The Three Grades of Satta or Levels of Reality

The Three Grades of Satta or Levels of Reality

According to Shankara, the world possesses three different grades of existence;

• The first kind possesses ephemeral existence or Pratibhasika satta. It is also known as apparent existence or existence based on imagination alone. Some of the examples of the ephemeral existence are those experiences in which the mind alone constructs its own reality, like, one՚s dreams and the perception of a rope as a snake, etc. This is regarded to be the lowest grade of e…

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The Theory of Momentariness or Kshanabhangavada

The Theory of Momentariness or Kshanabhangavada

• According to Buddhism, everything has a cause. In other words, the criterion of existence (satta) of a thing is its capacity to produce some effect. This is called Artha kriya-karitva-Lakshmana-sat. For example, a non-existent thing like a unicorn or a hare՚s horn cannot produce any effect.
• The theory of dependent origination also yields the Buddhist theory of Momentariness or Kshananbhangavada. According to Buddha՚s late followers, t…

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Madhyam Pratipada

Madhyam Pratipada

• Buddha՚s ethical theory of middle path or madhyam-pratipada is just like the golden mean theory of Aristotle. According to the theory, self-indulgent and self-mortification are both equally rolled out.
• In his very first sermon at Sarnath, Buddha said, “there are two extremes, O monks from which he who would lead a religious life must abstain, it is the life of pleasure devoted to desire and enjoyment that is ignoble, unspiritual, unworthy and unreal.
• The perfect one, O monks, is remov…

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The Theory of Anekant-Vada

The Theory of Anekant-vada

• The Jaina metaphysics is a realistic and relativistic school of pluralism. It is called the theory of Anekant-vada or the theory of many-ness of reality because matter and spirit are regarded as separate and independent realities. There are innumerable material atoms and innumerable individual souls or spirits which are all separately and independently real.
• Each atom and each soul possesses innumerable aspects of their own. In other words, a thing has got in…

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