Karma Mimansa

Author(s): Berriedale Keith
Publisher: Berriedale Keith

Page 66

THE WORLD OF REALITY
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it ought to be knowable by itself, which is plainly absurd; if it comes into being with the individual, how is it distinct from it? The reply given by both these schools is an appeal to consciousness; we have as an actual fact direct perception of generality, and we cannot be induced to disbelieve it by any process of inference, which cannot have the validity of direct preception. To confute our belief it is necessary to adduce some defect in the organs of perception or a sublating cognition, and neither of these processes is possible. The Buddhists would ask us to disbelieve in the existence of colour, but we decline to do so, and equally we find no cogency in their request that we should refuse belief to the evidence of our senses regarding generality. Nor is it correct to ask whether generality is present in its entirety in each individual or collectively in all; these are conceptions which are applicable to individual things alone, not to the impartite generality, which is not to be compared either with a string which holds together a necklace of pearls, or the many parts which go to constitute a single living creature. It is not to be considered as any particular configuration or shape, but is a distinct entity sui generis. It must not be thought to be perceptible apart from the individual; such an existence of a separable character, if held by the NyayaVaiseṣika, is definitely rejected by the Mimāmsā. In the ultimate essence, when we analyse our idea of generality, it rests on the fact that, despite differences in things, we recognise in them an essential identity; among cows of many colours and shapes, there is still the same nature. The relation of generality to the individual may be described as that of difference as by Prabhakara, or as different and non-different as in the school of Kumārila, but the view of the two schools is not materially different. Kumarila points out that in ordinary life we recognise things as individual or as generalities, according as we select the one or other of the two aspects which must always be present. The specification of a class is brought about by various causes, such as colour, etc., or time and place. Thus gold is distinguished by its colour from copper, melted butter from oil by its odour and taste, a jar from other articles by its shape, a horse by its neighing, a Brahman by origin,