Core Competence - Learnings from Shankaracharya- part 10

Complete list of articles in this series can be found in chapter 1 of this series

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गुशब्दस्त्वन्धकारः स्यात् रुशब्दस्तन्निरोधकः।

अन्धकारनिरोधित्वात् गुरुरित्यभिधीयते॥

The syllable "Gu" means darkness and ignorance. The syllable 'Ru' means eradication of darkness or ignorance. Because of the power to dispel darkness, the guru is thus named.

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Prof C. K. Prahalad, one of the most eminent thinkers of our time has changed the discourse in board rooms. Concepts introduced by Prahalad included fortune at the bottom of the period & core competence which have changed the directions of several companies. Prahalad. Articulated that organizations need to focus on core competence. They should identify core competence, nurture them, and integrate with the culture & progress. There are organizations like ITC, HUL, and Aravind Eye Hospital that immensely benefitted from this thought.

It is interesting to note how Shankaracharya leveraged core competence. We have discussed in an earlier chapter, that Shankaracharya had to bring back the people on the right path to Vedas by accepting Vedas as complete knowledge. 

It is important to note that our country was not a place where people will fight/ kill to make someone convert.  The only way one would do is prosing a better theory that convinces people to adapt. Shankaracharya wanted to convince Buddhists because he know he had superior logic. He helped Buddhists understand the limitations of their understanding & dangers of what they were proposing. 

It is interesting to note that many believe that what Buddha did was to re-establish the core philosophy of Hinduism by getting Hindus to give up a few questionable rituals. He is often referred to as Crypto Vedanti.

Shankaracharya did the same thing with Buddhism and made them understand a few fallacies in their theories and converted to Hinduism. Shankaracharya established a great balance between ritualistic practices & philosophy, which was the real aim of Buddha too.  

While we study Shankaracharya we should not forget to marvel at the culture of this country. They were seekers of knowledge & idea, they truly followed the word “न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं”. India never had problems switching from Hinduism to Buddhism peacefully & then switching back to Hinduism! This was possible because our tradition always allowed multiple faiths to coexist as long as they are driven by logic & can engage in meaningful discussion without violence.

Shankaracharya believed in the fundamental metaphysical and ontological superiority of the Advaitic view presented by Vedas. He understood that this was essential for the people & thus decided to take it to the masses.

To understand Shankara’s logic & approach, one might have to get a bit of background on how structured & scientific are the veda’s & its approach to find the truth 

There are 4 Vedas & each of the Vedas has 4 different parts. 

• Samhita (prayers/ Upasanas/rituals), 
• Brahmana ( Commentary on rituals), 
• Aranyaka( Metaphoric Rituals) &
• Upanishads (Knowledge/ Spirituality part)

Upanishads are also called Vedanta, i.e.heart of Vedas, or essence of Vedas

The ritualistic parts (mostly Samhita) are called the Karma Khanda, which was meant to purify one’s mind.

Upanishads part of Vedas is referred to as Gyan Khanda, which was meant to purify the intellect. One can also see parallels with Yoga as proposed in Bhagavadgeete( jnana, karma & Bhakti yoga) 

While Karmakanda was debated and commented on by different branches, Jnanakanda was either accepted or not challenged.  Jnanakanda proposed by Vedas was so profound that many other branches could easily connect with the janakhanda or at least had nothing to speak against it. 

Another important point to consider was the time of Shankara. 

India ( & perhaps the world) had never seen the prosperity( and never after) that was seen during the Gupta era. The large population was attracted to worldly pleasures when they live and heavenly pleasure when they die. There was a rampant growth of ritualistic attitudes breaking away from the core philosophy of Vedas. Buddhism spotted this challenge and started addressing people who were dissolution with excessive use of Karmakanda.

Shankaracharya with his profound learning understood the real core of Vedas. His Prastana thraya commentaries established the ultimate truth.  Shankara's philosophy was about the unity of the soul and Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes. He was a major proponent of the fact that "Lord Brahma and men are of one essence and every individual should try to develop this vision of oneness." (ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।)

Shankaracharya felt this knowledge & realization alone can help people to attain Moksha & Buddhism which was based on the concept of Shunya, have logical flaws.

Shankaracharya had built his argument based on the proven & established framework to understand the world & truth. This framework was proposed by Vedanta & was similar to the scientific research methodology we follow even today

Vedanta outlines 

·   Accepted and permissible inquiry ( considering supremacy of Vedas)

·   Identifying the scope of inquiry;

·   & a model for structuring the findings of the inquiry.

This methodology when followed there is a clear accepted by all the scholars.

Vedanta also sets some ground rules.

·   first  define all the parameters & relationship between them

·   Define a model to understand & define the goals

In Advaita Vedanta this system a system of logic (Nyaya) is referred to as Adyaropa & Apavada,  It works like this,

·   initially adopt an assumption that may not be proved ( postulate)

·   Establish the fact

·   withdraw or reject that assumption

A very popular example of this is the rajju (rope) &sarpa (snake).

A piece of rope in darkness will be mistaken for a snake. The mistaken perception gets negated when there is light on the object.

Let's define this process of understanding in detail with Shankara’s approach. Shankaracharya uses 

• Adhyaropa ( superimposition, wrong assumption, attribution of a wrong nature or a feature). It is essentially a projection that is constructed by our sense-organs and mind; but, it may or may not exist in reality. Adhyaropa is projecting a snake in a rope that, though it may not be a snake
• Apavada is a negation or withdrawal of what was assumed or attributed or superimposed. This is possible because of factual knowledge. Apavada means the elimination of wrong knowledge through right knowledge. We assumed/misunderstood because rope appeared like a snake & it was merely a transformation. It is called Vivarta (untrue) and short-lived;  But, it vanished when light (knowledge) was brought in.

Our world, similarly, is a projection of the Brahman into an extended world of objects, with the ego experiencing it.  Apavada is dissolving this appearance and letting the truth reveal itself. 

The right knowledge cannot bring any non-existent thing;  nor can it remove already existing one. The right knowledge can only remove false attribution; and, let the real shine forth.

When the false notion is eliminated, no special effort is required to realize the truth.

This Adhyaropa & Apavada employed by Vedanta is similar to how sometimes we teach Newtonian physics & quantum physics or even sunrise & sunset (Sun neither raises & sets is what we will know in reality after we study)

Shankaracharya uses this methodological involvement for explaining Brahman, the absolute truth. Shankaracharya used this strength of his logic & scientific approach as his core competence. This strong logic born out superior intellect of Shankaracharya helped him win over his opponents & fence-sitters alike in strengthening the country of those times in general & Vedic systems in particular. We will see more about the same in subsequent chapters

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