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Matter
upon Manas as a sense-organ. 'न तावदन्तःकरणमिन्द्रियम् ।'
MANAS AS SENSE-ORGAN
A sense-organ is the instrument of our direct perception. Manas operates in our Anumana or reasoning; so, if Manas were a sense-organ, reasoning would have been a process of direct perception. Other Vedāntists, however, do not subscribe to this doctrine of the author of the Vedanta Paribhāṣā. They contend that we have direct perception of pleasure and pain through Manas and accordingly they agree that it is a sense-organ after all,-internal sense or Antaḥ-karana, as they call it.
Manas according to the Jaina's is what distinguishes a rational (Samjñi) soul from the other irrational (Asamjñi)
creatures1.
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VEDANTA AND JAINA VIEWS COMPARED
In one respect at least, the Jaina doctrine of Manas is remarkably similar to the Vedantic position. We have seen that the function of Manas, according to the Vedanta, consists in Avaraṇa-bhanga or removal of Avastha i.e. of what covers the cognitive faculty of the soul. The Jaina's indicate almost the same thing by saying that the Manas is generated by the removal of those Karmas from the soul which cover its knowing power. Further according to them, Manas is of two kinds viz:-the Bhāva-manas and the
I The author of Gommaṭa-sära indicates the functions of Manas by describing the nature of Samjñā in the following way.
सिक्खाकिरिय वदे सालावग्गाहीमणोवलं वेण । ६६०
मीमंसदि जो पुव्वं कज्जमकज्जं च तच्चमिदं च स्तिक्खादि णामेणेदि (६६१ जीवकाण्डम् )
It is by the help of the Manas that one can learn, understand the gestures, receive instructions and follow conversations....... It is through Manas that one is enabled to decide before doing what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. It is through Manas that one can learn the distinction between the real and the unreal. It is because one has Manas that he responds when he is called by his name.
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