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III. IV]
AVIDYĀ IN THE NYAYA SCHOOL
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is a beautiful damsel whose intimate association and friendship will satisfy all his desires and wants. The same is the case with a woman regarding a man. The human body ought to have no charm for a wise man who can size up things and appraise them at their proper value. It is the fool who is deluded into thinking that not only the body of the man or the woman, but even several parts of the same such as the teeth or the nose or the eyes have got a special fascination. But the wise man will analyse the human body into its component parts and will see in it nothing but flesh, blood, bone, tendons, veins, bile, phlegm and excreta. Viewed in this perspective the whole thing appears to be disenchanted and by its sheer ugliness will repel a prospective lover. So ultimately it is the self which is responsible for its station in life, whether it is free or in bondage. The original sin of ignorance which is responsible for so many and various perversities of our beliefs and dispositions and tastes must be got rid of. And the oniy antidote of this masterful malady is the knowledge of reality of self and not-self in their proper and true character.
Now a question arises. But is knowledge of reality possible of achievement? If knowledge of reality means knowledge of any particular individual thing and if this be regarded as the instrument o salvation, then there will be no living creature in bondage, because everyone has got true knowledge of something or other. It must, therefore, be accepted that knowledge of reality means knowledge of the entire range of reality, that is, of each and every real that may exist. This is a covetable state no doubt. But it is not possible for ordinary mortals with their thousand and one limitations and imperfections to achieve this infinite knowledge. Infinite knowledge presupposes infinite life and unlimited opportunities for self-culture and the compresence of all the conditions of knowledge. But we do not see, however lucky a person may be, he can command all these resources. Our span of life is limited and that even frequently punctuated with illness, worries and various sorts of wants and tribulations which make the pursuit of knowledge an exceedingly difficult task. So we find that only one man is really learned and wise in a million. So knowledge of reality in its entire range and scope is only a counsel of perfection. If, on the other hand, it is conceded that a person acquires true knowledge of a limited number of things, it is possible to argue that he will have no delusion with regard to these objects and he will be
ee to that extent. Freedom after all is spiritual, and such spiritual and intellectual freedom can be bestowed by knowledge no doubt. But this limited freedom is not true salvation which is the goal and consummation of our aspiration. A person may lose all illusion regarding things he knows. But as regards things unknown, and their name is Legion, he will be subject to delusion and
JP-14
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