Bauddh Darshan Ka Samikshatmak Adhyayana

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Bauddh Darshan ka Samikshatmak Adhyayana" by Jyotsnashreeji, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Bauddh Darshan ka Samikshatmak Adhyayana (A Critical Study of Buddhist Philosophy) Author: Sadhvi Jyotsnashreeji Editor and Guide: Prof. Sagarmal Jain Publisher: Prachya Vidyapith, Shajapur (M.P.) Reference Text: Ratnakaravtarika by Ratnaprabh Suri

Overall Theme: This book is a PhD dissertation accepted by Jain Vishva Bharati University. It presents a critical and comparative study of Buddhist philosophical doctrines as analyzed and critiqued within the framework of the Jain philosophical text, Ratnakaravtarika, authored by Acharya Ratnaprabh Suri. The study meticulously examines various tenets of Buddhist philosophy, highlighting their critiques from a Jain perspective as presented by Ratnaprabh Suri.

Key Areas of Focus and Summary:

The book is structured into multiple chapters, each dedicated to a specific aspect of Buddhist philosophy and its critical examination within Ratnakaravtarika. Here's a summary of the main points covered in each chapter:

• Chapter 1: The Developmental Journey of Jain Philosophy and Logic (Nyaya-Shastra)

  • Jain Philosophy's Position and Uniqueness in Indian Philosophies: Discusses the classification of Indian philosophies (Six Darshanas, Āstika/Nāstika dichotomy) and critiques the rigid classification, particularly regarding Jain and Buddhist philosophies. It emphasizes the significant contribution of Jain and Buddhist thought to the development of Indian philosophy.
  • Jain Philosophical Literature's Evolution: Outlines the evolution of Jain philosophy through different epochs as described by scholars like Pt. Sukhlalji and Pt. Dalsukhbhai Malvania, including the Sutra-texts, Anekaanta-establishment, Nyaya-era, Pramana-establishment, and Neo-Nyaya.
  • Critique of Buddhist Philosophical Views in the Development of Jain Logic: Highlights that critiquing opposing philosophical views, especially Buddhist ones, was a central theme in the development of Jain logic. It mentions key Jain texts and āchāryas who engaged in such critiques, including Siddhasena, Mallavadi, Samantabhadra, Haribhadra, Akalanka, Vidyanandi, Vādirāj Sūri, Prabhāchandra, and Hemachandra.

• Chapter 2: Ratnakaravtarika and its Author, Ratnaprabh Suri: An Introduction

  • Ratnakaravtarika's Place in Jain Philosophy and Logic Texts: Positions Ratnakaravtarika as a significant commentary on Vādisūri's Pramānanayatattvāloka, which itself is a foundational text for Jain logic. Despite being a commentary, it's recognized as a unique and original work in Jain logic.
  • The Author and His Era: Introduces Ratnaprabh Suri, disciple of Vādisūri, and places him in the 12th century CE, contemporary with Acharya Hemachandra and contemporary to Digambara scholar Vādirāj Sūri. His works include Nemimahcharita, Doghatti Vritti, and Ratnakaravtarika.
  • Purpose of Writing Ratnakaravtarika: Written as a more accessible commentary on Vādisūri's complex magnum opus, Syādvādaratnākara, to make its profound insights available to a wider scholarly audience.
  • Content of Ratnakaravtarika: Explains that the work not only elaborates Jain logic but also offers a rigorous logical critique of various Indian philosophical schools, particularly Buddhism.

• Chapter 3: A Critique of Buddhist Momentariness (Kshanikavada)

  • The Buddhist Doctrine of "Sarvam Kshanikam": Explains the core Buddhist tenet that everything is impermanent and momentary.
  • Critique of Buddhist Momentariness by Ratnaprabh Suri: Details Ratnaprabh Suri's refutation of this doctrine, likely arguing for the existence of a permanent self or substance (as distinct from fleeting states) and pointing out logical inconsistencies.
  • Jain Resolution and Buddhist Rebuttals: Discusses the dialectical exchange between Jain and Buddhist arguments on this topic.
  • Jain Counter-arguments: Presents the Jain perspective, possibly emphasizing the need for continuity and permanence (dhrauvyata) for empirical experience, memory, and the very possibility of knowledge, which momentariness negates.

• Chapter 4: The Nature and Critique of Buddhist Non-Self (Anātmavāda)

  • Anātmavāda in Tripitaka Literature: Explains the Buddhist concept of non-self (anātman) as presented in the Buddhist scriptures.
  • Meaning of Buddhist Anātmavāda: The Doctrine of Mental Continuity (Ātma-santativāda): Clarifies that Buddhist anātmavāda is not a denial of existence but a denial of a permanent, unchanging self. It posits a continuity of mental states (santati).
  • Critique of Buddhist Ātma-santativāda in Ratnakaravtarika: Details Ratnaprabh Suri's critique, likely arguing that this continuity itself implies a form of subtle permanence or, alternatively, that it fails to account for personal identity and continuity across life and death, which is essential for ethical and epistemological frameworks.
  • Jain Solution and Buddhist Counter-arguments: Explores the debate on the nature of the self and consciousness.

