Questions of King Milinda Part 02

SR No.: 007682
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 2240
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 38 MB

Page 1082

II ADHYÂYA, 3 PÂDA, 50.
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 Sankhyas 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 pradhana, through which the souls obtain enjoy. ment 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. These qualities inhere in the individual Selfs separately, without any confusion, and that constitutes the samsara-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 Sårkhyas 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 pradhâna), &c.?, 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 Selfs 8. Other
Cognition, pleasure, pain, desire, aversion, endeavour, merit, demerit, and bhavana.
* 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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