Book Title: Jaina Psychology
Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 48
________________ CHAPTER II CONSCIOUSNESS AND COGNITION According to the Jaina, consciousness is the essential attribute of the self. He admits that consciousness is present even in the state of deep sleep. If it is not admitted, the pleasant experience of a comfortable and sound sleep recalled in the subsequent waking state would be impossible.1 The Jaina thinkers hold that consciousness is not merely a chain of successive momentary flashes but a constant factor undergoing various changes. It is a permanent faculty of the self undergoing various modifications. Broadly, consciousness is said to be of two chief types; determinate and indeterminate. Determinate consciousness is the state of comprehension. It is divided into eight categories. These categories are known as non-verbal (sensory and mental) comprehension (mati-jñāna), verbal (mental) comprehension (śruta-jñāna), clairvoyance (avadhi-jñāna), telepathy (manaḥparyaya-jñāna), omniscience (kevala-jñāna), wrong non-verbal comprehension (matiajñāna), wrong verbal comprehension (śruta-ajñāna), and wrong clairvoyance (vibhanga-jñāna or avadhi-ajñāna). Indeterminate consciousness is nothing but mere apprehension. It is divided into four categories. They are called visual apprehension (cakṣurdarśana), non-visual apprehension (acak şur-darśana), apprehensive clairvoyance (avadhi-darśana), and apprehensive omniscience (kevaladarśana),2 COGNITION AS ONE OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF LIVING BEING The defining characteristic of a living being is consciousness. The main line of demarcation between a living being and a dead entity is consciousness. Existence, origination, decay, permanence, etc., are the general characteristics of all entities. When the Jainas 1 Tattvartha-śloka-värttika, p. 49. 2 Sa dvividhoṣṭacaturbhedah. Tattvärtha-sutra, II, 9. 3 Utpadavyayadhrauvyayuktam sat. Ibid., V, 29.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238