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THE DOCTRINE OF THE THING BY ITSELF.
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all nen? Or of the absence of perception of any one person himself
-It cannot be the former ; because ordinary men with limited powers of perception can never be sure of any thing being not perceived by all men; hence it must be always doubtful. People of limited vision have no means of knowing that no man has the perception of an unseen cause for such things as the marks on the wings of the Peacock. As for any single man's own non-perception, that can never be conclusive :-why because even though such things as the grass, the coral, the pebbles and the like growing in mountain-caves are not perceived, yet they do exist; that is, there is nothing incongruous in regarding them as existent.Thus the reasons adduced being doubtful, the non-existence cannot be regarded as proved beyond roubt.-(122)
TEXTS (123-124).
IF NO REASON IS ADDUCED TO PROVE THE TAOT OF THINGS HAVING NO
CAUSE, THEN, INASMUCH NOTHING CAN BE PROVED WITHOUT REASON, YOUR THEORY IS NOT PROVED.-IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU DO ADDUCE A REASON PROVING TT, - THEN ALSO YOUR THEORY IS NOT PROVED, -AS Tu proving ITSELF WOULD BE PRODUCED BY THE PROOF ADDUCED (WHICH WOULD THEREFORE
BE THE Cause Of The proving].-(124)
COMMENTARY
Farther, you have to be asked the following question :-In support of your conclusion that "Things have no Cause",- do you adopt any Reason, or not? If you do not adopt it, then your view does not become proved ; as there can be no proving of anything without adequate proof (means of cognition).-If, on the other hand, you do adopt a Reason,-even then, your view cannot be proved; (such is the construction of the words of the Text].
Why so?"-Because the proving' itself would be produced by the Proof adduced. This is what has been thus declared by the revered Acharya Sari-'One who declares that there is no Cause would demolish his own conclusion if he adduced any reasons in support of his assertion; on the other hand, if he were slow to adduce reasons, what could be gained by mere assertion :'-(123-124)
The following might be urged: The Reason that I adduce is indicalive, not productive; why then should my conclusion not be proved?"
The answer to this is provided by the following text :
