swami vivekananda's quote

[Guest guest]

There is definitely no final word on whether world experience is 'realism'

or 'idealism'. Both are only standpoints. The inside-outside are only

standpoints. 'Realism' assumes all objects as objects and independent

subjects. 'Idealism' says only perception is true. But, even in

'Idealism', the perceptions and the independent subjects are real. So, both

talk only duality and more or less retain the problem of samsara. Accepting

either of the theories is only a faith or belief, since neither can be

established as truth against the other. Only point these two conflicting

viewpoints prove is that the world (perception) is 'unexplainable' or

'anirvachaneeya'. Both buddhists and vedantis(advaita) agree to this. The

kshanikavignaanavaadis (buddhists) say that discontinuous flashes of

consciousness alone is what that exist with nothing underneath. In Mandukya

karika, the fourth prakarana - alaatha shanthi - Gauda paada says that world

is 'chitta spandana maatram'. He takes up the spinning of the fireball as

an example. When an fire-ball is spun, it creates various image patterns

for the observer. But, all that exists is the one fireball and in every

moment and every part of the pattern what we see in only that fireball. So

too, the experience of world is chaitanya (consciousness) alone in every bit

of it. Inside, outside, me, you, that, this, time, space everything is

nothing but that one consciouness alone. Nothing else stands investigation.

Research on the lines of realism and idealism will lead to nowhere since

at one point of time, we will have to conclude based on our own conviction

in either of the theorems. I feel swami vivekananda is only concluding

that there is no way of categorising the world between realism and idealism.

He didn't take the extra step in that quote, to explain the vedantic

vision of world. We can probably locate his views on the subject matter at

other places in his works.

kalyan