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Jaina View of Life
Avagraha has been further distinguished into two stages : i) vyañjanavagraha and ii) arthāvagraha. Vyamjanavagraha is the earlier stage. It is a physiological stimulus condition of the sensation of the immediate experience. In the Viseşā vasyaka Bhāşya we get a description of Vyañjanāvagraha. There it is said that what reveals an object, as a lamp reveals a jar, is Vyañjanāvagraha. It is only the relation of the sense organ and the object in the form of sense stimulation such as sound. In the Nandisūtra, we get an example of the earthen pot and drops of water, mallaka-drstānta. It gives a description of the stage of Vyañjanāvagraha. A clay pot is to be filled with water. In the beginning, when a person pours out one drop of water, it is absorbed and there is no sign of existence of water. He goes on pouring drops of water and at a certain stage a drop of water will be visible. Then the water begins to accumulate. We may call this stage when the water becomes visible the 'threshold of saturation'. The drops of water below the threshold are all absorbed. Similarly, a person who is asleep receives sound stimulation successively for some time. The sound atoms reach the ears. Innumerable instances have to occur before the ears become full of sound atoms. At a particular stage, the person becomes conscious of the sound. So far he was not aware of the sound although the auditory stimulation was pouring in. We may call this stage of first awareness 'the threshold of awareness'. The sensation of sound starts the moment the threshold is crossed and we become aware of the sound. That is the immediate experience of sound, arthāvagraha. So far there was no awareness of the sound although the conditions of stimulation for such awareness were operating below the threshold.?? The stimulus was pouring in constantly although no awareness of sound was possible up to a particular stage. Such a preparatory stage of sensation presents physiological and stimulus conditions for the sensational stage. It is indeterminate and
75. Tattvārthasūtra, I, 17-18. arthasya vyañjanā vagrahah. 76. Vis eşāvas yakabhāṣya. 191. 193. 77. Nandisūtra, 34, mallaka-drstānta.
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