How Jain Syādavāda and Shankara's Anirvacanīya Presage Quantum Theory
Indeterminacy and the ineffable: Brahman beyond description in Advaita Vedanta
How Jain Syādavāda and Shankara's Anirvacanīya Presage Quantum Theory - AI Image by Author (Microsoft Designer)
In my investigations into Indian philosophy and quantum physics, I've chanced upon remarkable connexions betwixt seemingly disparate notions. I'm particularly fascinated by how Syādavāda, a Jain doctrine, was incorporated by Adi Shankara into his Advaita Vedanta philosophy, and how these concepts accord with the Copenhagen school's tenets of quantum mechanics.
Syādavāda, a Jain doctrine of old, impresses me with its profound epistemological modesty. It posits that reality is multifarious and that absolute truth eludes our faculty for definitive expression. This approach bids one to consider myriad perspectives, adding "in a sense" or "mayhap" to one's assertions about the nature of reality.
Inexpressible
I find it even more captivating how Adi Shankara embraced and interwove this notion into his all-encompassing Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Shankara discerned the profound sagacity of Syādavāda and assimilated it into his cogitations through the concept of anirvacanīya. This term, meaning "inexpressible" or "indescribable", is employed by Shankara to elucidate the relationship betwixt Brahman (ultimate reality) and the empirical world.
Shankara's anirvacanīya, while grounded in the Upanishads and influenced by Jainism through Syādavāda, takes on a unique significance within Advaita Vedanta. Recognizing human language's and logic's limitations in describing transcendent truths, Shankara specifically applies it to the nature of maya, the cosmic illusion, and its connection to Brahman. This novel interpretation aims to illuminate the inherent paradox of reality and the limitations of human comprehension in grasping the ultimate truth of existence. Thus, according to Shankara's interpretation, Brahman is "anirvacaniya" because it is beyond any description or comprehension. At the same time, the phenomenal world is "anirvacaniya" due to its illusory nature, setting it apart from Brahman.
Turning to quantum physics and the Copenhagen interpretation, one observes surprising parallels emerging with these Indian philosophical concepts. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, in particular, captivates the imagination. This principle states that we cannot simultaneously know certain pairs of physical properties of a particle, such as position and momentum, with absolute precision. The more precisely we know one property, the less precisely we can know the other. This fundamental limitation to our knowledge immediately brings to mind the non-absolutism of Syādavāda and the inexpressibility of anirvacanīya.
The observer
The notion that the observer influences the observed system, central to the Copenhagen interpretation, resonates deeply with Shankara's anirvacanīya. One might well ask: how can we hope to describe definitively a reality that changes by the very act of observation? It is as though nature itself resists our attempts to define it in absolute terms, much as Brahman eludes definitive description in Shankara's thought.
What I find most fascinating in this interweaving of ideas is the shared recognition of the bounds of human knowledge. Whether one approaches reality through the lens of Indian philosophy - from Jainism to Advaita Vedanta - or through that of quantum physics, one invariably encounters a point beyond which our faculties of understanding and description seem to falter against a wall of indeterminacy.
This realisation, far from being a source of discouragement, fills me with wonder. I recognise that there is profound wisdom in accepting these limitations. Syādavāda, as taken up and reinterpreted by Shankara in anirvacanīya, teaches one to be cautious in one's assertions and serves as a reminder that certain realities transcend our capacity for expression.
Supreme intuition
Quantum mechanics, for its part, evinces that even at the most rudimentary stratum, nature eschews deterministic delineation. I now apprehend the cardinal import of the concept of brahmānubhava in Shankara's Advaita Vedanta. Brahmānubhava betokens the immediate and intuitive apprehension of Brahman, the Absolute.
Shankara held that this was, ultimately, a moment of supreme intuition, where the certainty of experience surpasses the conventional bounds of rationality. What I find particularly illuminating is that Shankara describes the transition from intellectual learning (panditya) to pure intuition (brahmānubhava) as akin to a quantum leap. Just as in quantum physics, where an electron "jumps" from one energy level to another without passing through intermediate states, so too does the understanding of Brahman occur suddenly and non-gradually, wholly transcending logical reasoning.
This understanding casts new light on Shankara's discussed interest in tantric practices derived from the assimilation of Kashmir Shaivism. Shankara's attachment to his mother, whom he left to become a sannyasin, may have influenced his philosophical devotion to a Mother Goddess. Tantra must have also drawn him for its intuitive component. In the intensity of the experience made possible by the tantric worship of the Mother Goddess, Shankara may have discovered the most efficacious path to that state of abandonment so conducive to the experience of Brahman.
And…so?
To sum up, I perceive in these concepts not a renunciation of knowledge, but rather an invitation to a more humble and open approach. The synthesis achieved by Shankara, who succeeded in integrating ideas from diverse traditions, inspires me to seek connections and points of contact even betwixt seemingly distant disciplines such as ancient philosophy and modern physics. Shankara demonstrated extraordinary intellectual prowess in assimilating many existing traditions without diluting his fundamental thesis on the primacy of Brahman.
This open-mindedness, coupled with a solid philosophical foundation, impels me to maintain an open mind, ever ready to marvel at the mystery of existence, whether I explore it through Vedantic philosophy or quantum physics. For those interested in delving deeper into these fascinating concepts and Shankara's extraordinary life, I can but warmly recommend the book "Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker" by Pavan K. Varma. I found this work to be a veritable treasure trove of teachings and information, presented with exceptional clarity that renders even the most complex concepts accessible.
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