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it is more consistent inasmuch as it explains the whole of the external world as a creation of the mind and thus abolishes the logical distinction between the sva-lakṣaṇa and the samanya-lakṣaṇa. If, as stated by the Sautrāntika, the image or idea is a necessary link between the mind and its object, there is no need to assume the object, provided we otherwise account for the appearance of its image or idea in the mind; and that is just the view which the Yogācāra takes. He abolishes what according to the Sautrāntika is the hypothetical outer circle by assuming that the mind itself can generate the respective ideas. Objects according to the Yogacara are not accordingly encountered by the mind, but are created by it. In this doctrine, we have not only to explain generality, quality, etc., as subjective, but also the concept of externality itself, the only reality admitted being vijñāna which is 'internal,' if the word can be used at all when nothing outside is recognized. In the case of each vijñāna, we must assume the fictitious diversification of 'knower,' 'knowledge' and 'known,' so that the subject and the object are only aspects of vijñāna or knowledge itself. So far as the evidence of Hindu philosophical works goes, the presumption is that the number of vijñāna-series is unlimited; and the doctrine, though idealistic, is pluralistic. But the position that 'externality' is merely a mental construct, if strictly adhered to, renders the recognition of more than one self impossible and we shall be led into solipsism. But even then the plurality of selves would be granted on the empirical plane to explain life and its common activities on the analogy of dreams. There is no evidence in Sanskrit works to show that such a position was actually reached in the Yogacara school. But there are indications, on the other hand, that by some among its adherents a cosmic or absolute vijñāna-series was postulated of which everything was regarded as but an appearance. Thus we find the doctrine described as Vijñānādvaita3 and classed with
1 See Gunaratna on Şaḍdarśana-samuccaya, st. 56. Tarhi bahirarthavat sva-jñāna-samtānāt anyāni samtānāntarāṇyapi visiryeran.
See e.g. Vidyaranya: Vivaraṇa-prameya-samgraha, p. 80. 3 Cf. NM. pp. 526 and 537.
