Jain Journal 1972 10

SR No.: 520028
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1972
Total Pages: 55
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 52

An Examination of the Jaina Theory
of Perception
PUSHPA BOTHRA
The Agamic theory of perception of the Jainas is based on their conception of substance. Substance, according to the Jainas, possesses some permanent qualities as well as some changing one. The permanent qualities are essential qualities of a substance ; they are eternal and changing qualities are the modes. The permanent qualities of the self, for example, are its consciousness (cetanā), etc. and the changing qualities are thoughts, ideas, etc. Similarly, permanent qualities of matter are rūpa, rasa, etc., and changing qualities blue, yellow, hardness, softness, etc. Thus every substance possesses two types of qualities, the permanent qualities being guna and the changing qualities being paryāyal.
The Jainas hold that all the permanent and changing qualities cannot be apprehended by our sense organs nor ihe sense organs are able to apprehend an object in its true nature. It is the self only by which one can perceive an object in its true nature, or with all its (permanent and changing) qualities. In the Agamic sense, therefore, they define perception as a derived knowledge from the self. They called it pratyakşa or direct knowledge, as it arises in the self?. The knowledge derived ihrough the sense organs is not direct hence parokşa.
But in the logical literature the Jainas accept sense perception as pratyakṣa or direct knowledge under the compulsion of circumstances but they distinguish it from the Agamic pratyakṣa by calling it samvyavahārika pratyakşa or pratyakşao in vyavahāra or day-to-day working; the real pratykșa being Agamic pratyakșa which is now recounted as
1 Gunaparyayavad dravyani, Tattvartha Sutra, 5,37.
The word pratyaksa is derived from the word aksa. Aksa here means the self or jiva that shows all objects in space and time. Sarvartha Siddhi 1,12. Pratyaksa laksanam prahu spastam sakaramanjasa dravya paryaya samanya
visesarthatmaiedanam, Nyayaviniscaya, 1,3. · Mukhyam atindriyam jnanam, Akalanka Granthatrayi, p. 2.