Sree Narayana Guru (1856–1928), an enlightened seer, represents Vedanta as a Science of Consciousness or pure Epistemology. This book deals with Guru’s epistemology and shows how it can eliminate many of the problems in philosophy and life. The Guru conceives Consciousness or Arivu as the one all underlying Reality that assumes the form of everything in the world, both mind and matter. Epistemologists are usually either idealists or realists, but the Guru is neither. To him there is no need to place one above the other since they are two manifest forms of one Consciousness. Many eminent persons have tried to solve the problem of consciousness, but could not succeed because they were not ready to consider man as a pure being and the essence of the world as Consciousness. To the Guru, in every event of knowing there is the coming together of subject, object and also the function of knowing. These three are Consciousness in essence. What we really need is awareness of it. All kinds of divisiveness, conflicts and crises can be solved through an awakening of the inner consciousness of man which is non-different from the one all underlying Reality titled Brahman, Atman or Consciousness. CONTENTS Foreword – Swami Muni Narayana Prasad Preface Abbreviations 1. Introduction What Is Epistemology? 2. The Philosophy of Sree Narayana Guru Advaita Vedanta A Brief History of the Guru’s Life Education and Teaching Publically Accepted as a Guru Sivagiri A New Temple Culture Begins Janani Navaratna Manjari Advaita Ashram Objectives of Advaita Ashram: Institution without Differences of Caste and Religion All Brotherhood Meet The Parliament of Religions Mahatma Gandhi’s Visit Rabindranath Tagore Visits Narayana Guru Mahatma Gandhi Visits Narayana Guru Sivagiri Pilgrimage Institutions Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Narayana Gurukula Mahasamadhi Great Persons Who Visited Sivagiri and Pay Homage to Sree Narayana Guru Chief Disciples Advaita Vedanta of Narayana Guru Atman–Brahman The Individual The Nature of “I” Avidya and Vidya The World Maya Aesthetics Aesthetics as Philosophy of Beauty and Art Svanubhava Giti (Verses 11-20) Kali-Natakam (First 9 Lines) Ethics Kindness and Ahimsa The Guru’s Concept of Caste Varna and Jati Jati-Mimamsa Jati-Laksanam Religion Meaning, Definitions The Role of Religion Concept of Religion The One Religion of the Guru The Unique Method God Temples Prayer Daiva-Dasakam Rites Homa Mantra 3. Indian Systems of Knowledge Nature and Function of Pramana Psychology of Knowledge and Epistemology of Knowledge Consciousness and Cognition Types of Pramanas Perception (Pratyaksa) Indeterminate (Nirvikalpaka) and Determinate (Savikalpaka) Perception (Pratyaksa) Ordinary (Laukika) and Supernormal (Alaukika) Perception (Pratyaksa) Inference (Anumana) Svartha (Three-Propositional Syllogism) Aristotelian Syllogism The Parartha Syllogism Testimony (Sabda: Aptavacana) Comparison (Upamana) Arthapatti (Postulation) Non-Apprehension (Anupalabdhi) The Nature and Criterion of True Cognition Theories of False Cognition (Khyativada) 4. Western Theories of Knowledge Analysis of Knowledge The Belief Condition The Truth Condition The Justification Condition Justification of Knowledge (Foundationalism) Coherentism Internalism and Externalism Reliabilism and Probabilism Gettier Problem The Origin of Knowledge Scepticism Academic Scepticism and Pyrrhonian Scepticism Naturalized Epistemology Evolutionary Epistemology Phenomenology Hermeneutics Schleiermacher Dilthey Heidegger Gadamer From Eidetic Phenomenology to Hermeneutic Phenomenology 5. Epistemology of Narayana Guru Arivu (Epistemology of Gnosis) (tr. Nataraja Guru) AUM or Pranava Neither This Nor That, but AUM The Word and the Silence Origin of Knowledge Structure of Knowledge Nirupadhika Jnana and Sopadhika Jnana Atma-jnana and Anatma-jnana Yathartha-jnana and Ayathartha-jnana Jiva-jnana and Indriya-jnana Para-jnana Manifestation of Consciousness as “the Known, the World” Differentiation of Bhanas Sthula-Bhana Suksma-Bhana Karana-Bhana Turiya-Bhana Another Scheme of Self-Manifestation Adhyasa Validity of Knowledge Perception (Pratyaksa-jnana) Inference (Anumana–Anumiti-Jnana) Comparison (Analogy–Upamiti-Jnana) Method of Absolute Knowledge Prerequisites for Absolute Knowledge Tapas The Way to a Unified Science of the Absolute: The Western View A New Way in Physics Albert Einstein (1879–1955) Erwin Schrödinger (1887–1961) Normalization and Neutralization of Scientific Thinking Sir Arthur Eddington (1884–1944) Henri Bergson (1859–1941) The Science of Sciences Conclusion Appendix I Philosophical Works Atmopadesa-Satakam One Hundred Verses of Self Instruction: (English translation by Nataraja Guru) Darsana-Mala: Garland of Visions (English translation by Nitya Chaitanya Yati) Advaita Dipika (The Lamp of Non-Duality) (English translation by Nataraja Guru) Arivu: Epistemology of Gnosis Malayalam: Quoted in Chapter 5 Brahma-Vidya-Pancakam (Brahma-vidya in five verses) Daiva-Dasakam (Ten verses on God) Vedanta-Sutras Slokatrayi Homa-Mantram (A Revelation of Agnihotra) Nirvrti-Pancakam Hymns Works of Moral Value Translations Appendix II Dr Zakir husain Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma K.R. Narayanan Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Rajiv Gandhi Narendra Modi Acharya Vinoba Bhave Jawaharlal Nehru Shri V.V. Giri Shri Jagajeevan Ram Swami Chinmayanandaji Bibliography Index Name Index