Jain Journal 1990 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 10

JANUARY, 1990
(niyoga-siddhi). To Kumarila, it is the "Soul's experience of its own intrinsic happiness with complete cessation of all kinds of misery”, 12 which is very much like the Advaitic conception. However, the general conception of the Bhattas is the realisation of the intrinsic happiness (ātmasaukhyanübhūti). Parthasarathi Misra13 and Gangabhatta deny this. Narayanabhatta, Bhattasarvajna and Sucaritra Misra clearly admit the element of happiness in the state of mukti, since to them Soul is consciousness associated with ignorance (ajñānopihiitacaitanya).
According to Sankhya, consciousness is not a mere quality but its very essence. It is pure, eternal and immutable. Hence it is not blissful consciousness (ānanda-svarūpa) or stream of consciousness (caitanyapravāha) or material consciousness (caitanya-dehavisista). So Self (purusa) of Sankhya remains "untouched either by joy or sorrow", migration, bondage and liberation.14 Bondage and liberation are phenomenal, which requires the formal and final cessation of all the three kinds of sufferings without a possibility of return.15 This neutral and colourless state of kaivalya is again an unattractive picture with no appeal to the aspirant. Similarly, in Yoga, freedom is absolute isolation of matter from Self. It is only that we can effect a cessation of the highest principle of matter (citta-mahat-buddhi)that the state of absolute isolation and redirection of our consciousness is possible which requires an abstruse practical discipline. However, there is clear amvivalence in Sankhya doctrine of release so far as it says that "that it is the spirit (purusa) that is to obtain release, yet the apparently predominant characterization of spirit is such that it is impossible that it should either be bound or released". 16
Unlike Sankhya-Yoga, the Self in Sankara is not only consciousness but also blissful consciousness, which is the produce of a sense of identification between the Soul and Brahman. Hence unlike Sankhya-Yoga and Nyaya-Vaisesika, there is an intuition of identity instead of an intuition of difference. Unlike Purva-Mimamsa, mokşa, in Advaita Vedanta is not only destruction of individual's relation with the world (prapancasambandha-vilaya), but dissolution of the world itself (prapañca-vilaya),
13 Manameyodaya, v. 26. 13 Sastra-dipika, 125-31. 1. Isvara Krsna, Sankhya-karika. 15 Sankhya-karika and Sankhya-tattva-kaumudi, 64-68 ; Sankhya-pravacana-bhasya,
3.65-84. 16 Godwin, W.F., 'Theories of Consciousness and Liberation in the Sankhya
Philosophy and the Philosophy of G. Santayana', Proceedings of Indian Philosophical Congress 1954, p. 17.