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Reals in the faina Metaphysics If then we have a totality of experiences, this shows that a permanent principle of consciousness i.e. the Ātmā is the reality which underlies the series of vanishing units of experiences.
There seems to have been a school of Indian thinkers who like the modern western thinkers and apparently on the same grounds as theirs identified Manas with Ātmā. In the 3rd Anuvāka of the 2nd Valli of the Taittiriya Upanișad, we are told that according to some thinkers,
'अन्योतर आत्मा मनोमयः।'
MANAS AND ĀTMĀ IDENTIFIED BY SOME
In 3-1-15, 16 and 17 of the Nyāya Sūtra's, Gautama refers to the contention of a school of philosophers who looked upon Manas and Ātmā as identical. They pointed out that whereas a particular sense-organ can grasp only a particular aspect of outside objects, Manas like what is called Ātmā perceives all the aspects of all things. The scope or range of Manas is as unlimited as that of Ātmā. Secondly, a sense-organ gives knowledge so long as it is in contact with its object. With the absence or removal of the object, sense-knowledge is impossible. The operation of Manas, however, is not in this way or in any way limited. Manas is operative in all forms of knowledge, perceptual, reproductive, productive or inferential. In other words, Manas like Ātmā underlies all cognitive and conscious processes. It is accordingly needless,
the momentary Vijñāna; for comparisons and recollections are possible only when an object previously perceived can be held up before the mind once more; but this is impossible if we have only the Vijñāna which is to die as soon as it arises. 'वर्तमान तावद् विज्ञान क्षणिक पूर्वोत्तरविज्ञान-सम्बन्धे निवृत्तियुक् कथं गुण-दोष-विचारस्मरणादि-व्यापारे साचिव्यं कुर्यात् ।' Then again, the wholeness of our experiences is also inexplicable by the doctrine of Alaya-Vijñāna. For, Alaya-Vijñāna must be a persisting reality in order to explain it; but in that case, the Buddhist doctrine of momentary Vijñāna is given up.
'तस्यैकस्य कालान्तरावस्थायित्वाभ्युपगमे क्षणिकप्रतिज्ञाहानिः।'
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