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THE JAINA GAZETTE existent. For, it cannot be said to be a general rule that anything appearing when any other thing disappears must be an unsubstantial negation of the latter. It may also be pointed out that a similar line of argument would prove that Light is but the negation of Darkness. Light appears when Darkness disappears. If it be contended that Light has the positive attribute of Heat, it may be said that Darkness also has the positive attribute of Coolness. How then can it be said that Darkness is but the negation of Light ? The fourth argument in support of the negative view of Darkness is thus expressed by Sankara and Vyaya-Bhushana :—The conditions that are requisite for the perception of Light are found to be requisite also for the perception of Darkness ; hence the former is a substance while the latter is its unsubstantial negation. The Jaina thinkers point out that a similar line of argument would show that Light is but the unsubstantial negation of Darkness and that a Pitcher and a Cloth would be but unsubstantial negations of each other. Fifthly, the reason for, the negative conclusion about Darkness is said to be,because there is no cause productive of the alleged substance of Darkness.' Sridhara points out that there cannot be any Darkness-atoms, as no tactual sensations arise from Darkness. The Jainas refute the position of Sridhara by showing that as a matter of fact Darkness does give rise to tactual sensations viz., the sensations of Coolness. They also argue, ' Darkness does give rise to tactile sensations, as it has form, like the Earth.' The fact of Darkness having form, is not unproved. Expressions for example, that 'Darkness is black'-show that Darkness is perceived to have a black form. The next argument in support of the Vaiseshika position that Darkness is but a negation, is based on the fact that it is outside the categories of Substance, Attribute and Activity. The Jaina reply is that the doctrine that Darkness is not a substance is unproved. Similarly, the argument for the negative view of Darkness cannot be built on the fact that it is opposed to Light. Water is opposed to Fire but is not
for that reason an unsubstantial negation. Next,-it cannot Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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