Meet Sumit K Pandit

In the last post, we discussed some of the ways to investigate the reality aka., means of gaining knowledge. In this post, we will discuss the easiest of them. The three ways of gaining knowledge as discussed earlier are - Direct Perception (Shabda Pramana) Inference (Upmana Pramana) Testimony (Shabda Pramana)  In another earlier discussion, we also saw that direct perception is not very reliable . Similarly, an inference can also be wrong. A classic example of misconception is the example of a rope in a dark room. When we step onto a rope in a dark room we may infer it as a snake. We get terrified but as soon as we find the reality all our fear goes away. This is one of the limitations of gaining knowledge by inference. Scirptures are easiest way to gain Knowledge Testimony is considered the easiest and most accurate method of gaining knowledge. Scriptures are considered the most authoritative easily available testimony of the nature of reality. Scriptures are ...

Now that we have seen, what is the reality, the difference between perception and reality and the faulty nature of our senses, the most obvious question that comes up is – If our senses are faulty, how do we investigate the reality? We already had discussed the notion of using our intellect in brief in the previous discussion, let’s now look at it in a bit detailed manner. Ancient Indian Philosophers called Rishis claimed that there are three main ways to prove if something is true. First one of it is direct perception. So, if you see something written here yourself you don’t need anyone else’s confirmation on the same. This is direct perception or Pratyaksha Pramana. Second is Inference. There are certain things that we already know. When we try to know something by comparing or relating it to something that we already know, then that method is called proving by inference. A classic example is a fire on the hill. When someone sees smoke on a distant hill, he readily infers that ...

Perception and reality are two different things. Normally whatever we perceive we consider it to be real. In philosophy, we question everything. And we can see that our perception is not as trustworthy always as we assume it to be. A very simple experiment can be done by anyone at home. Take three buckets of water, one with warm water, one with chilled water and the last one with normal water at room temperature. Put your right hand in warm water and left hand in the chilled water for some time together. Then move them both together into the bucket with water at room temperature. The right hand will tell your brain that the water is cold while the left hand will experience it as warm. Different People, Different Perception The above image also is a classic example where several blind people try to find out the reality of an elephant by touching it. Based on which body part they touched they all perceived elephant in a different way. One who touched the trunk thought an elephant i...

Initially, I thought to start with an introduction. And for me, introduction means answering the big question of ‘Who am I?’. While I was halfway through the post, I realized that the way I was thinking may seem strange to you, so I started thinking of what should I write to make my next post more comprehensible. I observed that my thought process is guided by the main motive of enquiring The Reality. I normally start with normal perception and then slowly start discarding things that I find unreal. By Lbeaumont (Own work) [ CC BY-SA 4.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons So, what is the reality ? Per Wikipedia, “Reality is the state of things as they exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined.”. It further adds, “Reality includes everything that is and has been, whether it is observable or comprehensible. A still broader definition includes that which has existed, exists or will exist.”. So, this is our understanding of reality. It is the real sense in which things exist...