The Self’s Awareness of Itself by ALEX WATSON

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The Self’s Awareness of Itself: Bhaṭṭa Rāmakaṇṭha’s Arguments Against the Buddhist Doctrine of No-Self is a scholarly work that examines the philosophical debate between Hindu Śaiva Siddhānta and Buddhist thought on the nature of the self (ātman). The book delves into the 9th–10th century Kashmir Śaiva philosopher Bhaṭṭa Rāmakaṇṭha’s critique of the Buddhist doctrine of anātman (no-self), which denies the existence of a permanent, independent self. Rāmakaṇṭha, a key proponent of Śaiva Siddhānta, argues that consciousness is inherently self-aware, rejecting the Buddhist claim that consciousness is a momentary and selfless process. Through logical reasoning and scriptural analysis, he defends the eternal, unchanging self, asserting that self-awareness is fundamental to cognition and cannot arise from impermanent mental states. This book is a significant contribution to Indian philosophy, comparative metaphysics, and the historical discourse on selfhood, appealing to scholars of Hindu and Buddhist thought, consciousness studies, and classical debates on personal identity.