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Atomic Structure of Matter
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THE BUDDHIST VIEW ON NATURE
OF PARAMĀŅU (ATOM) According to the Buddhist Philosophy, the finest of all rūpas (matters) is rüpa-samghātaparamāņu; it is intangible to the senses and soundless and it is astadravyaka.? When there exists Kāyendriya (tactile sense-organ) in it, then it is navadravyaka (having nine elements); when there is aparendriya (internal sense-organ) in it, then it is daśadravyaka (consisted of ten elements). Here paramānu does not mean dravyaparamänu which is one entity and one substance, but it is samghataparamāņu sarvasūksmarūpasamghāta (the finest material aggregate), for there is no finer material entity then this in rūpasaṁghāta (meterial aggregation),
Sarighabhadra maintains the view that the finest part of sapratigha rūpas (impenetrable matters) whose further division is not possible is called paramānu, i.e. a paramāņu cannot be divided into any part by other rūpa (matter) and citta (mind). It is called the finest of all forms of matter, for it has no part. On this ground the name 'sarvasūksma' has been attributed to it, as the finest is called ksana and it cannot be divided into half kşaņa (moment).2 This nature of paramāņu as conceived
1. Kāme astadravyokośaśabdah paramāņuranindriyah
Kāyendriyo navadravyo daśadravyoaparendriyaḥ Abh. K., II. 22; Saptadravyavinirbhāgi paramānurbahirgatāḥ Kāmesvekādhikah kāye dvyadhikaścakşurādişu Abh. D. 65. II, 100; Paramāņu (nu) saṁghātā (7) ityarthaḥ ta evāstau cakşurvijñānadhätvādayo (hitvā seşā daśa) samcitā
Abh. D., p. 25. 2. D'apres Samghabhadra (xxiii. 3. Folio 52a); Parmi les rūpas,
susceptibles de resistance (sapratigha), la partie le plus subtile, qui n'est pas susceptible d'etre scindle a nouveau, s'apelle paramāņu, c'est ā-dire le paramāņu n'est pas
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