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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
this standpoint is a method which collects and brings together different things or individuals under one class on the basis of a common feature.
When one keeps in view the one generic feature 'existence' that is common to the numerous particular things of a physical or conscious type—thus quietly overlooking the specific features that are equally present there—and treating all these things as of one form reflects, “The entire universe is of the form of existence--for there is nothing that is devoid of existence—and hence one”, then what we have before us is sangrahaпаyа.
The statement 'The soul is one' does not mean that in reality there is only one individual soul. There is a plurality of souls. Each body has a separate soul.' But concentrating on a common quality, viz., consciousness which is found in all souls, one can say that there is one soul.? This is an instance of sangraha-naya.
Similarly, when paying no attention to the variety of types and the multiplicity of units characterising the pieces of cloth that are present there, one keeps in view just one generic feature clothness and reflects, 'What is present here is just cloth', then too what we have before us is sangraha-naya.
In accordance with the greater or lesser extent of the concerned generic feature, one can construe numberless illustrations of sangraha-naya. Thus, the more extensive the concerned generic feature, the more extensive will be the resultant sangraha-naya; similarly, the less extensive the concerned generic feature, the less extensive will be the resultant sangrahanaya. The idea is, whatever views operate by unifying various things on the basis of a generic feature are fit to be placed in the category of sangraha-naya.
Vyavahāra-naya (Practical Standpoint): Even after various things have been subsumed under one form if it is required that they be introduced to someone in a specific form—or if the occasion arises for making a practical use of them—then they have to be distinguished from one another on the basis of a specific form. For example, by being told of just cloth one cannot be made acquainted with the various types of cloth taken separately. Again, he who wants khādi (the handspun and handwoven
1. vyavasthāto nānā /-Vaiseșikasūtra, III (last but one sūtra). This aphorism propounds
the doctrine of the plurality of souls. 2. Țhānanga, Sūtra 2.
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