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sense-organs, even being considered transcendental as indirect (Paroksa), was also include in direct knowledge (Pratyaksa) following the concept of other traditions and it was designated as same Vyavaharika Pratyaksa (perception according to the common usage or ordinary perception).
In my opinion, primarily empirical sensual cognition was included in Darśana and contemplative Matijñāna was confined only to the deliberative intellectual knowledge (Vimarsatmaka Jñāna). This distinction was also recommended in later period. Four early classifications of Matijñāna, i.e. Avagraha, Iha, Avaya and Dharana are also considered as deliberative knowledge but when sensory cognition was included in Matijñāna, the question arose as to how the knowledge, originated from sense-organs, would be regarded as indirect knowledge. Consequently, it was accepted as Samvyavaharika Pratyaksa (perception according to common usage) following the philosophical traditions.
To synthesize the first stage of five-fold knowledge with two-fold classification of Pramana Pratyaksa and Paroksa of second stage, a third stage was introduced. An attempt was also made to correlate the Jaina concept of Pratyaksa (direct knowledge) with the concept of perception (Pratyaksa) of other philosophical traditions.
Akalanka (c. 8th A.D.) who contributed a parallel system of Jaina logic based on the Āgamicconception and some later Ācāryas classified the Pratyaksa into two parts, i.e. Samvyavahsrika Pratyaksa (perception according to common usage) and Paramarthika Pratyaksa (transcendental perception). Its brief reference can be traced in Nandisātra and a detailed one in Jinabhadra's Višesāvasyaka Bhāsya (c. 700 A.D.). Akalanka etc. have followed the same two-fold concept of Pratyaksa.
165 | Jainism and its History
