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Matter
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as a whole and the Apeksika due to the various degrees of grossness found in molecular bodies.
DARKNESS OR SHADOW: MIMĀMSĀ View: NYAYAVAIŠEȘIKA View: JAINA VIEW
Darkness and Shadow: According to the Mīmāṁsā school of thinkers darkness and shadow are substances. Their reason is that these phenomena are found to have motions. When a man goes, his shadow goes with him. Similarly, shadow and darkness are found to be in different places at different times. This shows that they have motions and all moving phenomena are substances. The philosophers of the Nyāya-Vaišeșika school are opposed to the Mīmāṁsā contention. According to them, shadow and darkness are but Abhāva's or non-existence of light. Where light atoms are obstructed or prevented from entering, there we have their non-existences. The obstruction of some of the light atoms leaves shadow, while that of a considerable number of these causes darkness. The alleged motions of shadow and darkness are not their motions but are series of obstructions, caused to light-atoms. On the other hand, according to the Jaina's, darkness and shadow are forms of matter i.e. material masses and not negations of light. In criticising the the Nyāya position, Ratnaprabhācārya argues in the following way:
RATNAPRABHĀÇĀRYA'S ARGUMENTS
"Darkness and shadow are perceived with the eyes in the same way as light, so that if the latter be held to be a substance, there seems to be no reason why the former are to be but negations. Inference also does not support the negative view of darkness and shadow. For, what is the reason or mark (Hetu) for such a conclusion? Is it because those are perceived to be different from substances ? This is not the case, however; for, darkness and shadow are as much positive perceptions as a pitcher etc. Had they been but negations, we could not have such positive perceptions with regard to them but have only negative apprehensions
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