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ther. His jumping capacity must remain within a narrow limit. Secondly, conceptual and perceptual cognitions are totally different from each other. Perception is very clear and distinct, conception is not. In the stage of meditation the knowledge of a person is conceptual, It cannot be transformed into perception even after a long and hard practice. He cites the example that water and fire are opposite to each other; water may imbibe a certain degree of heat but, on no account it can be transformed into fire.
Dharmakirti replies that the examples of long jump and water cannot be applied to the present case. In the case of long jump the person has to start from the very beginning in every new attempt. A considerable part of the new effort is exhausted in preserving the old capacity from diminution. It does not necessarily add something to the already acquired capacity. With the fall of physical powers the rate of diminution is so high that it becomes impossible even to keep up the old capacity; nothing to say of progress. This is not the case with knowledge. One need not worry about it in respect of the state already reached. The aspirant climbs higher and higher with every new effort. There is no possibility of going down if he is a bit careful. Even death does not hamper his progress. Thus, when the progress is certain and there is no obstruction or any other cause to stop progress in the way, there is no reason why the aspirant should not attain the highest stage; where nothing is left to be known.
Moreover, the capacity of jumping is adventitious. It is not natural with the body or the soul. The body acquires it when certain attempt is made and loses it the very next moment, Consequently, it cannot go beyond a limit. An acquired phenomenon is always limited. The case of knowledge is quite different. It is a natural characteristic of mind. The example of water also suffers from the same defect. The heat generated in water is not natural. It is acquired. Moreover, the water is consumed up by the intensity of heat. So, there is no chance of its being transformed into fire. But, in the case of conceptual
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