ADULT LIBERATION AND INFANTILE LIBERTIES: A NOTE ON ŚAṄKARA'S VIEW OF CHILDHOOD

• Published in: Journal of Indian philosophy 2000-12, Vol.28 (5/6), p.549-566
• Main Author: GRINSHPON, YOHANAN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Asian religions; Brahmins; Causality; Celibacy; Childhood; Children; Dharma; History and sciences of religions; Individual behaviour; Karma; Knowledge; Learning; Liberation; Mood (Grammatical); Otherness; Philosophy; Religious teachings; Religious thought; Renunciation; Sankara; Self; Sleep; Spirituality; Upanishads; Vedic religions. Hinduism. Jainism. Sikhism
• ISSN: 0022-1791; 1573-0395
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1017576707235

On numerous occasions Sa nkara speaks of the connection between the two poles of the space of transformation in terms of causality, emergence or emanation. [...]he describes the origination of the world as the direct unfolding of Brahman; the world originates from Brahman similarly to the unfolding of a piece of cloth, as Sa nkara beautifully comments on Badaraydan. as terse statement of BS 2.1.19 (and like a piece of cloth).6 On other occasions, he concedes ineffability of the transformation space, speaking of the unknowability of the connection between the two poles (Brahman and the world). Even possible relevant types of samsaric behavior such as play and playfulness potentially characteristic of infantile behavior are not apprehended by Sa nkara as inherently child-related. [...]illustrating the unconditioned playfulness of Isvara, Sa nkara imagines the behavior of dignitaries apparently free of pressing needs amusing themselves in garden, rather than children at play.16And yet, though patently a minor episode for Sa nkara, the discussion of childhood has its value. Close reading of this commentary makes this point more evident.Using voice A, Sa nkara starts by articulating an important presupposition of the entire inner dialogue: the optative mood he should stand by (tis. t.h aset) must apply to an aspect of mans behavior which can be enjoined. Since one cannot literally become a child (in the sense of a period of life), the Upanis.ad does not mean childhood in this sense.Sa nkaras voice A then distinguishes between condition, nature (bh ava) and actions (karma), and raises the question whether BU 3.5.1 means childhood in the sense of nature or in the sense of actions (tatra b alasya bh avah. karma v a b alyam iti). [...]Asvaghos.a in his Buddhacarita:Some live like birds by what they can pick up from the ground, others graze on grass like deer, and others, turned into anthills by the forest wind, pass their time with snakes.23It seems evident that voice C does not refer to children but rather to ascetics, renouncers.