Bhedabheda

Bhedābheda refers to a tradition in Vedānta that teaches that the individual self (jīvātman) is both different (bheda) and not different (abheda) from Brahman (Ultimate Reality).[1] It encompasses sub-schools such as Shuddhadvaita and Acintya-Bhedabheda.[2]

Etymology

Bhedābheda (Devanagari: भेदाभेद) is a Sanskrit word meaning "difference and non-difference".[3]

History

Bhedabheda refers to a tradition of scholars who share the view that the individual self and Brahman are simultaneously distinct and non-distinct.[2] It was primarily developed in the 7th century CE, with key contributions from Bhāskara and Nimbārka.[1] Bhāskara, who was either Shankara's contemporary or lived shortly after Shankara, was the principal author.[4][5]

Under this overarching tradition, there are specific schools.[2]

Philosophy

There are multiple ways that 'difference and non-difference' is interpreted in Bhedābheda traditions. In the most basic sense, the position holds that both the individual self and the world are "in some way simultaneously different from and identical with Brahman."[6]

Bhaskara and Nimbarka mark two ends on the spectrum in this tradition. For Bhaskara, the non-difference of Brahman is more real than the multiplicity of individual selves. He believed that Brahman is one, without difference, in its natural state. For Bhaskara, difference is only temporary and is caused by upādhis (limiting conditions). This is why his doctrine is known as aupādhika-bhedābheda-vāda ("Difference and Non-difference Based on Limiting Conditions"). Nimbarka believed that Brahman's essential nature includes equally real states of difference and non-difference, and thus his doctrine is known as svābhāvika-bhedābheda-vāda ("Natural Difference and Non-difference").[7][8][9]

Epistemology

Of the main sources of knowledge, the tradition regards śāstra as the ultimate source.[10]

According to Bhaskara, liberation can only be achieved after death.[11]

Difference from Advaita Interpretations

The philosopher Vijñānabhikṣu argued that the Bhedabheda philosophy was superior to other interpretations as it could make sense of seeming contradictions in the Vedas. He pointed out that Advaita interpretations fall short because they only prioritize statements that suggest the identical nature of Brahman and the soul. However, these interpretations subordinate statements that point to the difference between Brahman and the soul, resorting to interpreting them as figurative. In order to make sense of the Vedas' statements as consistent, Vijñānabhikṣu argued that difference and non-difference can also mean separation and non-separation, rather than identity and negation of identity. The meaning of bheda and abheda, then, determined according to the context, solves the problem of taking some statements from the Vedas as untrue or merely figurative.[12]

According to Bhedabheda, Brahman is the material cause of everything in the world, similar to how clay transforms into different forms like pots and cups. Advaita Vedanta argues that Brahman does not undergo any change; the difference that appears in the world is unreal.[13]

Influence

Bhedābheda ideas had an enormous influence on the devotional (bhakti) schools of India's medieval period. Among medieval Bhedābheda thinkers are:

Other major names are Rāmānuja's teacher Yādavaprakāśa[3] and Vijñānabhikṣu (16th century).[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Bhedabheda Vedanta | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy". Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nicholson, Andrew (2010). Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History. South Asia Across the Disciplines. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-231-52642-5.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Bhedabheda Vedanta". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "Bhedabheda Vedanta | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy". Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  5. ↑ "Bhedabheda | Monism, Dualism, Advaita | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  6. ↑ Uskokov, Aleksandar (2022). "Bhedābheda". In Long, Jeffery D.; Sherma, Rita D.; Jain, Pankaj; Khanna, Madhu (eds.). Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Springer. p. 245.
  7. ↑ "Bhedabheda Vedanta | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy". Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Uskokov, Aleksandar (2022). "Bhāskara". In Long, Jeffery D.; Sherma, Rita D.; Jain, Pankaj; Khanna, Madhu (eds.). Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Springer. p. 240.
  9. ↑ Uskokov, Aleksandar (2022). Long, Jeffery D.; Sherma, Rita D.; Jain, Pankaj; Khanna, Madhu (eds.). Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Springer. p. 1072.
  10. ↑ P.N.Srinivasachari. (1950). The Philosophy Of Bhedabheda. Osmania University, Digital Library Of India. The Adyar Library. p. 11.
  11. ↑ P.N.Srinivasachari. (1950). The Philosophy Of Bhedabheda. Osmania University, Digital Library Of India. The Adyar Library. pp. 7–8.
  12. ↑ Nicholson, Andrew J. (1 August 2007). "Reconciling dualism and non-dualism: three arguments in Vijñānabhikṣu's Bhedābheda Vedānta". Journal of Indian Philosophy. 35 (4): 377–380. doi:10.1007/s10781-007-9016-6. ISSN 1573-0395.
  13. ↑ Nicholson, Andrew (2010). Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History. South Asia Across the Disciplines. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-231-52642-5.
  14. ↑ Malkovsky, The Role of Divine Grace in the Soteriology of Śaṃkarācārya, Leiden: Brill, p. 118.
  15. ↑ Sivananda 1993, p. 247-253.

Sources

Further reading

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