Buddhist Theory of Momentariness (A Case Study of Ksanabhangasiddhi of Ratnakirti)

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The Buddhist philosophy attracts special attention of the scholars for its unique ideas and opinions. One is always fascinated to see, how great thinkers have developed the ethical teachings of Lord Buddha in the form of many logical doctrines.

Ratnakīrti, the disciple of Jñānaśrīmitra, has written many philosophical essays to save and establish the Buddhist position. The work 'Kşaņabhangasiddhi' of Ratnakīrti is one of the most important work on Buddhist Theory and it was edited for the first time by Prof. Haraprasad Shastri in 'Six Buddhist Nyāya Tracts'. In this, Ratnakīrti has tried to establish the theory of momentariness by the method of agreement (anvaya) and difference (vyatireka). He has established the syllogism, 'whatever is existent, is momentary like a pot' as advanced by his predecessors to prove the theory of momentariness and concludes that it is not at all fallacious.

Dr. Vibha Aggarwal was born on 4° December, 1962 in Rampur district, U.P., India and brought up at Kurukshetra University. After her schooling from Senior Model School, Kurukshetra, she joined University College in 1976 for B.A with Honours in Sanskrit, securing position in university merit list of top ten students. She pursued post-graduation in Sanskrit from the department of Sanskrit, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, achieving gold medal being first class first.

Her area of specialization was Indian Philosophy. She continued her higher studies by doing M.Phil. In 1983 and was awarded Ph D. degree in May 1992 in the same specialization. She has been a lecturer in Sanskrit in Dayanand Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Kurukshetra from 31.7.1985 to 13.6.2004. She worked as Principal in the same institution, from 14.6.2004 to 12.2.2009. But her passion for academics and research made her leave the job of principal and join as Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Sanskrit, Pali & Prakrit, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra in 2009.

In a short span of two years in the Dept, she has communicated eight research papers for publication, has guided six students for M.Phil. Dissertation and has taken up the task of publishing her research work.

It gives me immense pleasure to introduce to the academic world the present work entitled "The Buddhist Theory of Momentariness" (A case study of Ksanabhanga-siddhi of Ratnakīrti), written by Dr. kshetra garwal of the department of Sankini), Pali & Prakrit, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. This piece of research is a very important contribution to the understanding of Buddhist Philosophy, especially to the theory of Momentariness. In the history of Indian Philosophical thought, study of Buddhist Philosophy occupies a very unique place due to its rational and perceptive outlook. Unfortunately a large number of the original texts (written in Sanskrit and Pali) of the Buddhist philosophy and logic are lost. In course of time, they have been either destroyed by the intruders or taken away by the bhikșus/travelers to the foreign countries like China, Tibet etc. However, with sincere efforts of some enthusiastic scholars like Mahapandita Rāhula Säńkątyāyana, it has been made possible to bring back to India a large number of palm-leaf manuscripts of Sanskrit works from the monasteries of Tibet in the last century. Essays on different philosophical topics written by Jñānaśrīmitra and Ratnakīrti were also a part of the discovery of manuscripts brought by Pt. Rāhula Sāńkṛtyāyana. These essays were later on edited and published by K.P. Jayaswal Institute, Patna with the title Jñānaśrīmitra- Nibandhāvalī and Ratnakīrti-Nibandhāvalī under 'Tibetan Sanskrit Works Series.

It is highly appreciable of Dr. Vibha Aggarwal who has taken a bold step by undertaking research on the Buddhist theory of Momentariness on the basis of Ratnakīrti's Kşaņabhangasiddhi: one of the nine works collected in Ratnakīrti-Nibandhavali. It is really a difficult task to do a critical study of this essay of Ratnakīrti in the absence of its any Sanskrit commentary or any English/Hindi translation. So far as my knowledge extends, before the efforts of Dr. Vibha Aggarwal no one else had undertaken this type of study of Ratnakīrti's Kşaņabhangasiddhi in its fullest form, although some scholars like Prof. Satkari Mookerjee, Prof. D.N.Shastri and Prof. S.N. Dasgupta have discussed it partially in their respective treatises.

The Buddhist philosophy attracts special attention of the scholars for its unique ideas and opinions. One is always fascinated to see, how great thinkers have developed the ethical teachings of Lord Buddha in the form of many logical doctrines. From the period of Dinnaga, the Buddhist philosophy has been converted into a new critical school of logic known as 'Bauddha Nyaya, or Sautrāntika-Yogācāra school. Unfortunately, a large number of the original sources of the scholars of Dinnaga School have been lost or taken away to different countries. However, the scholars in the field of Buddhism are indebted to great Pandit Rahula Sämkątyäyan, who brought many of these sources to India from Tibet.

In Dinnāga School, epistemology (Pramāņa-mimärhsā) and logic (Nyāya) have been given more importance than the metaphysical aspect. Dinnāga wrote many treatises to establish the Buddhist epistemology and due to his special intellect, he dominated over the field of doctrinal controversies between the Buddhist and Brähmanical philosophies. The conflict of the Buddhist was mainly with the Nyaya system. The Naiyāyika was a realist, who believed in the reality of the phenomenal world, but the Buddhist logicians were pure idealists. Denying the reality of external world, they accepted only 'mind' (Vijñāna) as 'real'.

The most interesting thing between the Buddhists and the realists is the chain of debate which is formed due to these conflicts.

This debate continued till 11h century A.D. or so. Dinnāga was the first Buddhist logician who instigated the Nyaya scholars to defend their theories against his attack. Uddyotakara, the Naiyāyika, criticised him in his 'Nyāya-vārtika', who in return was criticised by Dharmakīrti (700 A.D.) in his magnum opus Pramāṇavārtika and other works.

It is my proud privilege to express my deep sense of gratitude to Dr. (Mrs.) Vijaya Rani, Professor and Ex. Chairperson, Department of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra for providing expert guidance, valuable suggestions, regular encouragement and elderly warmth when I pursued my research work. She has been very kind to accept my request to write a foreword for this book. She has always been a source of inspiration when I was a student of Indian philosophy in the Department of Sanskrit.

I extend my thanks to my worthy colleagues in the department whose academic excellence and gentle behavior have inspired me a lot.

My thanks are due towards my parents, in-laws, friends and other relatives, who remained a source of inspiration all throughout. I wish to mention the name of my father, Dr. Kailasn Chandra Vidyalankar, who himself being a scholar in Sanskrit helped me in so many ways.

I have no words to express my thanks to my husband Dr. Ashok Aggarwal, Professor, Department of Botany, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra and my son Rishabh without whose co-operation and support I would have never been able to accomplish this task.

I also express my gratitude to the fond memory of late Dr. Gopikamohan Bhattacarya, Renowned Professor of Sanskrit, and his wife for rendering blessings and best wishes.

I am also thankful to Mr. Ajay Mohan and Mr. Sanju Chawla (Website Computer, IIIrd Gate, Kurukshetra), for typing the manuscript very neatly. The publisher, Parimal Publications, Delhi deserves my sincere and heart-felt thanks for kindly accepting to publish the manuscript. In the last, I express my sincere appreciation to many more who could go unnamed.

**Contents and Sample Pages**