Brian Black is Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
摘要
Explores the narratives and dialogues of the Upanisads and shows that these literary elements are central to an understanding of Upanishadic philosophy.
This groundbreaking book is an elegant exploration of the Upanisads, often considered the fountainhead of the rich, varied philosophical tradition in India. The Upanisads, in addition to their philosophical content, have a number of sections that contain narratives and dialogues—a literary dimension largely ignored by the Indian philosophical tradition, as well as by modern scholars. Brian Black draws attention to these literary elements and demonstrates that they are fundamental to understanding the philosophical claims of the text.
Focusing on the Upanisadic notion of the self (ātman), the book is organized into four main sections that feature a lesson taught by a brahmin teacher to a brahmin student, debates between brahmins, discussions between brahmins and kings, and conversations between brahmins and women. These dialogical situations feature dramatic elements that bring attention to both the participants and the social contexts of Upanisadic philosophy, characterizing philosophy as something achieved through discussion and debate. In addition to making a number of innovative arguments, the author also guides the reader through these profound and engaging texts, offering ways of reading the Upanisads that make them more understandable and accessible.
目次
Acknowledgments Abbreviations
Introduction
Opening statement What are the Upanisads? The self, life, death, and immortality The historical and social context Characterizing the self Literary characters The social conditions of knowledge Mystery or mystique: The character of knowledge
1. Teachers and students: The emergence of teaching as an object of discourse
Introduction Sandilya and the teaching of atman and brahman Sandilya: From ritualist to teacher Uddalaka Aruni and the teaching of tat tvam asi Uddalaka and Svetaketu: Acting out the upanayana Indra as the persistent student Narada and Sanatkumara: Knowledge of atman as more important than the Vedas Naciketas and the initiation of an Upanishadic brahmin The graduation of a brahmin student in the Taittiriya Upanisad Satyakama and the beginnings of a brahmin hagiography Conclusion
2. Debates between brahmins: The competitive dynamics of the brahmodya
Introduction The brahmodya and the sacrifice Uddalaka Aruni and the brahmodya in the Satapatha Brahmana Yajnavalkya and the philosophical tournament Yajnavalkya’s interlocutors: The social and political implications of debate Yajnavalkya and the tactics of debate Losing face or losing one’s head? The motif of head shattering Upanishadic teachings and material wealth Yajnavalkya and renunciation The life story of Yajnavalkya Conclusion
3. Kings and brahmins: The political dimensions of the Upanisads
Introduction The myth of ksatriya authorship Janaka and Yajnavalkya: Negotiating the brahmin’s position in the court Janaka and Yajnavalkya in the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad Kings as teachers: Asvapati teaches a group of brahmin householders Uddalaka Aruni and Svetaketu: Instructions for how to seek patronage Conflicting agendas for how kings should teach brahmins Upanishadic knowledge as a political discourse The battle of the pranas as a political metaphor Pravahana and the teaching of the five fires Conclusion
4. Brahmins and women: Subjectivity and gender construction in the Upanisads
Introduction The gender of the self: Atman and the male body The self, virility, and immortality Yajnavalkya and Satyakama: Competing ideals of male subjectivity The myth of recovering an authentic female voice Gargi: The debating tactics of a female philosopher Women and gandharvas: The lack of authority for female speakers The ambiguities of Satyakama’s mother and wife Maitreyi and Katyayani: Knowledge of atman versus striprajna Conclusion
