Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 70

REALITY
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school holds that spirit and matter are two independent substances. It believes in seven categories of reality, Matter which is an important factor in the concept of Realism has been shown as eternal, non-momentary and cognisable through one or more means of valid cognition.
Now, we come to the schools of Heterodox Realism. Vaibhāșika and Sautrāntika Schools :
The Vaibhāṣika school of Buddhism belongs to the sect of Sarvāstivādins. The very name of this sect shows that it believes in the separate and independent existence of the objective world. Both the external and the internal existences in the shape of matter and knowledge are real.' Both of them are momentary.
According to the Sautrāntika school of Buddhism, there is an external world which is as much real as knowledge itself. Although the objective world is independent of knowledge or intellect, yet, it is not cognised through direct perception. The Sautrāntikas hold that the existence of the external world (bāhyārtha) is inferred from the various forms of knowledge which forms would not have otherwise existed. In other words, they believe that knowledge assumes various forms which lead us to infer the existence of an external world corresponding to them.
According to the Vaibhāșikas, knowledge, consciousness or intellect is formless, while it has forms according to the Sautrāntikas. The former believes in the direct perceptibility of the outside world, while the latter holds it to be entirely inferential. The Vaibhāṣika system may be called 'Direct Momentary Realism'. The Sautrāntika school may be named 'Indirect Momentary Realism'. Cārvāka School :
According to the Cārvāka, consciousness is not a separate reality. He holds that reality consists of the objective world 1. History of Indian Logic. p.247. 2. Gunaratna's Commentary on Saddarsana-samuccaya, p. 47.