Jaina Psychology

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar

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JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
effect. A lamp and the like which are the effects of fire do possess the capacity of illuminating things just as fire has the quality of illuminating objects. Moreover, it is not admitted that conscious activity is an organ in the same capacity in which it is the result. It serves as an organ in the capacity of the most-efficient instrument and becomes the result in the capacity of an act both of which characters are noticeable in it. Take the example of light. It discharges the function of the most-efficient instrument in its character as an illuminator and performs the function of effect in its character as the act of illumination, and plays the role of the agent on account of its independent status. All this is easy to explain from the standpoint of non-absolutism.
Now, let us consider the position of mind as conceived in the system of the Jainas.
POSITION OF MIND
The Nyaya-Vaiseṣikas recognize mind as the internal organ through which pleasure and pain are experienced. The Mimamsaka also recognizes mind as the internal organ. It operates, according to him, independently in the cognition of the self and its attributes, and in the perception of external objects it acts in co-operation with the external senses. The Sankhya also admits mind as an internal sense-organ. In his view, the mind is a sensori-motor organ that partakes of the nature of both the organs of knowledge and the organs of action.1 The Vedantists also recognize mind as an internal sense-organ.
✔As regards the views of the Jaina thinkers, Pūjyapāda writes in his commentary Sarvārtha-siddhi on the Tattvärtha-sutra that mind is the internal sense-organ. It is called 'anindriya' (not-sense) since it does not occupy a particular site in the body nor does it last for a long period, whereas the sense-organs have their seats in the different parts of the body and last for a long time. The mind is, therefore, not a sense-organ in the ordinary sense, but it enjoys a unique status, since it cognises internal activities. It is called notsense (anindriya) in the sense of quasi-sense. Just as a girl is called 'anudara' (without uterus) not because she does not have a uterus
1 Ubhayatmakam manaḥ. Sankhya-kārikā 27.