Studies in Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001616
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society
Publication Year: 1951
Total Pages: 366
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, Knowledge, Yoga, & Epistemology
File Size: 9 MB

Page 144

111. Iv]
AVIDYA IN THE NYAYA SCHOOL
107
Nyāyasūtra also prescribes mental and physical discipline in the shape of restraint of the external activity of the senses and mind for the purification of the soul. The truth is also to be known from and discussed with the wise by means of questions and answers. It is to be sedulously nurtured and guarded at least in the initial stages from the wanton attacks of sceptics and unbelievers. If the opponents possess superior intellectual resources and if the votary of truth is found unequal to disarm the critic, it is sanctioned by the logical code of the Naiyāyika that the opponent should be gagged into silence even by resort to disputation and wrangling, though they may not be unexceptionable forms of debate. It is to be understood that these devices are adopted by an elderly person who does not wish that the spiritual career of the neophyte should be upset by the onslaughts of designing persons whose sophistical arguments he finds himself unable to refute. When the truth is thus known and realized, the soul gets rid of nescience or delusion (mithyājñāna). The Nyayasūtra prescribes the practice of both ecstasy (samadhi) and pursuit of knowledge (jñāna) for the realization of the truth. If the practice in philosophical pursuit illumines the path, the practice in meditation and ecstasy leads to the attainment of the goal. When the knowledge of truth dawns upon the soul, the nescience or delusion ceases to exist. Describing the process of the cessation of the worldly life, the Nyāyasūtra says: "Apavarga (final emancipation) is attained when of these (factors) viz. duḥkha (suffering), janma (birth), pravrtti (merits and demerits born of volitional activities)," dosas (defects) and mithyäjñana (nescience or delusion)-the preceding one ceases on the cessation of the succeeding one.' With the cessation of nescience, defects i.e. the evil predispositions such as attachment cease. With the cessation of defects merits and demerits cease. With the cessation of merits and demerits, birth and death cease. With the cessation of birth and death, misery and suffering cease. With the cessation of birth the body ceases and how can the suffering exist when the instrument of suffering and misery viz. the body and the like has ceased to exist? This absolute cessation of suffering and misery is called final emancipation (apavarga).5
We have now related in brief the conception of the nature and function of nescience in the Nyaya school. Let us now turn to the Vaiseșika school.
1 See NS, IV. 2. 46.
2 See NS, IV. 2. 47-51. 3 Pravrtti means action, good and bad. But, according to Vătsyāyana, here it means dharma and adharma which accrue from those actions. See Bhāsya, NS, I. Î. 2.
4 duḥkha-janma-pravrtti-dosa-mithyā-jñānānām uttarottaräpāye tadanantarapāyād apavargaḥ-NS, I. I. 2.
5 tadatyanta-vimokso 'pavargaḥ--NS, I. 1. 22.