Comparative Study of Indian Science

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: C S Mallinath

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like all other psychical phenomena, develops from within the Soul when its perception-obscuring hindrances subside or are mitigated. It must be admitted that from the metaphysical standpoint, the Jaina theory of Perception can claim much plausibility. It avoids the absurdity of psychological materialism by clearly and emphatically holding that Pratyaksha is a psychical and not a physical phenomenon.
The next question that arises is. What is *Pratyaksha l-or more properly, How much is Pratyaksha?
The philosophers of the Buddhist school come in with their famous doctrine of the Nirvikalpa. The celebrated thinker, Dignaga says, "The Pratyaksha is the psychosis which is free from all sorts of determination and from mistakes." It is akin to what is called Pure Sensation in modern psychology. Such a psychosis consists just in the first result of the contact of the mind with the object outside. We see Something: the very first form of consciousness, the Primum Cognitum,which is wrought and generated in our mind by the Something, immediately after we come across it and even before we attend to it, assimilate it to and differentiate it from the pre-existing mass of consciousness, classify and name it, is Prat-· yaksha according to the Buddhistic thinkers. The