Nyaya Science of Thought

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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NYAYA.
The soul being an individual, or indivisible unit of consciousness, the idea of knowledge in reference to it is that of a state of consciousness which is neither the whole, nor a separated part of the life of the ego, but one of an infinity of interpenetrating and inseparable phases or aspects, each of which is pervaded by the all-pervading consciousness of the self. In different words, every soul is, by nature, an individual Idea which is itself the summation of an infinity of different, but inseparable ideas, or states of consciousness. But since all these ideas or states of consciousness are not simultaneously present in the consciousness of each and every soul, some of them must necessarily exist in a sub-conscious or dormant condition whence they emerge above the level whenever conditions are favourable for their manifestation. Thus, knowledge is never acquired from without, but only actualized from within. This is so even when we perceive a new object or are impressed with a new idea for the first time, for the soul can never know anything other than the state or states of its own consciousness. Hence, unless the soul be endowed with the capacity to assume a state corresponding to the stimulus from without, it would never have the consciousness of the outside object. This capacity really means the power to vibrate in sympathy with, that is to say at the