What doesn't exist, be it knowledge, the deceased, or an object, is of concern to us. By tracing the position of non-existent things trough some of the Śaṅkarite literature, the explanation of their occurrence and acknowledgement is uncovered. Non-existent things in general are seen to be absent. Under this analysis of absence all non-existent things may be subsumed by the character of being-away. Advaita Vādanta explains that absent objects are known by a unique means of knowledge. They are attended to as positive entities by non-apprehension. Ignorance and the solution to problems are known by other means even though they have an equally absent character.

Master of Arts (MA)