This work presents an English translation and a philosophical commentary of Abhinavagupta's Tantr... more This work presents an English translation and a philosophical commentary of Abhinavagupta's Tantravaṭadhānikā or the 'Seed of the Banyan Tree of Tantra'.
In this paper the aim is to understand what liberation is (i.e. the nature of liberation and how ... more In this paper the aim is to understand what liberation is (i.e. the nature of liberation and how it is realized) according to two non-dual traditions of India: Śankara’s Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system of the Advaita Śaiva. To understand the nature of liberation according to these two philosophies, one must consider the metaphysics and especially their understanding of the world. It is therefore important to look very carefully at what these philosophies have to say about creation and the existence of the world. The world notion is important since it has implications on the description of the liberated state. The question of liberation is therefore deeply connected to that of the world and the aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between these notions.
In both classical Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system of the nondual Śaivism of Kashmir, ... more In both classical Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system of the nondual Śaivism of Kashmir, we find an articulation of the doctrine of jīvanmukti, the idea that one can be liberated while living in the body and in the world. The doctrine of jīvanmukti in both these traditions implies that one can attain a state of complete freedom while alive and thus presents an alternative to the doctrine that liberation is only possible after death (videhamukti). While numerous scholars have already discussed the concept of jīvanmukti in Advaita Vedānta, 1 far fewer scholars have discussed in detail the doctrine of jīvanmukti in nondual Śaivism. 2 Moreover, as far as I am aware, no scholar has systematically compared the doctrines of jīvanmukti in these two traditions, especially in relation to their respective metaphysical underpinnings. This is what I hope to do in this chapter. One of my central aims is to assess whether the metaphysical doctrines of classical Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system are compatible with the doctrine of jīvanmukti. In order to elucidate the relationship between the world and embodied liberation, the first two sections examine how the ontological status of the world is conceived in Advaita Vedānta and Pratyabhijñā respectively. The third and fourth sections then discuss the doctrine of jīvanmukti in these two nondual traditions, critically examining the respective grounds on which it is justified and considering the doctrine in light of the implications of Sections 10.1 and 10.2. I will argue that since Advaita Vedānta holds that the world is ultimately unreal, Advaita Vedāntins have difficulty upholding the logical possibility of jīvanmukti. In consequence, they move toward an ideal of complete liberation that can only take place after death 10
This work presents an English translation and a philosophical commentary of Abhinavagupta's Tantr... more This work presents an English translation and a philosophical commentary of Abhinavagupta's Tantravaṭadhānikā or the 'Seed of the Banyan Tree of Tantra'.
In this paper the aim is to understand what liberation is (i.e. the nature of liberation and how ... more In this paper the aim is to understand what liberation is (i.e. the nature of liberation and how it is realized) according to two non-dual traditions of India: Śankara’s Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system of the Advaita Śaiva. To understand the nature of liberation according to these two philosophies, one must consider the metaphysics and especially their understanding of the world. It is therefore important to look very carefully at what these philosophies have to say about creation and the existence of the world. The world notion is important since it has implications on the description of the liberated state. The question of liberation is therefore deeply connected to that of the world and the aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between these notions.
In both classical Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system of the nondual Śaivism of Kashmir, ... more In both classical Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system of the nondual Śaivism of Kashmir, we find an articulation of the doctrine of jīvanmukti, the idea that one can be liberated while living in the body and in the world. The doctrine of jīvanmukti in both these traditions implies that one can attain a state of complete freedom while alive and thus presents an alternative to the doctrine that liberation is only possible after death (videhamukti). While numerous scholars have already discussed the concept of jīvanmukti in Advaita Vedānta, 1 far fewer scholars have discussed in detail the doctrine of jīvanmukti in nondual Śaivism. 2 Moreover, as far as I am aware, no scholar has systematically compared the doctrines of jīvanmukti in these two traditions, especially in relation to their respective metaphysical underpinnings. This is what I hope to do in this chapter. One of my central aims is to assess whether the metaphysical doctrines of classical Advaita Vedānta and the Pratyabhijñā system are compatible with the doctrine of jīvanmukti. In order to elucidate the relationship between the world and embodied liberation, the first two sections examine how the ontological status of the world is conceived in Advaita Vedānta and Pratyabhijñā respectively. The third and fourth sections then discuss the doctrine of jīvanmukti in these two nondual traditions, critically examining the respective grounds on which it is justified and considering the doctrine in light of the implications of Sections 10.1 and 10.2. I will argue that since Advaita Vedānta holds that the world is ultimately unreal, Advaita Vedāntins have difficulty upholding the logical possibility of jīvanmukti. In consequence, they move toward an ideal of complete liberation that can only take place after death 10
Uploads
Drafts by Klara Hedling
Papers by Klara Hedling