샹까라와 수레쉬와라에 있어서 '연속과 불연속의 방법'(anvayavyatireka-nyaaya)

Abstract

Advaita Vedānta is a system of philosophy in which the revelation-oriented attitude is highly valued although the significance of reasoning has never been forgotten. Early Advaitins such as Śaṅkara, Sureśvara make use of the method of anvayavyatireka which is nothing but a reasoning so that the meaning of mahāvākya (great saying) of the Upaniṣads can be revealed in terms of the identity of Ātman and Brahman. The method is basically related to the discrimination(viveka) between what is continued present and what is absent. For Śaṅkara and Sureśvara the method of anvayavyatireka is employed to know the meaning of the word like tvam (you) and aham (I) in the mahāvākya for understanding the whole sentence. To know what the word tvam really stands for it is necessary to grasp the fact or reality of all the terms (things) that indicate it. The Self exists continuously in the waking, dreaming, and sleeping state, but on the contrary, the non-Selves such as body (deha), ego (ahaṃkāra), intellect (buddhi), which are superimposed on the Self, cannot exist continuously since they are present in some state and are absent in other state. As a result the Self is discriminated from the non-Selves through this reasoning and a foundation is made for further apprehension of the complete sentence. The method of anvayavyatireka is a pure reasoning based on experience without any metaphysical basis. It is by this method that the revelation of the Upaniṣads is to be reinforced and the reasoning itself to be fulfilled in its own sphere.