Indian Philosophy

SR No.: 006972
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Sanskrit Sanskriti Granthmala
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 162
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 14 MB

Page 107

98
INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
to sense-organs cannot take place simultaneously Jainas say that there is an Agamic rule that two upayogas cannot take place simultaneously. The term 'upayoga' yields more than one sense - (1) prakāśarūpatā of citta (= ātmā), (2) darśanasakti, (3) jñānasakti, (4) manifestations of darśanasakti, (5) manifestations of jñānasakti, (6) mental operation or attention or concentration. In this context those who accept upayoga in the sense of darśana-manifestations seem to be wrong. In this context we should understand upayoga in the sense of 'mental attention. Though mind is body-sized it can concentrate on or attend to one thing only at a time. Mind cannot attend two sensations or things at a time. But this does not mean that there cannot occur two or more sensations simultaneously. Two or more sensations due to sense-organs can occur simultaneously because they do not involve any mental'attention. But Jainas have not accepted this. Buddhists seem to be right in their stand. The Vaiseșika procedure of the origination of the sensory cognition being what it is the Vaišesika philosophers cannot help rejecting the simultaneous occurrence of two or more pure sensations due to senseorgans. Jainas have not thought over this problem seriously. If they would have done so, they would have been with the Buddhists because their epistemological foundations are almost indentical with those of the Buddhists. This will be clear from the concluding portion of this essay."
Jainas do not accept the simultaneous occurrence of a darśana (rather darśana-manifestation) and a jñāna (rather jñāna-manifestation). This view of theirs is not objectionable in the case of yogi-jñānas and yogidarśanas (otherwise called kevali-jñānas and kevali-darśanas). When it is said that in the case of a kevali the two upayogas cannot take place simultaneously,18 what is meant is that yogi-jñāna and corresponding yogi-darśana cannot take place simultaneously. This is inevitable because yogi-jñāna airses in savikalpa dhyāna which invariably precedes nirvikalpa dhyāna in which arises the corresponding yogi-darśana. But in the case of jñānas and darśanas of ordinary persons Jainas should have maintained that a jñāna and a darśana can occur simultaneously. On the contrary, Jaina logicians explicitly reject the possibility of their simultaneous occurrence.99 Here again they are influenced by the view of Nyāya-Vaiseșika thinkers. Nyāya-Vaiseșika theory of mind and its function in the orignation of cognitions being what it is, the NyāyaVaiseșika thinkers reject the possibility of the simultaneous occurrence of any two cognitions.80 Jainas are wrong in following the NyāyaVaiseșika philosophers in this matter. They should have agreed with the