Book Title: Reals on the Jaina Metaphysics
Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Shatnidas Khetsy Charitable Trust Mumbai

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Page 252
________________ Matter 237 which expresses itself in Paridevanā or outward manifestations of grief, to Duḥkha or apprehensions of future pain, to Dourmanasya or mental agony arising from Duḥkha. The Buddhists assert that besides the above there are other forms of mental states e.g. sense of insult, honour, etc. which are called the Upakleśa's. At the fit and opportune stage, there appears Avidyā again,--thus making an individual wander in the cyclical transmigratory series and feel the rounds of conscious experiences. BUDDHIST CLASSIFICATION OF THE CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCES It is however, not to be forgotten in this connection that the corner-stone of the Buddhist philosophy is its doctrine of the momentary character of all experiences. It is also to be noted that all experiences, transitory as they are, form causal moments in an unbroken series. The question then naturally arises, how these discrete and separate experiential moments come to be causally connected, so as to constitute a life's experience as a whole. The same question reappears in an insistent and more pointed form when we consider the Buddhist classification of the Antara-Sāmudaya or concious experience proper. PANÇA SKANDHA The conscious experiences may be grouped under five classes, the Pañça Skandha's as the Buddhists call them. The Rūpa Skandha has for its matter, the sensuous objects. The momentary consciousnesses of self (Aham), forming a connected series or stream is the Vijñāna Skandha. The Vedanā Skandha consists in feelings of pleasure and pain. All forms of knowledge involving conception and naming come under the fourth class the Samjnā Skandha; while Samskāra Skandha consists in tendencies of attachment and envy, of pride, and of Dharma and Adharma etc. which lead to re-incarnations. Skandha, Sāmudaya or Sanghāta mean the same thing and indicate a group or compound and the Buddhist theory is that although each of our conscious experiences is strictly individual and momentary Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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