Reals on the Jaina Metaphysics

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Shatnidas Khetsy Charitable Trust Mumbai

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Reals in the Jaina Metaphysics
The Buddhist thinkers of ancient India were celebrated for their doctrine of the Nirvikalpa. According to them, it is the only mode of Pratyakṣa which can be relied on as a. Pramāņa or source of correct knowledge. The Savikalpa or the determined or developed Perception is not correct. apprehension according to them, as it is tainted with Kalpanā or conception. As regards the possibility of the Nirvikalpa, Dharmakīrti has said:
संहृत्य सर्वतश्चिन्तां स्तिमितेनान्तरात्मना।
स्थितोऽपि चक्षुषा रुपमीक्षते साक्षजा मतिः ।। प्रमाणवात्तिक When the Inner Sense is taken away from all modes of cognising, at that time if something is seen by the eye, the result would be the Pure Sensation.
In the Jaina philosophy, the possibility of the Pure Sensation is admitted. In it, it is called the Darśana'.
But although the Jaina's and the Buddhists agree in admitting the possibility of the Pure Sensation, there are differences in their views also. The first difference among them is with regard to the object of Pure Sensation. The Buddhists urge that the matter of the Pure Sensation is the matter itself in its absolute particularity; what we call the general aspect of a thing is unreal: it is the product of our conception or imagination. The real thing or the thing-in-itself is what is capable of practical utility i.e. of serving our purpose ( 372ff#trfirftratt). A thing in its absolute particularity alone can be of any use to us. Water, as it is, for example, can quench our thirst, not the concept of water. This absolute particularity of the object, which is the thing-in-itself, is called Svalakṣaṇa by the Buddhists.
। विषयविषयिसन्निपाते दर्शनं भवति । Tattvārtha-rāja-vārtika on 1-15, Tattvārtha-sutram. Pure Sensation results. from a contact of the object with a sense-orgon. As regards its nature Akalanka-deva says:
जातमात्रस्य बालस्य प्राथमिकोन्मेषोद् । (वि) भावितरुपद्रव्यविशेषालोचनाद् दर्शनं विवक्षितम् ।। The very first apprehension of a baby who is just born, which has not the peculiarities or particularities of the thing within its grasp is Darśana.