Leap Philosophy

(“ajativada”) Leap philosophy affirms
that one can attain complete freedom
from bondage—which in the Indian
context is identified as the end of reincarnation (samsara) and final liberation
of the soul (moksha)—but such freedom cannot be gained by a precisely
specified sequence of causes and
effects. Since gaining freedom is not a
matter of cause and effect, there is no
way to stimulate or influence this
process through one’s actions. Leap
philosophers tend to denigrate the
effectiveness of ritual action as a way to
gain final liberation, except as a
preparatory phase, stressing that
liberation comes only through gaining
inner realization. Sureshvara and
Shankaracharya, members of the
Advaita Vedanta school, dismiss ritual
action, except as preparation for wisdom. Both philosophers believe that
release from bondage comes through
insight gained in a moment of realization, which radically and permanently
shifts one’s perspective on the world.