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Epistemology of Jainas
state of Arhatship or Jivanmukta, Mohanlya disappears totally while Vedanlya contiues, which can prodnce pleasure and pain in that state also. If it is said that pleasure and pain are generated by the presence of the desired and undesired ohjects respectively; they are not possible in the state of an Arhat, who has no desire at all on account of total destruction of Mohaniya. For this, our reply is, that congeniality or reverseness to the physical structure also sometimes produces pleasure and pain. An Arbat also feels the pain of pricking a nail intu his body and the pleasure of soft touch. The only distinction between him and a layman is that he is not affected er delighted on such occasions, while the latter does. The distinction between knowing and feeling, in the case of an Arhat, is very minute. We can explain it in the following way :
The feeling of pleasure and pain can be divided into two types : mental and physical. Passion, hatred, love, anger and all other psychical states produce the first kind of feeling and it is the result of Mohansya karman, which does not exist in Arbats. The feeling generated by the effect of bodily states, such as disease, heat or coldoess, burt etc. constitutes ihe second type; which results from the presence of Vedaniya karman. This feeling exists in the case of Arhats also. It is inevitable with the existence of body. An Arhat knows the pricking of nail in the body of other person as well as in his own. But, he does not feel it which is confined to his body only. This constitutes the difference between feeling and knowing.
Feeling and Knowledge
Dharmak Irti identifies feeling with knowledge. He says that knowledge and feeling are not different from each other as they are produced by the same cause. In his view the difference in effect must have difference in the cause. The Jainas hold
1. Pramāņavārtika II 251
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