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Matter
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mordial Bhūta's and atoms by the Buddhists did not signify the material qualities as we find them in the gross matters. Those attributes when applied to the ultimate elements were described as Fafan&TICA: i.e. barest capacities or potentialities.
The fact that by attributing colour, taste, etc. to the elements or the elemental atoms, the Indian philosophers did not mean that these were actually coloured or tasteful substances like those gross articles of our taste or vision, will be further evident from the Jaina view about the nature of the Pudgala'.
IN A SENSE, THE SECONDARY QUALITIES ARE AS GOOD AS A 'PRIMARY' QUALITIES
The ground of the varieties of our sensations are to be sought for in ultimate matter. This does not mean that the ultimate atoms themselves are actually coloured or tasteful; they have the capacities to develop the sensuous characteristics in gross matters. An eminent science scholar of the present day seems to admit this, when he said: “All this shows that there is something, whatever it may be, in the objects themselves, representative of sensations and a realist is led to think that the so-called secondary qualities of Locke are just as primary as any other. (“Review of Philosophy and Religion”, Vol. II, No. I; “Modern Concepts of Matter”, p. 24).
? Brahma-deva presents this matter extremely well, when he says, तथाहि यथाऽनन्तज्ञाननदर्शनसुखवीर्यगुणचतुष्ठयं सर्वजीवसाधारणं, तथा रूपरसगन्धस्पर्शगुणचतुष्टय सर्वपुद्गलसाधारणं यथा च शुद्धवुद्धकस्वभावसिद्ध जीवेऽनन्त चतुष्टयमतीन्द्रियं, तथैव शुद्धपुद्गलपरमाणुद्रव्ये रूपादिचतुष्टय मतीद्रियं यथा रागादिस्नेहगुणेन कर्मवन्धावस्थायां ज्ञानादिचतुष्टयस्याशुद्धत्व तथा स्निग्धरूक्षत्वगुणेन' द्वाणुकादिवन्धावस्थायां रूपादिचतुष्टयस्याशुद्धत्वम्। The substance of the above is as follows. If we compare the nature of the soul with that of matter, we find that just as the four infinities of Apprehension,
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