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ON THE PROBLEM OF JNANA-DARŠANA
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citta, resulted from renouncing the attachment to metaphysical views, preconceived notions and inherited doctrines. For the truth-seeker this is the must because only such a clear citta can grasp the truth when confronted in the search. In this sense of clarity of citta, we may describe this darśana as nirākāra. It has no content. All the views, notions and doctrines, for the truth-seeker, fall in one category. They all are sādhya or pariksya, none of them is siddhānta (final truth).
Let us remember here that it is very difficult to free oneself from the views and doctrines among which one has been brought up and which one has indiscriminately accepted, not only accepted but have been made so deeply rooted in one's being that they have become a part and parcel of one's personality. So, for truth-seeker the most difficult task is to free himself from them. After freeing himself from them he should examine them and accept them only if he finds them true.
Regarding the doctrines and views of others he should not accept them on authority. That is, he should neither accept them nor reject them. He may accept them provisionally to test and verify them. This is the reason why our Acāryas appeal to us not to accept their statements on authority, they ask us to examine them and to accept them if they are found true and reject them if they are found false. This attitude that they demand from their hearers is nothing but samyag-darśana. Let me quote here the words of Ac. Haribhadra :
pakşapāto na me vire na dveṣaḥ kapilādiņu / yuktimadvacanam yasya tasya kāryaḥ parigrahaḥ 115 In different words sāntideva has said the same thing. He says : ‘yat kiñcin, Maitreya, subhāṣitam sarvam tad Buddhabhāṣitam
After reasoning and logical thinking if the truth-seeker finds the doctrine or view to be most probably true, his darśana (= drsti = śraddhā) becomes sakāra. He is convinced of the truth, but does not see the truth. Mere reasoning and logic is not enough for seeing the truth of the doctrine. For that the truth-seeker should take recourse to meditation on that doctrine. When in meditation he sees the truth of the doctrine his citta becomes free from or clear of (samprasāda) whatever doubts it had regarding the truth of the doctrine.? Thought (vitaraka-vicāra) retires. This clarity, as it is, is free from thought. In this sense we may describe it as nirākāra. Thus perfect drsti is nirākāra, though it has full content (pūrmasatya).
So long as truth-seeker has not seen the truth he has readiness-to
