Some Problems in Jaina Psychology

SR No.: 001260
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Karnatak University Dharwar
Publication Year: 1961
Total Pages: 205
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 13 MB

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SOME PROBLEMS IN JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
Cetana
From the speculative side, cetanā as a fundamental quality of the soul is pure consciousness, a kind of flame without smoke. This consciousness is eternal, although it gets manifested in the course of the evolutionary process of life in the empirical sense. This empirical consciousness arises from the contact of the sense organs with the objects. Thus, cetanā in its pure form gets embodied with the ātman and comes into contact with the empirical life, with the sense organs and objects. It manifests itself in the form of jñāna and darśana. Jñāna and darśana are, therefore, aspects of cetanā and cetanā is the spring-board from which they arise. It is like the flood of light in which objects are illuminated. It is the psychic background and the psychic halo of cognition in its two aspects, jñāna and darśana. Cetanā, therefore, is the light of consciousness that the soul possesses and through this light the cognition of objects arises.
Now, the problem arises-how to relate concepts like upayoga, cetanā, jñāna and darśana. Upayoga has been described as of two types, jñāna and darśana. We have described upayoga as horme, the psychic force which is driving life and consciousness with a purpose. The purpose may be conscious or unconscious. On the conscious side, upayoga expresses itself into jñāna and darśana. This expression is possible in the light of cetanā. If cetanā were not there, then upayoga would be purely an unconscious drive expressing itself in physiological activities like breathing and blood circulation. But we feel that even these activities are sometimes objects of our marginal consciousness. In any case, there is the psychic overtone of the physiological activities in our lives. This overtone is the light of consciousness, or the light of cetanā which is a permanent quality of the soul. In the background of this light the psychic drive or upayoga expresses itself into cognition, as the light of the lamp enables a man to see the objects. This irresistible force of life makes us cognize objects. Thus upayoga is force. It is the fundamental characteristic of the soul. Cetana is the background of light. It is the fundamental quality of the soul. Cognition like jñāna and dāršana are expressions of the force of upayoga in the background light of cetanā.
The Jaina view of the consciousness as the quality of the soul differs from the Nyāya-Vaiseșika view. Nyāya-Vaiseșika philosophers believe that consciousness is a mechanical and adventitious quality produced by the contact of the various factors inhering in a substance separate from itself. The ātman in itself is unconscious, jada. According to Kanāda, consciousness is produced in a jar through its connection with fire, "agnighatasamyogaja rohitādigunavat". Consciousness is conceived to be a product depending upon a suitable concourse of circumstances. 27
27 Radhakrishnan (8.): Indian Philosophy, Vol. II, Ch. II, Sec. XXIII,