Questions of King Milinda Part 01

SR No.: 007681
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1890
Total Pages: 2695
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 47 MB

Page 522

II ADHYAYA, 3 PÂDA, 50.
69
effect of Nescience, so that from the removal of the latter there results the cognition of the soul being in reality nothing but Brahman.
For those, on the other hand, who maintain that there are many Selfs and all of them all-pervading, it follows that there must be a confusion of actions and results.-In what way?-According to the opinion of the Sânkhyas there exist many all-pervading Selfs, whose nature is pure intelligence, devoid of qualities and of unsurpassable excellence. For the common purpose of all of them there exists the pradhâna, through which the souls obtain enjoyment and release.-According to the followers of Kanada there exist many all-pervading Selfs, but they are, like so many jars or stools, mere substances and unintelligent in themselves. With those Selfs there co-operate the internal organs (manas), atomic and also unintelligent. From the conjunction of these two classes of substances, viz. the Selfs and the internal organs, there spring the nine special qualities of the Selfs, viz. desire, &c.1 These qualities inhere in the individual Selfs separately, without any confusion, and that constitutes the samsâra-state. Final release, on the other hand, consists in the absolute nonorigination of those nine qualities.
With regard to these opinions we remark that, as far as the Sankhyas are concerned, their doctrine that all Selfs are of the nature of intelligence, and that there is no difference between them in the point of proximity (to the pradhana), &c. 2, implies that, if one Self is connected with pleasure and pain, all Selfs will be so connected.-Well but, the Sankhya might reply, a difference (in the connexion of the individual Selfs with pleasure and pain) may result from the circumstance that the activity of the pradhana aims at the isolation (emancipation) of the Selfs3. Other
1 Cognition, pleasure, pain, desire, aversion, endeavour, merit, demerit, and bhâvanâ.
* The &c. implies the non-activity (audâsînya) of the Selfs.
And therefore proceeds in a special definite direction capable of effecting in the end the emancipation of some particular Self.
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