Anubhava in Sri Sankaracarya An Epistemological Reading of Intuitive Experience of Brahman

includes index and biblioraphy

Chapter 1 Anubhava and states of consciousness Introduction ......11 Understanding consciousness .......12 Different states of consciousness .....16 Walking state (Jagrat) .......19 Dream state ( Svapna) .......22 Space ........22 Time ......23 Cause ......23 Deep sleep state (Susupta) .....24 Transcendentl state (Turiya) ......27 Samadhi as a state of consciousness .......29 Nirvikalpa samadhi .....30 Savikalpa samadhi .....31 The need for samadhi ........32 Defining anubhava .......33 Nature of anubhava .....35 Immediate .....35 Intuitive ......36 Distinction between ordinary experience and anubhava .....37 Anubhava in turiya .....38 Levels of consciousness and saksin .....39 Conclusion .....41 Chapter II Anubhava and means of knowledge Introduction .......43 The means of knowledge and the problem of Maya .......45 The nature of Maya .....45 Concealing power of Maya .....46 Maya as creative power of God .......47 Maya as a positive entity .......48 Maya as anivacaniya or indescribable ......49 Locus and object of Maya ......50 Locus of Maya .....51 Object of Maya .....52 Result of Maya .....52 Mistaken identity of jiva .......53 Illusion of the world .....53 Pramanas in advatic teachings .......54 Internal perception .....59 External perception .......60 Influence (Anumana) .....61 Comparison (Upamana) ......64 Verbal testimony (Sabda) ......66 Presumption (Arthapatti) ......68 Non-apprehension (Anupaladhi) .....70 Two fold validity of means of knowledge .....72 Paramarthika satta .....73 Vyavaharika satta .......73 Anubhava and pramanas .....74 Conclusion .....76 Chapter III Anubhava: An epistemological inquiry Introduction ............79 The nature of epistemological anubhava .......81 Self-luminousity/ Svaprakasatva ......85 Self-validity or svatah-pramanya-vada ......88 Anubhava as the final goal of all epistemological inquiries ......91 Self-knowledge as anubhava ......94 Anubhava as liberation ........98 Existential relevance of anubhava .....101 Anubhava as experienced by the liberated ......102 Jivan mukta ......103 Videha mukta .....105 Prarabdha-kaema .....106 Experience in Sankara-mystical metaphysical, epistemological: A critique ........111 Conclusion .......115