Atomism as described in Ancient Indian Literature
                                                       Shodo YAMAKAMI

     In ancient India, atomism was established among a group of unorthodox thoughts
such as Jainism,Buddhism and Vaisesikas. It may be appreciated as a sign of natural
philosophy that early Indian scholars considered atoms as the minutest material
causes of things. Consequently, Naiyayikas and Vaisesikas, who have the theory of
origination(arambhanavada)which maintains that some causes including atoms combine
together  and  produce some effects, may be regarded as the scholars of natural
philosophy. But their assertion that an atom is only a mathematical point (i.e.
having only a situation and not having mass) and their theory of pakaja (emergence
of new qualities due to the action of heat) clearly reveals us their limitation
as the natural philosophy. Thus, Indian atomism, despite its promising beginnings,
ended up with becoming one of achievements of theoretical ontology which Naiyayikas
and Vaisesikas, like Eleatic scholars in ancient Greece, were indulged in.
     It should be accepted that in ancient India almost all thoughts,  orthodox
or unorthodox, were not able to go beyond the frame of trasmigration(samsara),
action(karma) and liberation(moksa), which had been formed by 6 or 7 century BC.
Consequently, even such scholars who were eager to analize rationally this phenomenal
world must have done so because they believed to attain their ultimate goal of
liberation through pursuing their own thoughts including atomism. In other words,
atomism was meaningful to them as long as it is a part of the theory of liberation.
In ancient India, therefore, atomism was only a part of Hindu theology at least
after 5 or 6 century AD, although it had been discussed for more than 10 centries.

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