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Hinduism - What Is Limitationism In Hindu Philosophy?

 

Later branches of the Advaita Vedanta philosophical school, one of the "six schools" of traditional Hindu philosophy, employed the Limitationism theory to explain variety.

This school of philosophy promotes monism, or the notion that all things are essentially different manifestations of a single Ultimate Reality known as Brahman.

Despite the appearance of distinction and diversity, proponents say that reality is non-dual (advaita), that is, all things are nothing but the formless, unqualified Brahman.

The assumption of variety, according to Advaitins, is a basic misunderstanding of the ultimate essence of things, and hence a sign of avidya.

Although typically translated as "ignorance," avidya is more accurately defined as a lack of actual knowledge that traps humans in karmic bonds, reincarnation (samsara), and pain.


Is there one avidya that affects everyone, or are there many different avidyas? 

If avidya is a fault that exists inside a person, and if many people may be affected at the same time, is there one avidya that affects everyone, or are there many different avidyas? 


Limitationism claims that there is a single avidya that affects many individuals at the same time.

According to the notion pro, avidya in a person is comparable to the color quality of an item.

Each occurrence of the color blue does not take up a limited amount of "blue ness" in the world; the color blue may be a single attribute of two coexisting things.

Similarly, multiple persons might have the same trait of avidya.


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