A Critical survey on Śaṁkara’s Criticism of the concept of Vijïaptimätratä

Abstract

The Buddhism and the Vedanta are two systems of philosophy in India, debated on many controversial concepts for long period. The purpose of this research is to Study Śankara’s Criticism of the Concept of Vijïaptimätratä of Viññānavāda Buddhist School in his Brahmasūtrabhaṣya. Commenting on thesecond pāda of second adhyāya in Brahmasūtra, sarvāstivāda, viññānavāda and sunyatāvāda have been criticised by Śaṁkara in his commentary. The research problem is to analyse the appropriation of the Śaṁkara’s argument against the concept of the Vijïaptimätratä in of Viññāvāda Buddhist School. The objectives of this research to investigate the validity or no validity of Śankara’s Criticisms of the philosophy of Viññāvāda Buddhist School. The research will be implemented, based on Brahmasūtrabhasya with regard to vedānta philosophy and Viññānavāda Buddhist sources as the secondary sources. Five arguments against the teaching of Viññānavāda School were raised by Śankaraat the beginning of viññānavāda criticism. In addition to that the concept of existence of the world, Vāsana, Alayaviññāna Etc. was also criticized by him. AsŚaṁkara definesin Viññānavāda, it denies the existence of the world, and heargues because of the concept Vijïaptimätratä the other fundermental teaching of Viññānavāda school Ᾱlayaviviññāna, Vāsana etc. cannot be proved. But it seem that Śaṁkara has been misunderstood the concept of Vijïaptimätratä. The Viññānavādin never deny the existence of the outside world by the concept Vijïaptimätā. They emphasize that there is a gap between the real world and our perception. Finally it can be concluded that Ṥaṁkara has taken the literary meaning of Vijïaptimätā not the philosophical meaning. So Śaṁkara’s Criticism of the concept of Vijïaptimätratähas not a sufficient validity