ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationships between theories of causality and theories of reality. The starting point of metaphysics is the common sense view that accepts the differences in our perceptions and experiences as a sign of the different kinds of existence making up reality. The second basic objective of Indian metaphysics is to establish a basis for liberation by showing that there is a level or kind of reality that is free from the limitations of ordinary existence. The third metaphysical objective is to account simultaneously for change and stability. The Vaisesika view of reality begins as a kind of philosophical common sense. It assumes that the fundamental categories of thought substance, quality, action, generality, particularity, and inherence are also the fundamental kinds of reality, an assumption that easily follows our ordinary view that the characteristics of our knowledge are also the characteristics of the world.
