solipsism and advaita

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Tue, 16 Dec 1997, Sankar Jayanarayanan wrote:

> This is a point of view in Western philosophy called "solipsism" which
> states that (in my version) the only thing that can be verified is oneself.
>
> >From the Websters dictionary:
>
> solipsism n : the philosophical theory that the self is all that you know to
>               exist.
>
> Everything is experienced only "within oneself," bringing us once again to
> expect nothing more than just the experience of oneself. There is no past,
> future, or time itself.
>
> Then my question would be: is this all there is to advaita? Is the experience
> of Rishis simply the same awareness that we feel and the fact that there is
> nothing else? Was Krishna merely preaching solipsism to Arjuna -- which is
> nothing but some cheap argumentation of some second-rate philosophers?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kartik
>

It seems to me that solipsism is more in tune with the charvaka darshan
(from what little we know of it.)  While we also believe in the ultimate
non-existence of time, space etc we don't treat that isn't a carte blanche
to disregard them.  Rather than reject the "outside" world one should know
it and reach beyond it.  Then you can reject it.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>