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912
TATTVASANGRAHA : CHAPTER XXI.
TEXT (1901).
“ ACCORDING TO THE OTHER VIEW, THE IDEA IS THAT CONSCIOUSNESS PROCEEDS FROM THE BODY ITSELF; HOW THEN CAN THE TWO CORROBORATIVE INSTANCES BE ADMITTED TO BE
EQUIPPED WITH THE PROBANDUM?"-(1901)
COMMENTARY
** The Probandum, that is desired to be proved, is that the Cognition proceeds from its own Material Cause and produces its own product ; according to the other Party, however, Cognition is always produced from the Body itself ; so that for him there can be no Instance which fulfils the conditions of the Probandum ; why then has the Buddhist put forward the two instances of the present Cognition' and 'the previous Cognition'?"
The answer to this is as follows
TEXTS (1902-1905).
THE IDEA OF THE BODY BEING THE CAUSE (OF COGNITION) HAS BEEN
ALREADY DISCARDED, ON THE GROUND OF ITS INVOLVING THE POSSIBILITY OF ALL COGNITIONS APPEARING SIMULTANEOUSLY, ON ACCOUNT OF THERE BEING NO OTHER (CONTRIBUTORY) CAUSES.AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT IS FOUND THAT COGNITION IN THE FORM OF REMEMBRANCE, AFFECTION AND SO FORTH (WHICH ARE Cognitions) ACTUALLY PROCEEDS FROM PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCES AND PLEASANT REMINISCENCES OF THE SAME (WHICH ALSO ARE Cognitions ; AND THIS CANNOT BE DENIED.-THEN AGAIN, IT IS ALSO SEEN THAT DETERIORATION AND IMPROVEMENT IN ONE'S LATER COGNITIONS ARE BROUGHT ABOUT BY DETERIORATION AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRACTICE OF THE LEARNING AND ARTS. IT IS ALSO SEEN THAT WHEN THE FUNCTIONING OF THE MIND IS DEFECTIVE, THERE IS NO APPREHENSION OF OTHER THINGS.-ON ACCOUNT OF ALL THESE FACTS, THE IDEA OF COGNITION PROCEEDING FROM COGNITION CANNOT BE OBJECTED TO.-(1902-1905)
COMMENTARY.
There is no force in the above objection. It has been already shown that the Body cannot be the cause of Cognition, on the ground that that would involve the simultaneity of Cognitions ; because there is no other contributory cause which would be needed ; and if the Body is eternal, it cannot require anything else ; if on the other hand, it is not eternal, then the previous and the present, both objections, would be applicable. As a matter of fact, what is proved by proper means of Cognition cannot be set aside by mere assertion ; as otherwise there would be incongruities ; so that nothing could be the