european University Studies the question on salvation with its multifarious dimensions had always been a 8 1 significant subject-matter of discussion from time immemorial. all the religious 9 / traditions attempt to formulate appropriate answers to the questions related XIII this, one of the most crucial issues in theological reflections. Still the concept X remains wide open for further research. It is St. Paul who said that, “For now Santhosh thomas Karingadayil we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:13) Salvation, as St. Paul conceives it, is a face to face vision of god in perfect knowledge merited through the person of Christ and through the gratuitous gift of grace. It is a passage from ignorance to truth, from darkness to light and from death to immortality (Br. Upa. I. iii. 27). From Darkness to Light aims at an enhanced understanding of the concept of salvation, comparing the theological From Darkness to Light and soteriological positions of thomas aquinas and S´ankara. the author has made an admirable attempt in Comparative theology, deciphering and clarify- the Concept of Salvation ing all related concepts of salvation in both the thinkers. in the Perspectives of thomas aquinas and S´ankara t h g Li o t s s e n k r a D m o r F yil · a d a g n Santhosh thomas Karingadayil, born in 1970 in Chempanthotty (India), be- ari K longs to the Congregation of the Friars Minor Capuchins. after his studies in T. philosophy and theology he was ordained priest in 1997. the duties assigned h to him and the pastoral care of the expatriates in gulf motivated him to do his s o higher studies in comparative theology. Having completed his doctorate from h t the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, he is at present serving the needs n a of his province in Kerala. S ISBN 978-3-631-61890-5 Peter Lang www.peterlang.de eHS-23 918-Karingadayil-261890-a5Bre-aK.indd 1 11.03.11 10:40:29 Uhr european University Studies the question on salvation with its multifarious dimensions had always been a 8 1 significant subject-matter of discussion from time immemorial. all the religious 9 / traditions attempt to formulate appropriate answers to the questions related XIII this, one of the most crucial issues in theological reflections. Still the concept X remains wide open for further research. It is St. Paul who said that, “For now Santhosh thomas Karingadayil we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:13) Salvation, as St. Paul conceives it, is a face to face vision of god in perfect knowledge merited through the person of Christ and through the gratuitous gift of grace. It is a passage from ignorance to truth, from darkness to light and from death to immortality (Br. Upa. I. iii. 27). From Darkness to Light aims at an enhanced understanding of the concept of salvation, comparing the theological From Darkness to Light and soteriological positions of thomas aquinas and S´ankara. the author has made an admirable attempt in Comparative theology, deciphering and clarify- the Concept of Salvation ing all related concepts of salvation in both the thinkers. in the Perspectives of thomas aquinas and S´ankara t h g Li o t s s e n k r a D m o r F yil · a d a g n Santhosh thomas Karingadayil, born in 1970 in Chempanthotty (India), be- ari K longs to the Congregation of the Friars Minor Capuchins. after his studies in T. philosophy and theology he was ordained priest in 1997. the duties assigned h to him and the pastoral care of the expatriates in gulf motivated him to do his s o higher studies in comparative theology. Having completed his doctorate from h t the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, he is at present serving the needs n a of his province in Kerala. S Peter Lang www.peterlang.de eHS-23 918-Karingadayil-261890-a5Bre-aK.indd 1 11.03.11 10:40:29 Uhr From Darkness to Light European University Studies Europäische Hochschulschriften Publications Universitaires Européennes Series XXIII Theology Reihe XXIII Série XXIII Theologie Théologie Vol./Bd. 918 PETER LANG Frankfurt am Main · Berlin · Bern · Bruxelles · New York · Oxford · Wien Santhosh Thomas Karingadayil From Darkness to Light The Concept of Salvation in the Perspectives of Thomas Aquinas and S´ankara PETER LANG Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. Zugl.: München, Univ., Diss., 2011 D 19 ISSN 0721-3409 ISBN 978­3­653­00912­5 © Peter Lang GmbH Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften Frankfurt am Main 2011 All rights reserved. All parts of this publication are protected by copyright. Any utilisation outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to prosecution. This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming, and storage and processing in electronic retrieval systems. www.peterlang.de V Acknowledgements An endeavour such as this would remain woefully incomplete without an ex- pression of gratitude to those who made its completion possible. It is due to the selfless assistance of a number of good and great people that I could actualize this project. First and foremost I must thank God the Almighty for His provi- dence and enlightenment all through my life and especially during my studies in Germany. I express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Dr. Armin Kreiner, the moderator of my thesis. He has made himself always available for discussions and it is his timely guidance and valuable corrections that made this project bear fruit. I am greatly indebted to Prof. Dr. Andreas Wollbold, the second reader, for his just and thought provoking suggestions and criticisms. Prof. Dr. Manfred Heim too deserves a special mention for his encouragement and support. I extend my sin- cere gratitude to Rev. Dr. David Francis Peramangalam for having taken the pain to read and to correct the manuscript and for his rigorous and insightful comments. The tedious work of proof reading was done by Rev. Fr. Francis McHenry O.S.B, Fr. Basil O.S.B, Rev. Dr. Jan Bernd Elpert and Frau Julia Ros- nyak. I place on record their selfless effort and good will in meticulously cor- recting the language and technicalities of the manuscript. I extent my thanks to Rev. Bro. Thomas Jaccob, Provincial of St. Joseph’s Province Kerala, for granting me the permission for higher studies and to Rev. Bro. Scaria Kallor, my own Provincial and the Definitors and to Rev. Bro. Ste- phen Jairaj, my previous Vice-Provincial, for their unassuming fraternal care and support during my studies. With deepest sense of gratitude I acknowledge the brotherly understanding and support of Rev. Bro. Josef Mittermaier, the pre- vious provincial of the Bavarian Province and his Definitory. I must also thank Rev. Bro. Chistophorus Goedereis, the present provincial of the German Prov- ince and his Definitory, for their continued support and encouragement in actu- alizing this project. I will gratefully remember the brothers of St. Joseph’s com- munity with whom I shared my fraternity. They have all a share in the fruition of my work, especially, Bros. Wolfgang Eggerbauer, Werner Labus, Andreas Kais- er, Marinus Parzinger and Sunil Kachappally. I bow in gratitude before my be- loved Parents brothers and sisters for their unbound love and prayers. Finally I thank all my Confreres, Rev. Sisters, relatives and friends without whose encou- ragement and assistance this study would not have reached the present form. I acknowledge my indebtedness to all of them. VII Table of Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. V Abbreviations Used ......................................................................................... XIII General Introduction ............................................................................................. 