Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t15.32

v1.c7.s7.t15.32

Shankara viewed that the idea of epistemology and theory of reality was closely related to each other. When discussing the reality of thing, he presented “Para” and “Apara”. Correspondingly, “Aparavidya” and “Paravidya” have been put forward in his epistemology. Shankara considered that the inconsistent Brahman is viewed as Apara, which is uneducated, called “Aparavidya”. Brahman is thought as the sole and true Para, ie genuine knowledge or “Paravidya”. In his opinion, supreme and true cognition was acquired only by a variety of false appearances, and was universal to know the truth of Brahman (only the Para).