• Chapter 5: Critique of Buddhist and Other Philosophers on the Relationship between Word and Meaning

  • Various Positions on Word-Meaning Relationship: Surveys different views on how words relate to their meanings in Indian philosophy (e.g., Mimamsa's identity, Nyaya's origination, Buddhist denial, Jain's denotation).
  • Critique of Buddhist Dharmottara's Standpoint on Word-Meaning and its Review: Focuses on the Buddhist view, often associated with apohavada (exclusion), that words primarily denote the negation of other things rather than directly referring to the positive essence of an object.
  • Critique of Buddhist Apohavada: Details Ratnaprabh Suri's refutation of the apohavada doctrine, likely arguing that it's insufficient to explain how affirmative knowledge and positive reference are possible and how language functions meaningfully.

• Chapter 6: Critique of Buddhist Apohavada

  • Apohavada: Buddhist Pre-text: Explains the Buddhist theory of apoha, where words signify by excluding other meanings.
  • Critique of Apohavada by Ratnaprabh Suri: Details Ratnaprabh Suri's arguments against apoha, likely highlighting that it leads to an infinite regress of negations and doesn't positively ground meaning or knowledge.
  • General Meaning of Buddhist Apohavada: Summarizes the core of the apoha theory.

• Chapter 7: Refutation of Buddhist Momentary Perception (Nirvikalpa-pratyaksha) and Assertion of Definitive Pramana

  • Concept of Pramana: Discusses the foundational concept of valid cognition (pramana).
  • Critique of Buddhist Nirvikalpa-pratyaksha by Ratnaprabh Suri: Examines the Buddhist emphasis on immediate, unconceptualized perception (nirvikalpa pratyaksha) and argues for the necessity of conceptualization (savikalpa) for definitive knowledge.
  • Implications for Definitive Pramana: Argues that only definitive (savikalpa) knowledge can be considered valid pramana.

• Chapters 8-17: Detailed Critiques of Specific Buddhist Tenets: The remaining chapters delve into specific Buddhist concepts and their refutations by Ratnaprabh Suri. These include:

  • Chapter 8: Critique of Sophistication (Pratyabhijna), Logic (Tarka), and Memory (Smriti) as Non-Pramana by Buddhists: Examines Buddhist arguments against the validity of recognizing previously known objects, logical reasoning, and memory as independent sources of knowledge.
  • Chapter 9: Critique of Buddhist Concept of Non-Applicability of Hearing Sense (Shravana-indriya ki Apraptikarita): Discusses the Buddhist view on the sense of hearing and Ratnaprabh Suri's counter-arguments, likely asserting its applicability and capacity to perceive distant sounds.
  • Chapter 10: Critique of Buddhist Concept of Negation of the Universal (Samanya ka Nishedh): Examines the Buddhist denial of a real universal and Ratnaprabh Suri's defense of universals.
  • Chapter 11: Critique of Buddhist Theory of Tri-Laksana (Three Marks of Inference): Analyzes the Buddhist logical inference model and Ratnaprabh Suri's critique, possibly contrasting it with Jain or Nyaya models.
  • Chapter 12: Critique of Buddhist View on the Necessity of 'Paksha' (Subject) in Inference: Discusses the role and necessity of the 'paksha' (the thing to be proved) in logical reasoning, with Buddhist views being critiqued.
  • Chapter 13: Critique of Buddhist Nihilism (Shunyavada): Analyzes the Mahayana Buddhist concept of emptiness (shunyata) and Ratnaprabh Suri's refutation, likely from a realist or substantialist Jain viewpoint.
  • Chapter 14: Critique of Soul's Impermanence (Anityata) and the Identity of Action and Actor (Kriya and Kriyavan ki Abhinnta): Examines the Buddhist denial of a permanent soul and the debate on the relationship between actions and the agent.
  • Chapter 15: Critique of Buddhist Views on Fallacies (Pakshabhasa and Hetvabhasa): Analyzes Buddhist classifications of logical fallacies and Ratnaprabh Suri's critiques, comparing them with Jain logical frameworks.
  • Chapter 16: Critique of Buddhist Denial of External Reality (Bahyartha-Nishedh) and the Identity of Pramana and its Result (Pramana phala ki Abhinnta): Examines the Buddhist idealist stance that denies external reality and the view that the means of knowledge and its result are identical.
  • Chapter 17: Conclusion: Summarizes the findings of the research, emphasizing the critical engagement of Ratnakaravtarika with various Buddhist philosophical systems and its contribution to comparative Indian philosophy.

Overall Significance: The book "Bauddh Darshan ka Samikshatmak Adhyayana" is significant as it provides an in-depth analysis of Buddhist philosophy from a Jain perspective, specifically through the lens of a major Jain commentary, Ratnakaravtarika. It highlights the intellectual rigor and the tradition of critical debate that characterized Indian philosophical discourse, showcasing how Jain āchāryas systematically engaged with and critiqued competing schools of thought like Buddhism. The work underscores the importance of Ratnakaravtarika as a key text for understanding the historical development of Jain logic and its interaction with other Indian philosophical traditions. The detailed analysis of specific Buddhist doctrines demonstrates the depth of philosophical inquiry undertaken by Jain scholars.