7.4 Nyāya's critique of Buddhist philosophy

Nyāya and Buddhist philosophies clash on fundamental ideas about reality, knowledge, and the self. Their debates shaped Indian thought, refining logic and challenging traditional concepts.

The Nyāya school critiques Buddhist momentariness and no-self theories, defending realism and the existence of a permanent self. This intellectual exchange influenced other schools and advanced Indian philosophical discourse.

Nyāya's Critique of Buddhist Philosophy

Nyāya vs Buddhist philosophy

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• Ontology
  • Nyāya's realism posits external world exists independently of perception vs Buddhist nominalism views reality as mental constructs
  • Nyāya affirms existence of external objects while Buddhism questions their ultimate reality (chairs, trees)
• Epistemology
  • Nyāya emphasizes direct perception as valid means of knowledge vs Buddhist emphasis on conceptual construction in perception
  • Nyāya upholds inference as reliable source of knowledge while Buddhism scrutinizes its ultimate validity
• Metaphysics
  • Nyāya asserts enduring self (ātman) as essence of individual vs Buddhist no-self doctrine
  • Nyāya views reality as fundamentally pluralistic while Buddhism leans towards non-dualism
• Causality
  • Nyāya proposes material and efficient causes in causal relationships vs Buddhist dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) emphasizing interdependence
• Logic and reasoning
  • Nyāya developed syllogistic logic with five-part argument structure vs Buddhist apoha theory of meaning through exclusion

Critique of Buddhist momentariness

• Buddhist doctrine of momentariness (kṣaṇikavāda) asserts reality consists of discrete, instantaneous events
• Nyāya objects to momentariness:
  1. Fails to account for continuity and change in everyday experience
  2. Cannot explain memory and recognition of past events
• Epistemological implications challenge perception of enduring objects and validity of inferential knowledge across time
• Nyāya's theory of inherence (samavāya) explains persistent relationship between substances and qualities (color in a flower)
• Debate on time nature contrasts discrete Buddhist model with Nyāya's more continuous conception

Arguments against no-self theory

• Buddhist no-self theory reduces individual to five aggregates (skandhas) without permanent essence (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, consciousness)
• Nyāya posits ātman as permanent, conscious entity underlying mental states
• Nyāya critiques no-self theory:
  1. Fails to account for personal identity over time
  2. Cannot adequately explain memory and recognition of past experiences
• Consequences for ethics include questions of moral responsibility and nature of liberation (mokṣa)
• Debate on consciousness nature pits Nyāya's unified awareness against Buddhist momentary consciousness model

Impact of Nyāya-Buddhist debate

• Refined logical and epistemological methods in Indian philosophy
  • Nyāya developed comprehensive pramāṇa theory of valid knowledge sources
  • Buddhists responded with pramāṇavāda, their own epistemological framework
• Influenced other schools: Vedānta engaged Buddhist ideas, Mīmāṃsā defended Vedic orthodoxy
• Advanced Indian logic through formalization of debate rules and inferential reasoning techniques
• Shaped religious discourse fostering Buddhist-Brahmanical intellectual exchange and reinterpretation of traditional concepts (karma, rebirth)
• Left lasting legacy in later Indian philosophy:
  1. Navya-Nyāya school developed sophisticated logical tools
  2. Neo-Vedānta attempted synthesis of various philosophical viewpoints