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Reals in the Jaina Metaphysics the Vaibhāșika and the Sautrāntika theories of atomic combination by saying:तस्मात् प्रकृतिभिनानां सम्बन्धो नास्ति तत्त्वतः।
(T ilfa-Hafsteetat)
DOCTRINE OF PRATIGHĀTA
It must be admitted that the above criticisms of the theories of atomic combination have considerable force. It is still a problem how the atoms, supersensuous mathematical centres of force, having no magnitude as they are conceived to be, can by their combination give rise to extended bodies. To explain extension, some Indian philosophers said that the atoms alleged to have combined, do not really unite but approach one another as much as possible. In other words, the combination of atoms does not mean their actual Samyoga but their Pratighāta. The word Pratighāta sounds like Boscovitch's ultimate force of repulsion inherent in an atom which prevents two atoms attracting each other from coinciding with each other. It is doubtful if the theory of Pratighāta would fully account for our ideas of combination of atoms. Mere approaching each other or staying side by side, of the atoms would not explain our experience of the oneness and the grossness of a material body. It appears that the Vaibhāșika's did not admit any assimilating principle in the atoms, so that a gross body in accordance with their theories, was after all a loose conglomerate of independent atoms and not the unitary whole of our experience. It also appears that they failed to explain how the atoms, absolutely insensible substances as they were, could give rise to a sensible body having a mass or density. Unity and massiveness of a gross material body of our sensuous experience remain apparently unexplained by the Vaibhāșika's. An aggregate of independent particles is not one unitary whole; nor can an infinite number of absolutely insensible particles by their addition produce a sensible gross body. Are we then to submit to the conclusion of some of the Buddhist thinkers:-तौ च भावौ तदन्यश्य सर्वे ते स्वात्मनि स्थिता। इत्यमिश्राः स्वयंभावास्तान् मिश्रयति कल्पना।'
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