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SOME POSITIVE JAINA ARGUMENTS..
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capacity, the argument would be inconclusive. 161 Even the examples of jumping, etc. have not been properly understood by the Mimāṁsakas. Jumping as a matter of fact depends upon strength and power, it has. There can be no rigid limit to it. “Through cocentration of mind and use of spiritual power, if one acquires mind-force (manojaya), jumping can reach the highest degree of perfection. 1.69 Similarly, there can be do limit to mental cognition.168 The nature of things depends upon different factors and they vary with the variation of those factors. 104
To the other charge of the Mimāṁsakas that our knowledge suffers from inherent limitations, i.e., we cannot see through ears or hear through the eyes and so on, the Jainas maintain that this objection is again based on imperfect understanding of the reality. Even the cat and bat do see in the night without the help of light. Then the snake perceives sound not through the ears but through the eyes as it has no ears. There are many creatures which do not get sense-percep. tion through the recognised channels of perception. 188 If this can happen in case of these creatures, there is no reason why it should not happen in that of human beings.
It seems to me that the difficulty of the Mimāṁsakas in properly understanding the position of the Jainas is due to certain gross mistakes.
161 śāntarakṣita, Ibid., 3462-3466. 162 For Mjmamsakas' objections and the Buddhists' replies regarding
limitation of sense-perception, see Tattva-sangraha of Santaraksita,
3168, 3421 and 3425. 163 Santaraksita, Ibid., 3164-67 (objections); 3381-89 (replies). 164 Sāntaraksita mentions the case of a fruit known as 'Amalaki' which
is very small, when grown in desert but not outside. Even through eyes, one can see all things if they are improved by the practice of Yoga (Ibid., 3397-3401). He mentions a science of thought-reading (Ikşanika) which if properly practised, brings about telepathie knowledge." (Ibid., 3397-3401). Anantakirti, Laghu-sarva jña -siddhi, p. 117, Prabhācaodra, Pramepa
kamala-martanda, p. 259, JCO-28
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