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THE JAINA THEORY OF MATTER 101 he said that there is nothing to support the doctrine of the substantiality of Darkness. The very expressions viz , 'deep darkness,''waves of darkness,' etc. etc. show that Darkness is conceived as a substance. Lastly, it may be pointed out that there is difficulty in conceiving Darkness as but the negation or non-existence of Light. For, of what kind of Non-existence would it be? Darkness cannot be the prior non-existence' of Light; for, it would then be impossible for Darkness to reappear after once Light has appeared. The 'prior nonexistence of a thing cannot recur after once the thing has come into existence. Similarly, Darkness cannot be treated as 'the posterior non-existence' of Light; for, it would then he impossible for Light to reappear after once Darkness has come up. The prior non-existence' has no beginning and the ' posterior non-existence' has no end. Thirdly, Darkness cannot be the reciprocal non-existence' of Light as it can appear even on a well-lighted day. Fourthly, Darkness is not 'the absolute non-existence' of Light in as much as Darkness is due to its own peculiar causes and conditions."
(Vide My Translation of Pramana-naya-talloalokalamkara).
The Jainas are thus upholders of the theory that Darkness and shadow are modes of Matter.
We are not to decide here which of the two theories of Darkness—the Nyaya and the Jaina-is correct and acceptable. We simply want it to be noted in this connection that Ananda jnana, the Vedanta thinker, while criticising the Nyaya doctrine of the reality of substances, states, “ To hold that substances are nine in number is not correct ; for, the reality of Darkness as the tenth substance may also be established by reasoning."
Sabda. Sound, as already noted, is neither a primary substance nor an attribute of Akasa, according to the Jainas. It is a modification of material mass. “Sound,” says the author of the Panchasti kaya, “is produced by Skandhas which are aggregates of Paramanus. When these come in contact with one another sound is generated." According to the Jaina writers,
14 Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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