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Reals in the Jainą Metaphysics
as it arises. The object of a momentary Çitta or Manas is certainly different from that of its successor. But all the Çitta's are similar in this that all of them involve a consciousness of the knowing self. This similarity running through all the Çittas makes it possible for the succeeding Çittas appear as an unbroken continuum. This unbroken continuum is called the Ālaya-Vijñāna by the Buddhists. Although the Buddhists deny the existence of any permanently existing soul, they point out that this Alaya-Vijñāna as the uninterrupted flow of self-consciousness is virtually the Ātmā. On the other hand, each unit of Ālaya-Vijñāna is self-conscious; Ātmā is also the principle of self consciousness; viewed in this way, Manas or Çitta, momentary as it is, is the Ātmā.
Although the celebrated doctrine of Vijñāna is generally associated with the Buddhists, vague hints about it may be traced in some of the doctrines, mentioned in the early Upanişads. In the 4th Anuvāka of the 2nd Valli of the Taittirīya, for instance, we are informed of some thinkers who contended.---3775T fagittay: 1'.
BUDDHIST THEORY OF MANAS, COMPARABLE WITH HUME's DOCTRINE
The points embodied in these doctrines and fully developed in the Buddhist philosophy are:-1. Manas is a unit of self-consciousness. 2. It is momentary. 3. Succeeding units of Manas, although really unconnected are similar to one another, in as much as self-consciousness is involved in each and this fact of similarity makes the successive units appear as one connected series or Santāna. 4. Although there is no permanent Soul, Manas as the self-conscious unit and the Santāna as the continuum of such units may for all practical purposes, be identified with the Ātmā of the other systems. Stated thus the Buddhist theory resembles the present day doctrines of the sensationist school, .... "perceptions are distinct existences” says Hume, "they form a whole only by being connected together. But no connections among distinct existences are ever
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