________________
CHAPTER VII
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PERCEPTION
1 The Senses (indriya)
From the Nyāya standpoint perception is an immediate valid cognition of reality, due to some kind of sense-object contact. As such, perception involves four operative conditions or causes, namely, objects, senses, mind and self. What objects can be perceived and how they are perceived by us, we shall see in the next chapter. Here we propose to consider, from the Naiyāyıka standpoint, the psychological questions as to the nature and function of sense, mind and self in perception.
It is generally admitted that perception is primarily conditioned by the activity of the senses in relation to some objects. Hence perception is usually defined in terms of sense-stimulation Even those who refuse to do so have to admit sense-activity as a factor conditioning all perception But there is some difference of opinion as to the exact nature of the senses and their functions in perception. According to the Buddhists, the senses are the external organs (golaka) occupying different parts of the surface of the body The visual sense, for example, is the pupil of the eye, since objects can be seen only when the pupil is in order but not otherwise Thus the endorgans are entrusted by the Buddhists with the function of perception and therefore spoken of as the senses, For the Jainas a sense is the physical organ with a
1 Golakasyendriyatvamiti Bauddhāh, NSV., 3. 1. 30.