1 PART I: From Bondage to Salvation ................................................................ 7 Chapter 1: Sinful Man in Need of Salvation .................................................... 7 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 7 1.1The Creation Narrative, a Christian Perspective ...................................... 8 1.2 Aquinas’ Understanding of Creation ...................................................... 9 1.2.1 God, the One and the Highest Good ........................................... 12 1.2.2 Creation of Man and the Image of God in Man .......................... 13 1.2.3 Body and Soul ............................................................................ 17 1.3 Sin, a Black Mark in the History of Salvation ...................................... 19 1.3.1 The First Fall as Original Sin ....................................................... 21 1.3.2 Original Sin as Sin of Nature ....................................................... 25 1.3.3 Original Sin and Actual Sin ......................................................... 28 1.3.4 Causes of Sin ................................................................................ 30 1.3.4.1 Human Will as the Cause of Evil ..................................... 31 1.3.4.2 The Role of Ignorance ...................................................... 32 1.3.4.3 God and the Devil as Persuaders of Sin ........................... 35 1.3.5 Effects of Sin ................................................................................ 38 1.3.5.1 Original Sin as an Effect of the First Fall ........................ 39 1.3.5.2 Loss of Original Justice ................................................... 39 1.3.5.3 Stain of Sin on the Soul ................................................... 42 1.3.5.4 Loss of Supernatural Qualities ......................................... 43 1.3.5.5 The Evil of Death ............................................................ 45 1.3.4.6 The Triple Alienation ...................................................... 48 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 50 Chapter 2: From Avidya to Mukti .................................................................... 53 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 53 2.1 Brahman, the Only Supreme Reality .................................................... 53 2.1.1 Nirguna Brahman, the Way of Negation ..................................... 56 2.1.2 Saguna Brahman, the Way of Affirmation .................................. 56 2.1.3 Nature of Brahman ....................................................................... 57 2.1.3.1 Brahman as Pure Sat ....................................................... 58 VIII 2.1.3.2 Brahman as Pure Cit........................................................ 59 2.1.3.3 Brahman as Pure Ananda ................................................ 59 2.2 The Creation of the World .................................................................... 61 2.3 Atman, the Principle of Breath .............................................................. 66 2.3.1 The Notion of Jivatman and Paramatman ................................... 67 2.3.2 Body and Soul .............................................................................. 69 2.3.3 The Different States of the Soul ................................................... 72 2.3.3.1 The State of Dream ......................................................... 72 2.3.3.2 The State of Deep Sleep .................................................. 73 2.3.3.3 The State of Waking ........................................................ 74 2.3.3.4 The State of Swoon ......................................................... 75 2.4 The Advaitic Notion of Bondage .......................................................... 76 2.4.1 Body and the Sense Objects ......................................................... 76 2.4.2 Maya, the Mysterious Power of Brahman ................................... 77 2.4.2.1 Vivekacudamani on Maya ............................................... 79 2.4.2.2 The Characteristics of Maya ........................................... 80 2.4.3 Ego as the Cause of Bondage ....................................................... 81 2.4.4 Avidya as the Prime Cause of Bondage ....................................... 83 2.4.4.1 The Conception of the Term Avidya ............................... 84 2.4.4.2 The Origin and Nature of Avidya .................................... 86 2.4.4.3 Maya and Avidya ............................................................. 86 2.4.4.4 Avidya as Superimposition .............................................. 87 2.4.4.5 Ignorance or Avidya as Limitedness ............................... 88 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 90 PART II: Process of Salvation ......................................................................... 91 Chapter I: Ways and Means of Salvation, Aquinas’ Approach .................. 91 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 91 1.1 Acquisition of Knowledge as the First Step .......................................... 92 1.2 Faith, the Key to Salvation .................................................................... 96 1.2.1 Faith in the Sacred Doctrines, A Necessity for Salvation ............ 98 1.2.2 Faith and Purity of Heart ............................................................ 100 1.3 Christ as Mediator of Salvation ........................................................... 101 1.3.1 Incarnation as a Plan of Salvation .............................................. 103 1.3.2 The Mission of Christ, a Ministry of Salvation ......................... 106 1.3.3 Paschal Mysteries, the Salvific Mysteries of Christ .................. 108 1.3.3.1 The Salvific Meaning of the Suffering of Christ ........... 109 1.3.3.2 The Effects of the Passion of Christ............................... 114 1.3.3.3 Resurrection and Ascension, the Ultimate Victory ....... 116 1.4 Grace, the Medium of Salvation ......................................................... 119