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CHAPTER XXXI SANJNI LIVING BEINGS
This chapter discusses the threefold division of living beings, viz. sanjñi, asañiñi and no-sañjñi-no-asañjñi. Siddhas (liberated souls) being neither sañiñł nor asañjñi are called no-sañjñl-noasañjñt (1973). From this standpoint even human beings who have attained kevalajñāna are considered to be on par with siddhas. This is so because though they possess mind, they do not require the operation of mind in cognising objects. All other human beings can be either saññi or asañjñi. The one-sensed, the two-sensed, the three-sensed and the four-sensed living beings are asañiñi. The infernal beings, Bhavanapati gods, Vänavyamtara gods and the five-sensed sub-human beings can be either sañiñi or asañiñi. But Jyotiska and Vaimanika gods are sanjñł only (1965-71).
The găthā occurring at the end of the chapter states that human beings can be either sañiñi or asañjñt. But in sū. 1970 we are explicitly told that all the three divisions are possible in the case of human beings. This means that the gatha in point possibly has in view chadmastha (non-kevalt, non-omniscient) human beings alone.
The Sutra (the text proper) does not clearly state the meaning of the term "sanjñā'. But it considers human beings, infernal beings, Bhavanapati gods and Vänavyantara gods to be asaññi. So, the meaning viz. 'one who has manas (mind) is sañjñt' does not fit in the context. This is the reason why the commentator has to give two different meanings of the term 'sañjñā'. And yet he could not fully remove the inconsistency. Hence he has to offer the clarification that infernal beings and celestial beings are here called sanjñt or asañjñt not on the basis of their possession or nonpossession of manas in this life (for in this life they all possess manas) but on the basis of their possession or non-possession of manas in their previous life (Commentary, folio 534).
Thus it is a matter of research as to what is the meaning of the term sañjñā employed here.
In the beginning of Acārāngasūtra, especially at the occasion of describing the knowledge of previous birth, the term saññāt seems to have been employed for a special type of matijñānaa. "ihame
1. For the usage and meaning of the term sanjña' in Buddhist literature
refer to Pali-English Dictionary' (PTS) and 'Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary Avaśyakaniryukti (gäthā 12) interprets the term 'sañña' in the sense of abhinibodha = matijñana (i.e. cognition had through senseorgans and mind). Also Višeşāvašyaka, 394.
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