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

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Page 264
________________ Matter 249 dissolved (into primary Pudgala) as soon as that particular act is done. In this respect, Manas is temporary'. EXTENT OF MANAS The Jaina's do not contribute to the Vedānta contention that Manas is capable of expansion and contraction, nor to the Mināmsā theory of its all-pervasive character (Vibhutva). According to the Digambara Jaina's it is located in the heart and is of a very small, though not of atomic dimension. Ratna-prabhācāryya in his comments on the 2nd Sūtra of the 1st chapter of the Pramāņa-nayatattvälokā-lamkāra suggests, however that the Manas is Sarira-vyāpi i.e. that it pervades the whole body. Manas's of course are infinite in number as they are being formed every moment in beings, as occasions arise. The Jaina's point out that Manas is Mūrta i.e. it has a definite form or shape. It is only a Mūrta thing that can be stopped and overwhelmed by another Mūrta thing outside it. Sounds (which are material modes according to the Jaina's) of thunder are found to stop the operation of Manas and wine etc. overwhelm it; hence the Jaina's argue that Manas must be a Mūrta substance. The Jaina's call Manas a Noindriya or Anindriya, literally signifying not a sense-organ. They however, mean to say that the Mind may be regarded in some respects as a sense-organ. Senses of touch, taste, vision, smell and hearing have fixed locations in the body from which they do not move; but Manas has no such fixed location in the periphery. Mind in this respect is not a senseorgan. It is Manas that first attends to a thing before it can be actually perceived by the other senses. Mental attention is prior to sensuous perception. It is in this respect also that Mind is distinct from the other senses. But it is an Indriya in the sense that like the sense-organs it is an instrument by means of which, the finite soul (Indra) grasps the outside objects. Manas is called the Antaranga-karaṇam, " As Akalanka puts it-witan fa feurat: q8TCT: TUETTER TAROTT दिकार्य कृत्वा तदनन्तरसमय मनस्त्वात् प्रच्यवन्ते।' Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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