of sublation.
>
>The problem seems to be whether Pugliandla is accepting lesser and greater
>degrees within the same "order of reality," in which case I think he mistakes
>Sankara, or whether he is simply refering to the sublation of that which
>appears by that which is its ontological ground -- a wholly other "order of
>reality."
>
    I've since returned "Fundamentals of Indian Philosophy"
    to the library so I'm unable to quote it to you, but, I
    do remember Pugliandla mentioning there were 3 kinds of
    appearance (I couldn't see much difference between 2nd
    and 3rd though). They were distinguishable on the basis
    of being sublatable by other appearances as well as the
    ontological ground as opposed to being sublatable by the
    ontological ground only. The moon would be an instance
    of an appearance of the last type while a hologram of
    the moon would be an instance of the former type.

>Another issue perhaps from your Pugliandla extract concerns the question of
>experience:
>    Thus one is said to sublate a previously held judgment
>    when, in the light of a new experience which contradicts
>    it...
>
>Does Sankara hold experience to be a superior pramana for Self-Knowledge or
>is Sruti held to be the principal pramana?

      That's another good question I don't have an answer to
    but my guess would be that Sankara does not hold
    "experience to be a superior pramana..." How could he
    have said otherwise and still be the patron saint of
    Advaita *Vedanta*?


regards,

- Allan Curry