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Dharmakīrti, The Advocate of Bāhyārtha-Astitva-Vāda • 197
his guru, yet I would like to place that Dharmakīrti was neither a Vijñānavādin of Yogācāra system nor a Sūnyavādin of Madhyamika system, but he was a follower of external objects' existence (BāhyārthaAstitva-Vādin).
Dharmakirti accpet four basic forms of perceptual cognition :-(1) Indriya-Jõānam-Perceptual cognition through sense-organs. When we perceive an object such as ‘Jar', the jar (object) itself is the cause of perception. This type of perception is known as Ālambana pratyaya because of the fact that it depends on external objects. Light is the second cause of eye perception, because in the absence of the light eye cannot perceive a jar. Light is consdiered as an auxiliary cause Sahkāri Pratyaya.
Third reason is the sense organ. This is known as Adhipatipratyaya. Aceptence of Alambana-pratyaya proves our hypothesis.
According to vijñānavādin ‘Jar' object is not real and independent to the experience i.e.'objects are Vijñānākāravićeśāsḥ', but Dharmottar explains - 'grāhyo hi artho vijñānam janayan-niyatapratibhāsam Kuryāt.' The form of object limits the image of vijñana hence the object is the cause for ‘sādņśya’or 'vijñānākāratā'because object is having real external existence.
(i) Mano-vijñānam - Mano-vijñānam means Manaḥ pratyakşa or mental-perceptual-cognition. The difference between mano-vijñāna and indriya-jñāna is that in mano-vijñāna conciousness of senses becomes the Alambana while in Indriya-Jñāna jar etc. Object becomes Alambana. The potentiality of our thinking capacity, without which we do not perceive, inspite of our open eyes, is the fourth cause. This is known as ‘manas' in comparison to the other non Buddhist school of Indian philosophy. This mano-vijñāna is also known as Samanantara pratyaya.
(iii) Atma-Samvedanam or Sva-Samvedanam-It amounts to the manifestation of all cittas (which accept the objects) as well as caittas (which accept the happiness etc. instincts.) I may mention that belonging to the school of Bāhyārtha-Astitvavāda Dharmakīrti accepts two divisions of each object - (a) External (b) Internal.
When an external reality such as a patch of colour is apprehended, .
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