Sadrsya and Mimesis A Comparative Study of Indian Theosophy and Greek Philosophy of Art with Emphasis on Plotinus’ Views

Abstract

East theosophy and west philosophy have some foundatumental topics in common. One of these topics is the unity of existence which is one of the main subjects in Upanishads and appears frequently in Greek philosophy, especially the views of thinkers like Anaxagoras, Plato and Plotinus. Hindu thinkers and Greek philosophers have much in common in the subject of Art and Beauty. The prevailing idea of Mimesis as the essence and nature of Art in views of philosophers like Plato, Aristocrats and in particular, Plotinus appears in Hindu theosophy as the Sadrsya. Likewise, the Sadrsya means resemblance and mimic but the one which concerns heavenly images and upon which rely asceticism, worshiping and particularly, Yoga. This particular approach is largely connected with Plotinus’ ideas in Enneads. He regards Art as the mimic of the sensible images and represents moral and spiritual methods for realizing it. This paper is a comparative study of the views of Ananda Koomara Swamy in explaining and interpreting the theory of Sadrsya and that of the Plotinus regarding Art and the spiritual divine nature of it.

Keywords

• art
• mimesis
• sadrsya
• koomara swamy
• plotinus