The Analytical Study of Epistemology in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy with The Help of The Classical Works Called Visuddhimagga

Abstract

This article aims at the analytical study of Epistemology in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy with the help of the classical
works called Visuddhimagga. The main points in studying are divided into 3, namely : The Epistemology in Theravada
Buddhist Philosophy, the Epistemology found in the classical works called Visuddhimagga and the Epistemology in the
classical works called Visuddhimagga along with the Epistemology in other institutes. The important outcome of the
research can be summarized as follows : 1. The Epistemology in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy is the system of thought
aiming at destroying ignorance (Avijja) which is regarded as the important cause of birth, death and rebirth, and causing
knowledge (Vijja) to arise by way of changing the view (Ditthi) and developing them until the right knowledge arises. This
means that the Theravada Buddhist Philosophy aims at looking everthing rightly according to the principle of the Three
Characteristics (Ti Lakkhana) until one understands that everything arises from a cause and a factor. 2. The knowledge in the Epistemology in the classical works called Visuddhimagga is divided into 2 levels :- the worldly knowledge (Lokiya nana) and the supermandane knowledge (Lokuthra nana). 3. The following are the conclusive statements about the epistemology in the classical works called Visuddhimagga and the Epistemology in philosophy held by other institutes :-
3.1 The epistemology in the classical works called Visuddhimagga and the philosophy in Jainism both develop knowledge from experiences to understand all the things rightly. 3.2 The epistemology in the classical works called Visuddhimagga and the philosophy in Sangkhya Philosophy regard that the hightest knowledge is the knowledge which is the cause of extinguishing all kinds of suffering. 3.3 This deals with the epistemology in the classical works called Visuddhimagga and the rationalism.
The first one brings the principle of cause and effect for explaining the truth and emphasizes that the principle of cause and effect cannot enable a person to understand all the truth, because of lack of the experience in consideration. 3.4 This deals with the epistemology in the classical works called Visuddhimagga and the empiricism. The former admits that the touch (bhassa) or nervous touch (Prasada Sambhassa) is the base for realization at the beginning, but at the higher level, it is necessary to depend on the touch arising from the real knowledge evident to oneself. So, the knowledge at the level of touch out of the theory experience is the basic knowledge. It cannot go further to the knowledge to arise within a person. On the contrary, the knowledge at which the classical works called Visuddhimagga aims is the knowledge and the understanding which arises from training inside to be co-relative to the outside knowledge.