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
- 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
- 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
