Jaina Epistemology

SR No.: 006738
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1990
Total Pages: 516
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 21 MB

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Epistemology of Jainas
the perception of sandal-wood generates the idea of fragrance through association, which serves as the extraordinary contact in the visual perception of fragrant sandal-wood.
According to Jainism the fragrance of saydal-wood is not perceived. It is the object of recollection, which appears as one with the visual perception. It is recognized as pratyabhijñā, which is a variety of indirect knowledge. The Nyāya holds it as perception. He, therefore, has to explain the experience of fragrance through some abnormal contact.
The cognitions generated by the above-mentioned two con. tacts are not held as super-normal by the Jainas. We are not mainly concerned with them in the present discussion which is related with the supernormal knowledge (3) The contact produced by Meditation
The third variety of extraordinary contact is produced by meditation or yoga. It is beyond the recognized process of contact. Jayanta Bhattal describes the nature of Yogipratyakşa that it can perceive all the objects that are past, distant, hidden, subtle, or have not come into existence as yet. It can perceive dharma which is absolutely supersensible. A Yogin can apprehend all the objects of world simultaneously in one cognition.
Bhāsarvajñas distinguishes the yogipratyakşa from ordinary one in this respect, that the latter apprehends only the gross objects through a physical contact; is dependent of the help of light, time, space and merit or demerit of the person. The yogic perception does not depend upon this help. It is a direct and immediate perception with the apprehension of all the objects, gross as well as subtle, existent as well as non-existent, without the physical contact. Yogic Perception and Divine Preception
Both, the yogins and God equally know all the objects of world, even those as are naturally supersensible as dharma 1. Nyāyamajañri p. 97 2. Nyāyasāra p. 3