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Dignaga's Criticism of the Mimamsaka Theory (M. Hattori)
(42) māna). Thus, according to Kumārila, the compound 'sat-samprayoga' is significant of denying the possibility of the perception of Yogins, which is thought to be operative upon the past or future object.
7)
8)
Now, judging from that Dignaga regards the first half of the sūtra as a definion of perception, it is conjectured that his attack is turned against the predecessors of Sabarasvamin including the Vṛttikära. He is unconscious of Śabarasvamin's view, to say nothing of Kumārila's. Special mention is made of the Vṛttikāra, but no other particular name is referred to in his discourse.
With twelve verses and the commentary thereupon, Dignaga passes strictures upon every term used in the above Mimaṁsaka definition. He treats the term 'existence' (sat) in verses 1-4, 'contact' (samprayoga) in verse 5, 'origination of a cognition' (buddhi-janman) in verses 6-11 and 'man' or 'soul' (puruşa) in verse 12. First of all, the superfluity of the term 'existence' is pointed out as follows:
(Ba) Now,
if [the Mimamsakas are of the opinion that the term] 'existence' (sat) is [used in the sutra] with the purpose of excluding 'non-existence' (dsat), [then their opinion does not hold good, because] it is naturally comprehended [by the effect of the term 'contact' that the 'non-existence' is excluded]. Under any circumstance, a sense comes into contact with 'existence' only [and never with 'non-existence']. [Therefore,] it is improper to mention [the term] 'existence' with the
9)
7) cf. SV, IV, 26-36.
8) It seems that Sabarasvamin puts his interpretation upon the sutra without bearing Dignaga's opinion in mind. From this we infer that Sabarasvamin is not much younger than Dignaga, whose date may be settled at ca. 470-530 A. D., cf. my article, ディグナーガ及びその周邊の年代 (塚本博士頌勝 **) I hereupon propose to assign Sabarasvamin to ca. 490-550 A. D. 4
9) k. 1: sad ity asad-vyudasaya na niyogat sa gamsyate /
samprayogo hi niyamat sata evô papadyate ||
cf. SVK, NR, ad IV, 36.
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