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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
In the Agama literature, the charaeteristics of knowledge have been presented from the points of view of identity and of difference. From the point of view of identity (abhe a), it has been said that self and knowledge are one and there are no differences. From the point of view of difference, knowledge is the quality of the soul. From the point of view of identity and difference (bhedabheda), self can be said to be neither completely different from knowledge, nor completely identical with knowledge.1 Knowledge is identical with the self. Therefere, it is not different. Knowledge is the quality of the atman. Therefore, it is different also.
THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge and the object of knowledge are independent of each other. Knowledge is the quality of the self. Substance, quality and the modes are the objects of knowledge. Knowledge and its object do not produce each other. The object of knowledge may give us knowledge but it is not inherent with the act of cognition. It is related to the object when it is produced from the object, then it has the characteristics of the object. In that case, the identity of knowledge with the self would be remote. When we cognise an object the process of cognition involves the activity of the self. However, cognition depends on the object of cognition. The media through which we have to cognise an object are the body, sense-organs aud the mind. But they are not conscious. When the senses come in contact with the object through the stimulations, then the process of knowledge starts. The act of cognition is not some new creation. It is the process of the activity of the self to the media of the sense-organs and the mind in contact with the object. The process of cognition and the extent of knowledge depends upon the capacity of the knower.
We have seen that knowledge is possible by the self through the sense-organs and the mind, but the function is limited. The mind also has a limited capacity. The mind comes in contact with a particular sense organ at a time. Therefore, we can cognise an object
1 Svarupa sambodhana, 4.
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