Knowledge and Liberation in Classical Indian

Classical Indian schools of philosophy seek to attain a supreme end to existence--liberation from the cycle of lives. This book looks at four conceptions of liberation and the roles of analytic inquiry and philosophical knowledge in its attainment. The central motivation of Indian philosophy--the quest for the Highest Good--is situated in the analytic philosophical activity of key thinkers.

Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad is Lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University

Preface

ix

Chronology of Sacred Texts and the Philosophers of each School

x

Introduction

1

(6)

Bhatta Mimamsa: Action, the Sacred Texts and the End of Action

7

(50)

The sacred text and its relation to reality

9

(6)

Mimamsa reality

15

(4)

The self and the unliberated state

19

(7)

The modest role of knowledge

26

(12)

Action and the attainment of liberation

38

(6)

The content of liberation

44

(13)

Nyaya: Suffering, Detachment and Peace

57

(52)

Self and world

60

(17)

Liberation

77

(16)

Philosophical inquiry and practice

93

(7)

The place of theism in Nyaya

100

(9)

Yogacara-Madhyamika: Conceptualisation, Insight and Pure Cognition

109

(53)

The nature of the unliberated life

112

(6)

The results of analysis: the denial of externality and the rejection of the self

118

(18)

Intellectual practice for the attainment of liberation

136

(6)

Liberation

142

(20)

Advaita Vedanta: Radical Misunderstanding and the De-individuation of Consciousness

162

(56)

The philosophical framework

163

(17)

The unliberated life

180

(8)

Liberation

188

(8)

The receptive attitude and the critical mind: approaches to liberation

196

(13)

Self-realisation and figurative liberation

209

(5)

God in Advaita: a concluding remark

214

(4)

Concluding Summary

218

(3)

Notes

221

(27)

Bibliography

248

(6)

Index

254

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Knowledge and Liberation in Classical Indian Thought

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials