Alamban Pariksha

Author(s): Dinnaga, Dharmapala, N Aiyaswami Shastri
Publisher: Adyar Library

Page 66

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ĀLAMBANAPARĪKŅĀ [As regards the nature of] the object, [declares the author,] consciousness grasps only the form of its own ; because it arises in that form ’. Though the atoms are causes of consciousness, they do not possess the form reflected in consciousness just like the sense-organs. Therefore they cannot become its actual objects (ālambana).
Though: aggregates of atoms are alike the image of consciousness, [they cannot become its actual objects ;] because
2a. The consciousness does not arise from what is represented in it.
What object produces the consciousness endowed with the image of the object, is properly said to be the actual
The following extracts are translations from the French of Vinitadeva's commentary on the Alambanapariksā. They are first translated into French from the Tibetan version of the commentary by Mrs. Susumu Yamaguchi and H. Meyer, and incorporated into their French translations of the Alambanapariksā published in the Journal Asiatique, Jan.-Mar. 1929.
[The opponent says:] If consciousness were not capable of being what possesses the form of atoms; it could perceive itself. Why will not (then) the atoms, while producing the perception, become the object (vişayır)? The author replies the following.
Speaking otherwise, beyond the production of the form of object, consciousness cannot conceive the object (vişaya).
That is to say, if a consciousness does not manifest itself under one form particularly adapted (pratiniyata) to the atoms, how can it conceive their proper existence ? [And] if it does not conceive (the atoms), how can they (atoms) become the object ?
Though (the organ] is the cause (that produces consciousness), it is not capable of being the object itself; because the consciousness which is born of this (organ] does not grasp the proper nature of the organ.
In order to refute the opinion of the opponent who maintains that the aggregate is the object (artha), the author says the following:
® [The opponent asks :) When one understands that (the representation is not produced by this aggregate, why could not