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DHARMAPALA'S COMMENTARY
61
“Or some others postulate the aggregate
of atoms'
The advocates of this doctrine say that the aggregate formed of atoms serves as the actual object of consciousness. “Because consciousness arises represent
ing the image of the aggregate of atoms.”
The aggregate is believed to be the actual object of consciousness, since it is born of the aggregate [and endowed with its image]. It is as somebody says: “A thing whose form is represented in a consciousness is really its object.” 12 Both these disputants say: [Here the following thesis is intended to be formulated : consciousness has an aggregate thing as its object; because it is endowed with the form of that aggregate object]. Now, if [the idealist objects that] this reason is invalid and cannot be formulated as such ; for, it lacks an appropriate example just as the second reason which could prove the validity of the first one does. [Moreover, says the idealist, the reason is not recognised by us ; because we do not accept that the image represented in consciousness pertains to an external aggregate thing, nor do we consider real the aggregate apart from its parts i.e. atoms. Therefore we do not have anything external corresponding to the gross form found in consciousness. We may now, answer that] the general quality of atoms (paramāņusāmānyalakṣaṇa) while acting as actual
" We may conveniently read in Sanskrit p. 23, line 20, यत् विज्ञानं यदाकारयुक्तम् , etc. Cf. Pramānavārtika : तत्र बुद्धियेदाकारा JEA FARIyana Il Výtti : 072424 3004124: 1
