आत्मतत्त्व : एक समन्वयात्मक विमर्श

Summary

The text explores the concept of the self (Ātman) across Indian philosophical traditions. It states that almost all Vedic schools accept the existence of the self, and among non-Vedic systems, only Jain philosophy acknowledges it. The text argues that accepting the self is necessary for moral evaluation, as it allows an individual to shape their own destiny and maintains a distinct identity even in liberation. It cites Sir Oliver Lodge to support the idea of an eternal self. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad is referenced to show that the self was the sole existent at the beginning of creation, and the sense of "I" is the primary experience of existence, forming the foundation of all thought. The Upaniṣads analyze the self from two perspectives: the supreme, transcendental self (Brahman), which is unborn and indestructible, and the individual self (jīva), which is associated with the body. The text explains that the supreme self enters the body to become the jīva, as described in the Chāndogya and Aitareya Upaniṣads. The location of the self within the body is discussed, with the Kaṭha Upaniṣad placing it in the heart and describing it as the size of a thumb, while the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad compares it to a grain of rice. This apparent contradiction is resolved by the Kaṭha Upaniṣad's statement that the self is smaller than the smallest and larger than the largest. The text emphasizes the self's eternal, unborn, and immortal nature, quoting the Kaṭha Upaniṣad and the Bhagavad Gītā to assert that it cannot be killed or harmed. It clarifies that this immortal nature applies to the self as Brahman, while the jīva undergoes transmigration due to ignorance. The dialogue between Prajāpati, Indra, and Virocana in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad is used to illustrate